154 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. v. 



problematical. There are three patterns of the wings of Day But- 

 terflies: the Papilionid, the Pieri-Nymphalid, the Lyc^eni-Hesperid. 

 I cannot place Nemeobius satisfactorily because I am told it is a Ly- 

 csenid while its wings are of the pattern of the Pieri-Nymphalids. 



The plan of the Lyc?enid and Hesperid wing is identical. The first 

 only differs from the latter, by the commencement of the absorption of 

 the radial veins. It is, in my opinion, very improbable that the Lycge- 

 nid and Hesperid wing should be separately evolved. The Lycaenid 

 wing is a continuation of the Hesperid and can be directly inferred from 

 it. The process of absorption which divides Lycana from Hesperia, 

 makes a further step and produces Thecla. The morphological value 

 of the stages is similar. 



Although, from any limited study, the neural ion appears as a whole 

 fixed, it is not so; it has its flux, perhaps its reflux. A wider compari- 

 son brings this out already and it will bring it out more and more. The 

 neuration has a present meaning which cannot be overlooked. To 

 neglect or pass over its teaching, the conclusions we may derive from its 

 variations, is to detract from the picture, to make this picture by so 

 much an inaccurate one, of the present condition and the probable past 

 and future of the organism. In the Lepidoptera, the veins which seem 

 to be most stable are the main branches, the Radius and Cubitus. Per- 

 haps the latter with its two branches is the more constant. The play is 

 now with the Media and its system of branches. Even in so fast 

 bound, so concrete a group as the Sphingid^e, where everything seems 

 exhausted tending to a future development, where there is so little that 

 is lax and pliable in any stage of the insect, the branches of the median 

 system still shift, vein IVi sometimes leaves the crossvein and appears 

 attached to the Radius, while IV2 varies in its inclination to the Cubitus. 

 So rigid and stark a neuration as we find in the Hawk Moths seems to 

 defy the investigator and to tax his patience beyond its power. But 

 finally even here something will be yielded to the diligent enquirer. He 

 will be able on occasion at least to distinguish between the more gen- 

 eralized and the more specialized form and this through the veining of 

 the wings. The wing of the Hawk Moths has assumed a certain stability 

 from its meeting in a high degree the requirements of flight and holds 

 fast to this pattern of veining in consequence. 



The art of the student is exercised to seize upon what is disparate 

 and bring these characters together into deeper harmony. No doubt, 

 a record lies for us to read in the neuration of the wings ; the difficulty 

 lies in properly revealing it, in an adequate interpretation. What I 



