242 THE entomologist's record. 



specialisation, and that everywhere the extent of this diminution, as 

 well as the absorption of the veins, is the measure of the specialisa- 

 tion." Grote finds the generalised 5-branched radius to be present 

 in the Papilionulae, Nyniplialidae, lAiimadidae, Lihijtlieidae , Xeuwo- 

 biiikw and Hcsjieridae ; whilst he states that a diminution of the 

 radial branches has taken place in the Pania.ssidac, Pitridac, liindi- 

 nidae and Lijcaenidae, which he looks upon as specialised groups. He 

 considers the Xemeobiidae to be a distinct family from the Ltmoniidae 

 (called Ruhlinidai'), agrees with the position Chapman assigns to the 

 Li/caenidar, and considers that the aborted fore-feet of the J have 

 been independently acquired (a character of convergence). The 

 author claims, in contradiction of Reuter, that the Lyc^tnids have 

 probably emerged from the " Hesiierid " stem, that the plan of the 

 wing is identical, and that the difference in the neuration may be 

 summed up by saying that the Hesperids retain the median system 

 in a more primitive condition. In the Lycfenids, " nervure iv is 

 absorbed by the radius, and nervure iv^ i-^ left in an original central 

 position;" in the Hesperids, " both iv and iv^ retain an independent 

 position." The Hesperids are made out to belong to the same phylo- 

 genetic series as all other butterflies, except the Parnam-Papilionidae. 

 This diphyletic origin of the butterflies wants examining with great 

 care, and we should hesitate to adopt it, unless special studies of 

 ovum, larva, pupa, and imaginal characters (other than neuration) 

 supported the conclusions that the author draws from his study of the 

 neuration. Based on the characters pointed out, Grote considers the 

 use of the term, " Rhopalocera vera," in the sense of an exclusion of 

 the Hesperids, inaccurate, because " the Papilionids are more different 

 from the other butterflies than are the Hesperids." The view taken 

 results in re-casting the hitherto accepted classification of Bates in its 

 broadest sense, since the Nymphalids are stated to be more generalised 

 than the Pierids, by the retention of the 5-branched radius. The 

 work further contains a critique of the classification proposed by 

 Chapman upon the segmental condition of the pupa, and the author 

 points out what he considers to be the fundamental value of the posi- 

 tions of the larval tubercles, as investigated by Dyar. Comstock's 

 division of the Lepidoptera into Frenat^ and Jugat.^c is maintained, 

 a conclusion with which we disagree entirely. We are further inclined 

 to disagree with the author, that "the Hepialides are more isolated 

 than any other living group of Lepidoptera." The four plates, on 

 which 33 figures, showing the neuration of various butterflies, are given, 

 will prove very useful. The nomenclature is based upon that proposed 

 by Scudder. Avith some few corrections as determined by Kirby. Although 

 this book is a useful addition to our knowledge of the neuration of 

 the butterflies, yet the general conclusions must not be hastily adopted, 

 and although we have every sympathy with special studies of this 

 character, we think that they are only of use for generalisation, when 

 compared with results obtained from other studies of special organs, 

 and since the conclusions arrived at are here often in opposition to 

 those deduced by Chapman, Reuter, Packard and others, we must 

 wait with patience for some summarised conclusion which will show 

 why this particular study gives such markedly difl'erent results from 

 those of other students. It is a book though that all British lepidop- 

 terists should attempt to see at once. 



