CHAPTEE V. 



DELTOIDES, PYRALIDES, AND CRAMBITJES. 



I VERT much regret that there should be no simpler words 

 which can be substituted for those which head this cliapter. 

 There are, however, none whatever, so we must be content to 

 use the terms which are adopted by the best entomologists of 

 the time. Indeed, the only group of which it is even possible 

 to form a simple English word which fully expresses the cha- 

 racter of the insects, is the first, which literally signifies 

 Delta-like, and may be freely translated as Delta-Moths, be- 

 cause when the insects are at rest, their wings assume a shape 

 which bears some resemblance to the Greek letter Delta (A). 

 All the above-mentioned insects are small, but the number 

 of species is enormous, for they reckon among their ranks 

 more species than all the groups which have heretofore been 

 described. As is the case with the Noctuge, the Moths of 

 each group bear a great resemblance to each other, and 

 much afflict the mind of the collector by their prevailing 

 similitude. At first, the collector finds himself utterly be- 

 wildered, when brought in contact with a number of these 

 Moths, and a feeling of despair seizes upon him. He feels much 

 as if a flock of sheep were brought before him, and he were 

 required to distinguish and name every animal. However, re- 

 membering that a good shej^herd actually does know by sight 

 every sheep in his flock, and that his eye can seize upon little 

 points of difference which are absolutely invisible to the un- 

 initiated, he sets determinately to work, and after a little while 

 feels that he is beginning to make his way. 



First, after long and careful examination, he picks out one 

 individual, and succeeds in finding the points in which it diffei;s 

 from its fellows. Having done this, he is able to refer it to its 

 proper place in the list, and then finds but little difficulty in 



