Dec. 1897 ] Grote: Classification of Lepidoptera. 159 



netic line, make large and complex cocoons. This envelop to the pupa 

 is so clearly an adaptive secondary character, that in one, single, upon 

 all other characters, homogeneous group, like the Emperor Moths, the 

 habit runs through the entire scale, from utter absence to a specializa- 

 tion hardly elsewhere attained, the hanging cocoons of Philosamia, 

 Attacus and Callosamia. Only on paper does the sequence seen by 

 Mr. Scudder exist. The specializations of the butterfly do not keep 

 pace with Mr. Scudder's imaginary series, Pieris is more specialized 

 than Nymphalis, and Nymphalis than Oeneis. The differences in the 

 mode of attachment are brought by Mr. Scudder into an artificial con- 

 nection. As to the "shrouds" of the Involuti, the utmost we can 

 grant to Mr. Scudder is, that the mode of attachment in Hesperia may 

 represent a stage by which the cocoon-making larva prepared itself to 

 abandon this habit. To make more of the observation than this is to 

 trifle. In a similar way the fact that in Thais the girdle has slipped up 

 to the " nosehorn " may figure a stage between the Succinct! and Sus- 

 pensi. But Parnassius does not follow this lead. Among the Agape- 

 tidse, Oeneis is a generalized form. The most specialized Satyrids, 

 I have met with, are Pararge and Lasiotnmaia. In these vein IV3 of 

 the hind wings has effected its junction with the Cubitus. But in Oeneis 

 cello this junction is not attained and vein IV3 springs still form the 

 cross vein as in the mass of the more generalized forms. Oeneis belongs 

 evidently to the genera allied to Erebia, in which vein I is developed, 

 curved and running to a point. Herein it departs from Eunienis, in 

 which this vein is blunt as in the Pararginae. The character of IV3 

 offered by Oeneis is important. It shows that this vein has not been 

 fully absorbed by the system of the Cubitus, in this genus and the 

 whole subfamily, Agapetinae, to which Oeneis belongs. From a study 

 of the imago, Mr. Scudder's classification is thus clearly to be rejected. 

 The view that the Lycsenid Succincti are specializations of the Papili- 

 onid is clearly an imaginary one. 



6. The sequence in the above table is that recommended by me to 

 be followed in catalogues and collections. The tribes are omitted be- 

 cause they are not sharply divisible. They are more or less lax group- 

 ings of allied genera near extensions of the generic idea. Each family 

 or superfamily commences with the more specialized forms. To reverse 

 this order in coUecdons or catalogues is, I believe, impracticable from 

 the nature of the objects here studied. 



