90 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



there is usually only one pair. For these Buchanan-^Vhite provided the 

 name "harpagones" (harpago, singular), and this must remain. The 

 word " clasp " has been taken as the English name of this piece. If an 

 English name is not allowed, then we must say " harpago." Pierce calls 

 this the "harpes"; this is a synonym that must fall, apart from its 

 being a misapplication of a definite name given by Gosse. Lederer, so 

 far back as 1857, called attention to these parts in the Nnctuidae ; he 

 called the clasps, " affcerklappen," and this name certainly holds 

 priority in German; "valve" would probably be a more literal English 

 translation than "clasp," but the latter may serve, as it has especially 

 a very similar sound. Gosse's treatment of this organ is not very 

 clear. For the " harpago" he uses the term "valves," yet distinguishes 

 from them as a separate organ the armature of chitinous spines, hooks, 

 etc., that often mark the inner surface of the " harpago." The harpago 

 therefore, as the only consistent interpretation, consists of an outer 

 fleshy "valve," and an inter-spinous portion, the "harpe." This 

 difterentiation seems inapplicable in many cases, in some of which 

 only valves exist, in others only the harpe, whilst in the Xortuifiae we 

 have a complicated structure, in which both are present, but their 

 respective limits difficult to define, and, with further differentiations, 

 for which Mr. Pierce's abundant names seem to be a necessity. There 

 is certainly a question whether the harpe be merely a process of the 

 valve, or whether valve and harpe be not McLachlan's " appendices 

 intermedifB and inferiores" fused, a question for which those cases that 

 seem to show two clasps on each side may not, perhaps, give the 

 materials for an answer. 



The " tegumen " of Buchanan-White is again a collective word 

 and appears to include everything except the " harpagones " and the 

 " penis." Gosse gives us some differentiation here, and gives us the 

 name "tegumen," restricted to the dorsal portion of the 9th abdominal 

 segment, with " uncus " for the dorsal portion of the 10th abdominal, 

 which may be variously spined. Gosse is not very clear as to where 

 the " scaphium " is, but it seems to be accepted that he meant the 

 lower side of the 10th segment, that often presents definite processes 

 between the anus and the penis. Jordan uses neither of these terms, 

 but calls the parts tergite and sternite of the 10th abdominal segment. 

 Pierce applies the name "scaphium" to a chitinous piece that occurs 

 in the Catocalids, and hardly elsewhere; it is a line of hard tissue 

 passing from the base of the " uncus " to the anal aperture. What he 

 calls " subscaphium," is, in fact, the "scaphium," but he figures it too 

 close to the anus (for most lepidoptera at any rate). His plate I shows 

 his scaphium as a free process, and the anus as a free conical tube. 

 Drawn correctly, the end of the "scaphium" and the end of the 

 " anus " should coincide, since his scaphium is nowhere free. This 

 piece wants a new name if it wants one at all. Pierce agrees with 

 many obsei'vers (according, at least, to their figures), in representing 

 the anus as a projecting cone ; this is erroneous ; it may project so in 

 some degree when in use, but, in preparations, it |)rojects so for no 

 better reason than the gut of a caterpillar projects from the anus under 

 pressure. The remarkable structure which exists in Mai/iestra pcrsican'ar, 

 and which Pierce also calls the "scaphium,'" is neither the "scaphium" 

 of Pierce, nor altogether the true scaphium. It has no connection with 

 the " uncus " like the curious piece in the Ciitocalas, hut it has a ventral 



