INTRODUCTION. XXXI 



SyntomidDe (which follow the Zygc^nidce) and the Nolidge ; 

 and the Sericarides (= our Bombycidce ; Guenee's Bombycid^e 

 = Lasiocampidae) between the Endromidee and the Saturniid?e. 



Here, perhaps, I should say a few words about the largest, 

 and also the most used, and most abused, of the works of 

 the late Francis Walker, in thirty-five small 8vo volumes, 

 1 854-1 866. On the title-page it is called " List of the 

 Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the 

 British Museum ; " but the volumes are headed, " Catalogue 

 of Lepidoptera Pleterocera." 



This book deserves the credit of being the only complete 

 synopsis of the Heierocera of the world which has been pub- 

 lished since the time of Fabricius ; and Walker, being a good 

 bibliographer, has supplied references to nearly all the species 

 described before the time of the appearance of his own work. 

 Considering how incomplete were even the best English libraries 

 in entomological literature until quite recently, the thorough 

 manner in which this part of the work is done is worthy of all 

 praise. But Walker appears to have had little acumen in 

 determining species; he has often wrongly indentified the 

 species of other authors, and he constantly failed to recognise 

 species described by himself or other authors, and described 

 them afresh, frequently in other genera. Walker's work, 

 however, like that of other authors, differed much at different 

 times, and is by no means deserving of the sweeping and 

 wholesale condemnation it has received at the hands of many 

 whose own work is far from faultless. No great innovations 

 of classification were proposed in this catalogue, which is now 

 nearly out of print, as well as out of date; and, with all its 

 admitted imperfections, it may be long before we have any 

 work sufficiently comprehensive to fill its place. 



It was divided into the following sections, separately 

 paged :— 



