classification of the Tineina. 121 



strengthened, and the case may in general be considered 

 proved without special reason to the contrary. This 

 follows immediately from the first principles of evolu- 

 tion. 



In the following results I consider the families to be of 

 the same value biologically as the natural orders of 

 plants. I have been obliged to rely mainly on European 

 and Australian species in forming the classification, since 

 those of other regions, though partly known, have been 

 generically too ill characterised to be available for 

 evidence ; but I have included such other exotic genera 

 as it was possible to locate with tolerable certainty. 

 Even Zeller's descriptions of exotic genera are com- 

 monly unrecognisable and impracticable when the neu- 

 ration is not given. The neural terminology here 

 employed is that used by von Heinemann and commonly 

 on the Continent, the veins being denoted by numbers, 

 counting from the inner margin to the costa. 



The genera here classified are almost all included by 

 von Heinemann in his heterogeneous family of the 

 Gelechiidce, and by Stainton in his Gelechiidce and 

 GEcophorideB. Neither of these families, as understood 

 by their authors, admits of definite characterisation, 

 and they are therefore practically useless ; and the 

 number of species included is so enormous that, unless 

 united by the possession of very definite characters, they 

 would imperatively call for further subdivision. They 

 do, however, form a connected group, standing at the 

 head of the Tineina, and conforming to a single type. 

 The essential characters of this type are : — fore wings 

 with 12 veins, 7 and 8 stalked ; hind wings with 8 veins ; 

 labial palpi recurved, pointed. The exceptions to any of 

 these characters are very few, and are specified below in 

 their proper place ; but the characters are insufficient 

 for definition, since they recur in combination in the 

 Plutellidce, Tlypononieutidce, and Elachistidce, though only 

 occasionally. One character deserves very especial 

 attention, viz., the stalking of veins 7 and 8 of the fore 

 wings ; to this there is no exception whatever, the only 

 appearance of one being in the two genera of G^cophoridce, 

 where these veins coincide throughout instead of par- 

 tially, and in the two genera of Gelechiidce, where vein 5 

 is absent, and therefore the stalked veins are 6 and 7 in 

 actual order of numbering. 



