138 DESCRIPTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA, 



long, filiform. Labial palpi moderately long, ascending, arched, 

 slender, cylindrical ; second joint smooth, sometimes loosely scaled 

 beneath, terminal joint nearly as long as second. Fore-wings 

 elongate, very narrow, parallel-sided, costa bent at apex or evenly 

 pointed. Hind-wings very narrowly lanceolate, much narrower 

 than fore-wings, cilia thrice or four times as broad. Abdomen 

 elongate, slender. Legs long, slender ; middle tibiae often much 

 thickened with scales. Fore-wings with 12 or 1 1 veins, 5 branches 

 to costa, no secondary cell, 1 simple. Hind- wings with from 8 

 to 6 veins, 3 and 5 being sometimes obsolete ; 5 and 6 stalked, 

 cell open. 



This genus is of world- wide occurrence, about seventy species 

 being hitherto known. All the species are elegant and some of 

 great beauty ; when at rest they sit with the forepart much raised 

 and the two anterior pairs of legs, which are often elegantly 

 marked, conspicuously displayed. They are somewhat retired in 

 habit, and may often be easiest found at rest on fences. 



The larvae are f ourteen-legged, slender, always mining in leaves 

 when young ; afterwards many of the European and American 

 species construct hollow cones for habitations, by rolling up pieces 

 of the leaves they feed on ; others remain miners all their life. 

 All the Australian species, with the larvae of which I am acquainted 

 are miners throughout life, nor have I ever seen indications of the 

 familiar cones of this genus in Australia. The mining larvae 

 usually leave the mine in order to form their cocoon. 



The genus is well-marked and easy of recognition, but some 

 slight variations of structure are found within its limits, principally 

 in respect of the scaling of the middle pair of tibiae, and the 

 second joint of labial palpi : the gradations are however so 

 insensible, that they do not admit of breaking up the genus by 

 their means. The twenty-nine species here described may be 

 tabulated as follows : 



A. middle tibiae very much thickened through- 

 out with scales. 



