5S4 Dr. ^Jhomns Algernon Chapman on ilie 



tlie texture often firm, but tending to be delicate, and it 

 has, I think, always both ends of equal si/e — that is, it 

 is not more narrowed towards the micropylar end or at 

 all pear-shaped, and it tends less than the Geometrid egg 

 to narrow towards the ends. 



Packard's description of the egg of Bryocampa ruhi- 

 ciinda may be taken as typical : " Oval, a little flattened, 

 the shell yellow, thin parchment-like, the surface smooth, 

 polished ; under one-half inch objector showing no traces 

 of pits or polygonal areas. The shell is so thin that 

 unfertilized eggs collapse irregularly.'' 



This group has throe (at least) branches, the Lasio- 

 campida and Eupterotida ; and two branches of which, 

 Endromida3 is possibly the base passing by Aylia to Cithe- 

 ronida9 and vSphingidte on the one hand and to Bombycidae 

 and Saturn idte on the other. 



The form of egg is so similar to that obtaining in 

 Antlirocendas and Megalofujgidfe , that I cannot resist the 

 conclusion that this series originates in my '' Micros whose 

 larvae are external feeder:*," though intermediate forms to 

 bridge over the great distance between Limacodes and 

 L:isiocan)jia are unknown to me. My observations on the 

 sipines of Limacodes and Eacles, and again of these and 

 Sj)hi)iges and Saturnids, together with the much larger 

 series on this subject published by Packard, and the 

 observations of Poulton and Weissman, on larva? of Aglia, 

 SphingidtB, etc., leave no room for doubt that all these 

 i'amilies are related, to the exclusion of the Geometrid 

 stirps. Most Macro pupas, except, perhaps, the upper 

 families of the Noctuid series, present some indications 

 of a Micro derivation. Here the Lasiocampids (like the 

 Notodontids) preserve traces of the dorsal head-piece; 

 but a more important feature that is preserved is 

 that of pupal locomotion. Some Lasiocampids can 

 travel to and fro in their cocoons, whilst Endronns 

 and Sphinx actually present instances of the pupte 

 emerging from their cocoons, this seems to be a feature 

 distinctly binding this group together. They are all 

 thick bodied. 



The Geometrid section has a thicker egg than the 

 Bombycid, usually with a bold raised netted sculpturing, 

 the ends are often narrower making the egg distinctly 

 ovoid, the micropylar end being the narrower. The 

 moths are slender, the pupfe of not a few groups- 



