168 THE entomologist's record. 



elated, but that it did not even belong to the Hphingo-Mlcropterygld 

 stirps (c/r/c, British Lepidoptfra, 1., p. 109). It was also quite clear 

 that it belonged to the Noctuo-Hei)ialid stirps, its affinities being 

 distinctly with the Xotadojitiik's or Linnantriides. Further exploration 

 discovered that Herrich-Schaffer, Ilambur, and the Scandinavian 

 authorities had already dissociated, on imaginal characters, the group to 

 which L. diinii belonged from the Lachneids, xenstt .stricUr. Wallen- 

 gren placed it (1V«. Akad. HamlL, (5), 4, pp. 28 and 33), in 1865, in 

 the family Phialidae of the StHphnoptert/jjes, whilst in 1869 he placed 

 it in the family Stripluwiderijgidac, a family maintained by Aurivillius 

 {Iris, vii., p. 1H5) although, in 1879, he had placed {Ofrers. Vet. Akad. 

 Forhandl., xxxvi., 7, p. 52) it in the Phialidae, and, in 1893, had 

 removed it to Sanidac {Knt. Tids., xiv., p. 206). Hampson curiously 

 enough places it in the Eapterutidaf [Faima Brit. Ind. Moths, i., p. 41). 

 Aurivillius also sinks Cratfrunux in favour of Leiiionia, Hb. [Verz., 

 p. 187) and places in the latter genus — Lnuunia tara.vaci, FjSp.,haUioni, 

 Christ., raillaiiti)ii,0\)evt\x., ljalca)iica, H.-Sch., diniii, h., sardanajiali(s, 

 btaud., philopaliis, Don/,. 



Bacot describes the eggs of Leinunia dunii as follows : 

 Attached to each other in small groups of two to five, probably they have been 

 laid at a loose riiif^ or clump on a twig or other surface, and have been broken off. 

 Upright, having the micropyle at the summit of the vertical axis; in shape a little 

 over half a rough sphere, the sides curving outwards and upwards from flattened 

 base before curving inwards and upwards in a rough dome; size l-3mm. to l'4mm. 

 in diameter by -ymm. in height ; coloration white, slightly mottled and speckled 

 with brown. A black spot at the micropyle and a broad ring of the brown mottling 

 condensed into a dark brown band surrounding the dark spot at a sufficient distance 

 to leave a band of the ground colour between it and the micropylar spot; beneath the 

 brown ring is a band of the ground colour, and below this again a second brown band 

 i-ather paler than the first ; the second band is situated about the equator of egg. The 

 shell looks strong and is opaque with a shiny and varnished surface, slightly 

 unequal or faceted on upper slopes and with traces of cell reticulation round the 

 micropyle; the micropyle itself being repiesented by a minute dimple. The attach- 

 ment of the eggs to one another is apparently due to a transparent glue or varnish, 

 which, when hard, forms a gelatinous-like membrane. The ova contain a fluid, no 

 development or gastrula having as yet, October 23rd, taken place (A. Bacot, October 

 23rd, 1901). 



From this description it will be seen that the egg shows Leinunia 

 [L'rateroni/x) to belong to the upright-egged stirps. As the imagines 

 have been separated by the neuration from the Lachneids, and the egg 

 suggests distinctly affinities with the Notodontids or Lymantriids, we 

 trust that someone with leisure will now work out the life-histories 

 and affinities of the species included in the genus Lettumia in detail, 

 and clear up the difficulties attending the position of the genus. That 

 the views of Herrich-Schatfer, and those later authors, who have given 

 the group family rank, on imaginal characters were well-founded is 

 evident, and one suspects that the larvae and pup^e will support the 

 view that Lemonia diiwi is the type of a distinct family. It may be 

 advisable to suggest Lemoniidae as a suitable family name should none 

 of those already used be available {e.(j., Striph)ioptery(/idae), but what 

 is more important at present is a knowledge of the relationship of the 

 Lemoniidae to che superfamilies of the Noctuo-Hepialid stirps, there 

 being a consensus of opinion as to the necessity of separating it from 

 its old associates. 



* Herrich-Schaffer (<S'a;H?nL ^t(sse7'eur. Sc/i/Hfiii., p. 3) erected for it the family 

 Lasiucampina (due to his erroneous employment of the generic name Lasioeampa), 

 while the Lachneids form his family Bombycoidea. 



