1902.] 229 



that Latreille had founded his subdivision Newiocera not only on the 

 number of the joints of the antenna?, but also on that of the palpi. 

 Macquart adopted this same characterization when he proposed the 

 name BraeJ/t/cera for the rest of the Orthorrhapha (see / c. p. 420, 

 at top). 



It is owing to the same neglect of the study of Latreille that the 

 dipterologists of the second half of the last century were never able 

 to discover a satisfactory distinctive character for separating the 

 imagos of the Orthorrhapha Brachi/eera from those of the Ci/clorrhapha 

 Athericera, in spice of the fact that the contrast between their early 

 stages is self-evident and undoubted. This distinctive character had, 

 nevertheless, been indicated by Latreille in his " Families Naturelles " 

 of 1825 in the passages reproduced above by me, passages which 

 merely need development. My lack of skill in dissecting and drawing 

 prevented me from undertaking this task which requires both these 

 accomplishments. 



Brauer, in the Introduction to his very ambitious new " System 

 of Diptera " (Zweifl. d. K. Mus.AVien, i, 18S0, p. ?., about the middle) 

 makes a vague allusion to these passages of Latreille, but he has not 

 understood how to profit by them. lie merely says, " Latreille, Fam. 

 Nat., 1825, hat auf die Bildung des Riissels und seiner Theile ein 

 besonderes Gew r icht gelegt, doch miissen zu ausgedehnterer Verwer- 

 thung noch mehr Untersuchungen vorgenommen werden." Brauer, 

 a trained zoologist and skilful draughtsman (both of which I am not), 

 intent as he was on reforming the whole System of Diptera, should 

 have investigated the purport of these important passages of Latreille, 

 instead of recommending this investigation to others ! 



May this, my unpretending notice, call the attention of trained 

 entomologists to such an investigation, which is indispensable for a 

 satisfactory and final definition of the three Suborders of Diptera ! 



Heidelberg : August 2Gth, 1902. 



ON THE VAKIATION AND HABITS OF LITHOSIA DEPLANA, Esp. 

 BY EUSTACE R. BANKF.S, M.A., F.E.S. 



When treating of the variation shown by Lithosia deplana, Esp., 

 Mr. C. (t. Barrett, in Lep. Brit. Isles, ii, p. 215, describes (under the 

 name helveola, Ocdis.) two forms of the female, of which the more 

 usual has the "general colour more slate-grey (/. e., than that of the 

 male), with a softening of yellowish ; hind-wings yellow-grey, hardly 



