A NEW CLASSIFICATION OF LEPIDOPTERA. S'21 



the Heterogeneidse (Is this final, and are we to drop Lima- 

 codidse, Apodidse, Cochliopodidse, and sundry other names with 

 which this family has been so lavishly endowed ?) have separate 

 origins from lost families of the Palfeo-lepidoptera, and that from 

 Micropteryx the Adelids, Tineae, and those forms that largely 

 preserve the maxillary palpi arose, whilst a separate branch 

 took origin probably from a lost family of tlie Palgeo-lepido- 

 ptera, and early lost the maxillary palpi, keeping them for some 

 time in the pupa. This is the Hepialid, Zeuzera, and Tortrix 

 Stirps. A more complete discussion of tlie neuration, especially 

 with reference to the evolution of the cell from the system 

 of nearly parallel or rather radiating veins of the Palseo-lepido- 

 ptera, will probably lead to conclusions very similar to these, 

 which are reached on other grounds. 



The group of the Psychidse (including Talseporia, &c.), which 

 no one who has examined the larvae and pupae, and the various 

 stages of the degradation of the female to complete limblessness 

 can doubt to be a thoroughly natural one, possibly divisible into 

 subfamilies, but still fairly homogeneous, is treated in a remark- 

 able way. Psychidse is reduced to two species, and forms the 

 leading family of the Psychina ; the remaining species are placed 

 beside Talseporia, which is left in its old place beside the Tinese. 

 The one group is stated, however, to be derived from the other, 

 so that there is an appearance of hunting with the hounds and 

 running with the hare. 



Our author also states Ocneria to be derived from Psyche. 

 Eggs, larvse, and pupae, and in most characters the imagines, so 

 thoroughly contradict this, that we had always attributed this state- 

 ment, when we had previously met with it, to the extraordinary 

 likeness there is between Orgyia (say antiqua), (some exotic 

 species have even more maggot-like females, &c.) and Psyche (say 

 unicolor or villosella) in the imago state, in both sexes, due to no 

 community of origin, or identity of structure, but to adaptation 

 to almost identical habits. 



We must refer to the impossible position given to Nola and 

 Earias, whose ova are sufficient to divide them abundantly from 

 the Arctiidae, even if the larvae and pupae did not so strongly 

 differentiate them. We agree with his statement that " they are 

 sufficiently isolated to make tlieir origin at present undecipher- 

 able : " why did he not act on this ? The grouping of species in 

 genera is often very contrary to our prepossessions, often appa- 

 rently quite justly, however; but others are very difficult to 

 accept, such as exoleta and viminalis in the same genus {Polio) 

 with chi and aprilina. Any one who has reared any of the 

 Heliothidae will refuse to accept umbra as a Caradrina, along with 

 trapezina, petasites, hellmanni, morpheus, exulis, &c., with Nonagria 

 and half a dozen other genera between it and Heliothis. 



If space permitted, we might quote many similar cases ; we 



