292 Zoological Society. 



counterbalanced by the striking similarity of their more important 

 characters in the perfect state. As to the connexion between Aglaia 

 and Endromis, proposed by Boisduval, I cannot consider it as pos- 

 sessed of any real existence, Endromis having a totally different 

 arrangement of the wing-veins, the apical portion of the fore-wings 

 being traversed by seven branches, namely four arising from the me- 

 dian vein, and three simple ones arising from the post-costal vein, the 

 wing being furnished with a simple costal, a 5-branched post-costal, 

 a 4-branched median and a simple anal vein. Now this is the typical 

 number of branches which a lepidopterous wing ought to possess. 

 Recording to the theory of Mr. Edward Doubleday, that we are to 

 suppose the existence of a discoidal vein traversing the middle of the 

 discoidal cell, and that this discoidal vein, as well as the post-costal 

 and median, are respectively furnished with three branches. Ac- 

 cording to this theory therefore, the two branches of the post-costal 

 vein which run to the tip of the fore-wing of Endromis, together with 

 the first branch traversing the front of the disc of the apical portion 

 of the wing, are the only real branches of the post-costal vein ; the 

 two following branches of the post-costal vein, as I have regarded 

 them, and the first branch of the median vein, are the branches of the 

 supposed discoidal vein, and the three remaining branches of the me- 

 dian vein are its only true branches. I do not intend in this place 

 to enter into a detail of the reasons which induce me to refuse assent 

 to this theory ; I may however observe, 1 st, that with regard to the 

 functions of these branches, it is evident that the fourth branch of the 

 median vein, where present, must form a portion of the system of cir- 

 culation effected by the branches of the median vein, just as in like 

 manner the three branches of the post-costal vein of Satur?iia, which 

 traverse the apical portion of the fore-wing, must be considered as ef- 

 fectually forming a portion of the post-costal vein ; 2ndly, that it seems 

 to me contrary to analogy to admit the existence of fully-developed 

 branches of a vein, the base of which has no real existence ; and 3rdly, 

 that instances occur (e. g. Psyche StettineUa, Cochleophasia tes- 

 sellea) in which the number of branches exceeds the supposed typical 

 number of nine (z. e. three post-costal, three discoidal, and three me- 

 dian), those insects having ten branches, in which case one of the 

 veins must have an extra branch ; whilst in Saturnia for instance, the 

 supposed discoidal vein can only have two branches, — hence I see no 

 reason why cases may not be supposed in which one vein should have 

 more, and another vein fewer, than the typical number of branches ; 

 or, in other words, why the median vein in Endromis should not 

 have four branches, whilst there are only five branches for the post- 

 costal and supposed discoidal veins. 



The antennae also of Endromis, as well as its transformations, are 

 quite different from those of Aglaia and Saturnia ; indeed the tribe 

 Endromides of Boisduval seems to possess no single connecting cha- 

 racter. 



Hiibner, in his * Verzeichniss bekannter Schmetterlinge*,' has at- 

 tem})ted an arrangement of these insects which appears to me unna- 

 tural, so far as the primary divisions are concerned, whereas his inferior 

 * Augsburg, 1816, 8vo. 



