Groups of the Lepidoptera. 321 
Denis and Schiffermiller, and some others of the authors 
named, supply some materials which it is as well to use 
up before leaving our consideration of their system. 
First, then, in the Vienna Catalogue the groups Sphina, 
Bombyx, Noctua, and Geometra are regularly arranged in 
sub-divisions, which are very serviceable as illustrating 
the connection (in the view of the authors) of each group 
with its predecessor or successor in order. The affinity 
of Bombyx to Sphinx is illustrated in this way; Bombyx 
has for its first section Sphingiformes: while the same 
relation is illustrated in like manner, thus :—Noctua begins 
with Bombyciformes and concludes with Semi-Geometre, 
the Geometre again beginning with Semi-Noctuales. This 
illustration of the affinity of each group to its predecessor, 
bears out very satisfactorily the correctness of the Lmnean 
order; and we shall find shortly that several later authors 
have seen the affinities in the same light. 
It is necessary to examine with some particularity the 
arrangement of Larrerttx, not only because he is the 
greatest systematist who has revised the Linnean arrange- 
ment, and was the first to propose any deviation from 
it; but also because he did sub-divide the Bombyces, and 
did in one of his works apply to one of his sub-divisions 
the name Pseudo-Bombyces. Uatreille’s ‘‘ Genera Crus- 
taceorum et Insectorum secundum ordinem naturalem in 
familias disposita,” was concludedin 1809. The arrange- 
ment followed here he adhered to with variations in his 
other works. He divided all the Lepidoptera into Diurna, 
Crepuscularia, and Nocturna, which divisions exactly 
corresponded with the Linnean divisions Papilio, Sphinz, 
Phalena. His first family (corresponding to our group) 
of the Nocturna is Bombycites, cluding the present 
genera Hepialus, Zenzera, Saturnia, Lasiocampa, Bombyz, 
Oerura, Laria, Limacodes, Psyche. Of the Bombycites, 
however, he classes a number of genera under a sub- 
heading as “ Bombycites Legitime ; les vraies Bombycites,” 
namely, Bombyx, Lasiocampa, etc., and (what is important) 
Cerura, Pygera, and Clostera. In order to show the 
bearing of this circumstance, I may mention here, that 
these very three genera, Cerura, Pygera, and Clostera 
“vraies Bombycites” of Latreille, are (with others) now, 
by the new classification, separated from the group, and 
called in terms “ Pseudo-” or “false” Bombyces. Latreille’s 
first group of Nocturna being the Bombycites, his next 3s 
