the Lepidopterous Family Cossidae. 



17-") 



Castniadae. — Though this and the three following families 

 present structures linking them to the Zeuzeridae, the affinity 

 is not so close as in the two families I have just dealt with. 

 In the genus Castnia there is a narrow areole, partly pro- 

 jecting beyond the cell, the 

 media with its lower branch is 

 strongly developed, while the 

 upper branch is completely 

 absent. In the hind- wing the 

 upper median branch is absent 

 together with the discocellulars, 

 except for a short spur arising 

 from the strongly developed 

 lower median branch shortly 

 above the origin of vein 5. 

 This apparently anomalous 

 neuration is elucidated in the 

 diagram by drawing dotted 

 lines to represent the missing 

 veins. So far as the fore-wing 



is concerned this explanation is n 



j , j , i x , t Fig. 33. — Castma atymnus, Fab. 



demonstrated to be correct by 



the neuration of the genus Gazera, which has a larger 



areole, and a media with two long branches. In the 



genus Synemon the neuration of the hind-wing agrees 



with that of Castnia: the media in the fore-wing is 



of the primitive type, but the areole has disappeared, 



Fig. 34. — Gazera linns. Cram. Fig. 35. — Synemon sophia, White. 



probably by coalescence of the chorda with the margin of 

 the cell, so producing the type of neuration characteristic of 

 the next three families. Before passing on to them I will 

 draw attention to a peculiarity in the neuration of Gazera. 

 In the fore-wing o 1 ' this genus vein 10, which is rather 

 weakly developed, becomes closely approximated to vein 9. 



