330 Mr. H. J. Elwes on some 



With regard to the systematic position of these 

 insects, Doubleday, speaking of Thymara zaida, says it 

 cannot be far from the Lithosida. Walker says that 

 they are perhaps most nearly allied to PsycJddce. 



Westwood places Himantopterus with the Arctiidce. 

 Eogenhofer founds upon it a separate family, which he 

 says is nearest to Syntomida and Procridce ; but he does 

 not appear to have seen any of the Indian species. 



Moore and Butler agree in placing both Thymara and 

 the African species among the Chalcosiidce, and in the 

 British Museum they are arranged between Aglaojje and 

 Anomaotes, Feld., a genus occurring in the Himalaya 

 and Angola. 



Dr. Heylaerts, of Breda, who is an authority on 

 Psychidce, writes that HimantoiUenis fnscincrvis is by no 

 means a Psychid, but he thinks that Walker has put it 

 in its right place. (It stands in Walker's Catalogue 

 between BreseUa and Arctia.) 



Mr. Snellen, of Kotterdam, who is considered a high 

 authority on Heterocera, and whose Analytical Table of 

 the characters of the European Families of Lepidoptera 

 shows that he has studied them comprehensively, writes 

 to me as follows : — "I have a species allied to Himan- 

 topterus, namely, Pedoptila nemopteridia, Butl. This un- 

 doubtedly belongs to the Zygcenina (the Chalcosiidce do 

 not form a distinct family) as a somewhat abnormal genus, 

 and is allied to Procris. The male is sufficient to fix the 

 systematic position, for it has two int*^rnal veins in the 

 fore wing, the Syntomina have but one, the Psychina also 

 one, but this is long and forked, basally in Oiketicus, 

 externally in Psyche and allied genera." 



As, however, the neuration of the hind wing in 

 Himantopterus is unknown, and that of Thymara caudata 

 and 2\ zaida differ from each other, as well as from 

 my species, I cannot say whether these genera should be 

 kept separate ; and if so, to which of them my species 

 should be referred. 



The same difficulty exists in the African species, which 

 differ from each other in minute points of neuration, and 

 in consequence have been described by Butler under 

 three different genera ; so that we have no less than two 

 subfamilies and five genera existing for a group which 

 consists of only nine supposed species, of which one or 

 two may not be distinct, and only three are known 



