190 Mr. Fj. Meyrick's descrijdions of 



which inchide not much short of half the entire number 

 of species ; many of these are very widely distributed, 

 ranging through the Malay Archipelago and India to 

 South Africa, but there are also considerable endemic 

 groups, such as that of Pleonectusa. Owing to the wide 

 range of this family it is possible that I may have failed 

 to recognise some of the species which may have been 

 previously described from other regions, but I have used 

 every effort to identify them. 



The principal object of the paper has been the correct 

 classification of the species, in order to the just appre- 

 ciation of their geographical relations. Such species 

 as have hitherto been described from the South Pacific 

 have been usually classified almost at random, and are 

 at least useless, if not entirely unidentifiable. 



In every case the neuration has been fully made out 

 for each species ; the normal twelve veins of fore wings 

 and eight of hind wings are reckoned in all instances, 

 and as separate unless otherwise indicated. 



GEOMETRINA. 



The names of families and genera in this group are 

 used by some writers (following Guenee) in such an 

 extraordinarily loose and indefinite manner that I think 

 it necessary here to give the definitions, as adopted by 

 myself, of all the families and genera mentioned, in 

 order to avoid misapprehension of my OAvn work. I 

 hope shortly to be able to publish my views on the 

 classification of the group in a more comprehensive 

 form. Meanwhile, I may say that the seven families 

 given below are all with which I am acquainted ; I do 

 not assert that there are not others, but I do not know 

 of any ; all the European species are included in five of 

 these families, the Microniadce and DesiituhatJiriche not 

 being represented in that region. It will be observed 

 that some of these family names are employed in a 

 greatly extended sense ; thus the Boarmiada, as here 

 defined, include Guenee's families Urapterygida, Enno- 

 midce, Bodrmidce, Caberidce, Zerenida, and others. 



The following is, I believe, an accurate tabulatioii of 

 the families in all cases : — 



