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IX. Observations on the Lepidopterous Family Cossidae 

 and on the ( Classification of the Lepidoptera. By 

 A. Jefferis Turner, M.D., F.E.S. 



[Read March 20th, 1918.] 



It has long been known that moths belonging to the 

 family Cossidae present certain peculiarities in their 

 neuration; but the importance of these peculiarities and 

 the light they throw on the relationship of the different 

 families of the Lepidoptera have never, I believe, been 

 fully recognised. So far as I know, no monograph has 

 appeared on the structure of the whole family. Mr. 

 Meyrick in his " British Lepidoptera " deals with three 

 genera, which he divides into two families rather widely 

 separated in his scheme of classification. Sir George 

 Hampson has dealt with the more numerous Indian genera 

 as one family in his " Moths of India,"' and has also kindly 

 lent me an MS. key to the world genera represented in the 

 collection of the British Museum. Mr. Barnes and Mr. 

 McDonough have revised and tabulated the North American 

 genera (" Contrib. Nat. Hist. Lep. N. Amer.," i, p. 3). 

 Without attempting a systematic revision of the world 

 genera, I have endeavoured to describe all the more 

 important structural modifications exhibited by them, and 

 to discuss their significance. The accompanying figures 

 are all original, and though roughly diagrammatic, for I 

 have no skill as a draughtsman, they give, I believe, with 

 accuracy the essential details of the neuration in each case. 



Family COSSIDAE. 



Definition. — Tongue and maxillary palpi obsolete. Fore- 

 wings with an areole, usually large ; the parting vein 

 between areole and cell (the chorda) distinctly or strongly 

 developed ; * a branched median vein distinctly developed 

 in cell, very rarely unbranched ; two anal veins lc and lb, 

 the latter furcate at base. Hind-wings with a branched 

 median vein in cell distinctly developed, very rarely un- 

 branched; three anal veins lc, lb, and la, lb often shortly 

 furcate at base. 



* With one exception, which will be described. 

 TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1918. — PARTS I, II. (DEC.) 



