448 
In accordance with the general rules for the character of the 
wing-markings, which | thought myself justified in proclaiming, and 
which I tested as to their applicability to such families as Hepialids, 
Cossids, Aretiids and Sphingids, | came to the conclusion that not 
pyri but pavonia should be considered as the oldest form. For 
in pavonia the festooned submarginal transverse lines and bands 
deviate less from the “outer wing-margin and also show a smaller 
difference between their anterior and posterior extremity, the sub- 
marginal band therefore having the simplest and least irregular 
type. In the same way the difference between fore- and hindwing, 
as well on their upper- as on their underside and therefore also 
between the superior and inferior surface of each of the wings for 
itself —, is smaller in pavonia than in the two other species. 
In comparison to other Bombycids and to the remaining families 
of Heterocera, the colour-pattern of pavonia shows a greater simi- 
larity to the general primordial pattern of seven dark transversal 
bars, which I deduced from the comparison of all these forms, 
than the two other Saturnids. It might seem that this assertion is 
contradicted by the fact, that in pavonia the male at first sight 
looks entirely different from the female by its colour as well as 
by its inferior size, a difference which has apparently made a deep 
impression on STANDFUss. But on nearer inspection and consideration 
the difference is by no means so important as it looks, and need 
not be regarded as of high importance. For the difference in hues 
is evidently connected with the frequently occurring feature of 
discoloration (i.e. partial self-colour) by which on the superior 
surface the hindwing has partially turned into yellow, while at the 
underside the same hue has spread over the proximal part of the 
forewing. On both wings this discoloration is accompanied by a 
slight and incomplete fading of the pattern. 
Moreover it may be doubted, on very sound arguments, if the 
yellow hue — apart from its spreading over the dominion of spots 
and stripes, which are rendered more or less invisible by it — 
should be considered as a secondary modification of an older and 
more original hue, which latter therefore should have persisted on 
the upperside of the forewing and on the underside of the hind 
one. For this yellow-brown hue is characteristic for quite a number 
of Bombycine moths belonging to different genera, and in so far 
impresses us as a very original colour. It might therefore be 
assumed, that its occurrence in the male of pavonia should be 
considered as a reversion to an older condition, instead of being 
the appearance of a new hue. 
