406 ORDERS OP PTILOTA. 



obscurities. Caterpillars are the flowers of the Lepidoptcra. 

 They are, indeed, not always present when the perfect in- 

 sects are before the examiner ; but is the case different with 

 the botanist?" And Mr. MacLeay says to the same effect : 

 " As the knowledge of the whole life of an insect must make 

 us better acquainted with its nature than a mere description 

 of one of its forms, in the same proportion ought metamor- 

 phosis to outweigh every other principle of arrangement." 



Latreille's mode of primary distinction has also been 

 adopted by Mr. Stephens, by whom, however, a distinct 

 mode of classification of the Nocturna, or Linnaean Phakente, 

 has been proposed, and by whom the following groups, con- 

 sidered as of equivalent rank with the Diurna and Crepuscu- 

 laria, have been formed : 



1. Lepidoptera pomeridiana, corresponding with the Lin- 

 naean Bombyces, and comprising four families : Hepialida, 

 Bombycidte, Notodontidte, and Arctiida. 



2. liepidoptera nocturna, corresponding with the Linnaean 

 Noctiue, and comprising two families: Lithosiidee, and 

 Noctuida. 



3. Lepidoptera semidiurna, corresponding with the Lin- 

 naean Geometra and Pyrales, and comprising the families 

 Geometridte, Platyptericida, and Pyralidte. 



4. Lepidoptera vespertina, corresponding with the Linnacan 

 Tortrices, Tinea, and Alucitee, and comprising the families 

 Tortricidee, Yponomeutida, Tineida, and Alucitida;. 



There are still two other very valuable works upon the 

 Lepidoptera, of the ^mode of distribution in which I would 

 have given an account: their incomplete state, however. 

 prevents my doing tin's. I allude to Dr. HonflcWl 

 Lepidoptera Javanica, and the before-mentioned work of 

 M. Boisduval; the former of which, by its philosophical 

 introduction, and the latter by the careful description of all 

 the species of this order, which it will contain, are especially 

 deserving of attention. The British species, of which there 



