1144 
the nervures and whenever they seem to pass these limits, the 
real cause lies in the meeting of two independent markings of 
similar extent along the course of a vein. 
Fundamentally therefore the features on Haematopota-wings are 
identical with those we could remark on the wings of Hepialids 
amongst Lepidoptera: viz. an almost perfectly regular alternation of 
dark and light patches, filling out the areas (cells) between the 
nervures, but not passing over their borders, and occurring in 
like numbers in successive internervural cells, which necessarily 
brings about their arrangement in transverse rows parallel to the 
external wing-margin. 
In those wingparts, where the regularity of the pattern is 
interrupted, we clearly see the modification by which this is brought 
about, e.g. where two neighbouring transverse markings are coupled 
together by a longitudinal bar, or where they curve over into 
each other. 
Though | hesitate in ascribing importance to the configuration of 
the single markings, I will not abstain from pointing out the remark- 
able similarity between the dumbbell-shaped light markings of Hae- 
matopota italiea (corresponding to paired triangular markings in H. 
tuberculata), and the heurglasses of Hepialids. 
The comparison of these four species of the genus Haematopota 
therefore leads to the conelusion, that the original condition of their 
wings is not the uncoloured state, but on the contrary that of a com- 
plete pattern extending over the whole wing surface, and consisting 
of light and dark patches in regular alternation, arranged between 
the nervures, alike in size and placed at equal distances, so as to 
compose zigzag-ranges of markings, transversely running in a direc- 
tion parallel to the external wing-margin. In all these features there- 
fore the pattern corresponds to that of Hepialids, Zeuzerids, Tricho- 
ptera and Panorpata. 
Judging by v. p. Wourp’s figure (Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 
Vol. 17, Pl. 8), the wing of Poecilostola angustipennis satisfies the 
above mentioned criteria for a primitive colour-pattern, in still 
higher degree than that of the Haematopotas ; viz. in strict depend- 
ency on the course of the nervures and regular repetition of the 
same motive of wing-design. For here all internervural cells contain 
longitudinal series of numerous small spots, arranged all along both 
sides of the nervures. It is only in the third cell from behind, viz. 
that situated between first cubital and first anal nervure, that a 
third range of spots is seen along the, middle-line of the cell, where 
the 2¢ cubital vein would be found, had not that nervure obliterated, 
' db a" 
—_- cick nel 
