6 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



the central area are the stigmata, and these characters occur 

 more especially in the Noctuicte. The hind wings usually have 

 a fine short line, crescent, or spot, at the end of the cell, as in 

 tlie butterflies, and there is generally a line or band beyond. 



Immediately behind the head and covering the front part of 

 the thorax is a tippet-like arrangement of scales ; this is the 

 collar. On each side of the thorax there is a shoulder lappet 

 {patagiuni) which has its base on the front part of the thorax 

 also. Both tippet and lappet are often peculiarly ornamented, 

 and the former is sometimes strikingly coloured. The thorax 

 is sometimes crested, and more frequently the body is furnished 

 with tufts of erect hair scales. 



The number of moths occurring in the British Islands is well 

 over two thousand. The majority of these hardly ever find 

 favour with the collector. This is probably owing in a large 

 measure to the fact that they belong to a division of the moth 

 tribe which has been dubbed Micro-lepidoptera. It happens, 

 however, that quite a number of the species included in that 

 division are actually larger than many kinds that were placed 

 in the other contingent styled Macro-lepidoptera. According 

 to the most recent authorities the division of moths into two 

 such main groups as those adverted to is entirely fictitious and 

 misleading. Possibly, when this new order of things is more 

 generally understood the so-called "Micros" will receive their 

 proper share of attention. 



In the older systems of classification the Clear wings (Sesiidiu) 

 were associated with the Hawk-moths (Sphingid^), but the 

 former family is now considered to be more closely connected with 

 the Tineidie. The Goat-moth [Cossns ligniperdd) has been re- 

 moved from among the Bombyces, its name changed to Trypaims 

 cossus, and placed in the family Trypanida', which is relegated to 

 the neighbourhood of the Tortricidie. The Burnets (Zyga^nidie), 

 together with Heterogenea limacodes and H. asclla (Cochliopo- 

 didai). also Maa'ogaster castanece and Zenzera pyrina (Cossidas 



