Zoological Society. 293 
groups (Coitus), founded almost entirely upon the form and marking 
of the wings, appear to bring together the closely allied species. His 
first tribe of the Bombycoid Nocturnal Lepidoptera is termed Sphin- 
goides, and contains five stirpes:—Ist, Dimorphe (Endromis, Chao- 
nia, Petasia, &c.); 2nd, Ptilodontes (the Prominent Moths) ; 3rd, 
Andrie (Stauropus, Cerura, &c.) ; 4th, Platyptericides (Drepana, 
Platypteryx, &c.); and 5th, Lchidne, composed of Aglaia and a 
number of Saturnia. The second tribe of the Bombycoid Nocturnal 
Lepidoptera is termed Vere, and consists of the remainder of the 
Saturnia (S. Pavonia, Pyri, &c.) ; Apollonia, Cram. ; Maia, Drury ; 
perspicilla, Stoll; Cedo nulli, Cram.; and Pandiona, Cram., m 
separate coitus, forming a first stirps Heree ; the remaining stirpes, 
composed of the Penthophore, Larie, Orgyie, Lithosie, Arctia, 
Lasiocampe, Gastropache, &e. ; and the third tribe of the Bombycoid 
Lepidoptera being composed of Hepialus, Cossus, and Zeuzera. 
By this arrangement it will be seen that S. Pavonia, Pyri, &c., 
and the other species above named, are separated from the great body 
of the Saturnie, a step for which I can see no real grounds, the charac- 
ters of those species in the preparatory and perfect states agreeing 
with those of the stirps Xchidne far more intimately than with any of 
the other Bombycoid Nocturna, constituting the tribe named Vere. 
Mr. James Duncan, in the volume of Exotic Moths forming part of 
Sir W. Jardine’s Naturalist’s Library (vol. vii. 1841), has suggested 
a mode of distribution of the Saturnia, founded upon the form of the 
wings in the two sexes of the different species, of which the following 
is a sketch :— 
1. Those with the hind-wings rounded in both sexes. 
Genus 1. Hyalophora {or the Speculares Attact and Samie of 
Hubner}, with large vitreous spaces on the disc of the wings: 
Atlas, Hesperus, Cecropia, \c. 
Genus 2. Attacus, with eye-like spots on the wings, containing 
the great majority of the species. 
2. Those with the hind-wings furnished with an angular projection 
posteriorly. 
Genus 3. Arsenura [Rhescyntes of Hibner]. Hind-wings of 
male alone angulated. Sp. Hrythrine, Fab. 
Genus 4. Lomelia {Imbrasia of Hiibner}. Hind-wings of both 
sexes angulated. Sp. Hpimethea, Drury. 
3. Those with the hind-wings produced into a long tail. 
Genus 5. Actias, Leach [Tropea, Hubner]. Tail about the 
length of the body. Sp. Luna, Linn. 
Genus 6. Hustera [Hudemonia, p. Hiibner|. Tail very long ; 
apical margin of fore-wings rounded. Sp. Argus, Fab. 
Genus 7. Copiopteryx |Hudemonia, p. Hiibner|. Tail very 
long ; fore-wings truncated. . Sp. Semiramis, Cram. 
The application of the character derived from the variation in the 
form of the wings in the two sexes of the different species is a step 
gained in their arrangement; it must however be admitted that the 
species with rounded hind-wings, forming Mr. Duncan’s first section, 
must be cut up into a considerable number of subsections to place 
