THE GENUS HEXEBIS OF GROTE. 267 



PoAPHiLA, Guen. 

 Phurys. Guen. 

 In his description of Phurys, Guenee, comparing it with his 

 genus PoajMla, says : — " II est manifeste qu'ils doivent etre 

 separes, et il est difficile d'expliquer pourquoi." Well, I agree 

 with the latter part of the sentence, and I fail to follow the first 

 part ; therefore I sink Phurys as a worthless synonym. Under 

 his first species, P. vinculum, Guenee himself says : — " Cette 

 espece lie le genre Poaphila et le genre Phurys.'' This should be 

 conclusive ! 



(To be continued.) 



ON THE LEPIDOPTEROUS GENUS HEXERIS OF GROTE. 

 By a. G. Butler, Ph.D. 



Of this genus Grote says that it seems distantly related to 

 Syllectra, and that in its colour and ornamentation it resembles 

 some of the Geometridpe. He concludes that it is a Noctnid, on 

 the ground that the lower radial of the primaries is given off near 

 the posterior angle of the cell. 



The fact that the lower radial is thus situated is so far from 

 proving it a Noctuid, that (if it were sufficient of itself for that 

 purpose) half the other families of moths might equally be called 

 Noctuidse. 



Professor Smith, in his ' Catalogue of Noctuidse,' includes the 

 genus Hexeris (p. 376), and observes: — " A very distinct form, 

 the type of which is in the British Museum. I had not seen it 

 previously." 



As a Noctuid it would indeed be a very distinct form ; but as 

 it is a Thyridid, and a very typical one, both in structure, 

 colouring and pattern, one cannot regard it as "very distinct.'' 



In Mr. Hampson's 'Fauna of British India, Moths,' vol. i., 

 p. 352, the Thyrididre are thus characterized: — "Moths generally 

 with hyaline patches and striae on the wings. Palpi obliquely 

 upturned and slender. Antenna almost simple. Fore wing with 

 vein 1 a forming a fork with 1 & at base ; 1 c, absent ; 5 from near 

 lower angle of cell. Hind wing with two internal veins ; vein 8 

 nearly touching vein 7, just before or after end of the cell. Mid- 

 tibia with a pair of spurs ; hind tibiae with two pairs." 



These characters correspond in every respect with those of 

 Hexeris, which belongs to the group having striated wings with- 

 out hyaline patches. In its thickened antennae and elongate 

 palpi it approaches Walker's genus Pharambara. 



