PREFACE. Vll 



tribution, as laid down from the study of the Mammalia, Birds, 

 Reptiles, Fishes, and Butterflies, are applicable also to the 

 Moths, though the more cosmopolitan distribution of the 

 genera and our imperfect knowledge of the Moths of the 

 surrounding regions do not enable us to define the subregions 

 as accurately as in other orders. 



To the authorities of the British Museum, and to the 

 assistant-keeper, Mr. A. Gr. Butler, I am indebted for much 

 help and the fullest opportunities of studying the National 

 Collection, which contains almost all the types of Walker, 

 Butler, Swinhoe, and many others, so that the main portion 

 of the present work had necessarily to be done at the Museum. 



To Mr. H. G. Elwes in especial my thanks are due for 

 being the originator of the idea of the work, for reading over 

 and correcting the whole of the proofs, and for much invaluable 

 advice and assistance, besides placing his whole collection at 

 my disposal. Mr. F. Moore has given me free access at any 

 time to his rich collection containing most of his types, and 

 has lent me every specimen and drawing wanted, help all the 

 more generous in that he has his own ' Lepidoptera Indica/ 

 which will deal with the same subject, in progress. My best 

 thanks are also due to Mr. E. Meyrick for his extremely 

 useful criticism of the key to the families, to Lord Walsing- 

 ham and Mr. J. H, Durrant for help with the Tincegeriidce, to 

 the Hon. W. de Rothschild for the loan of specimens, and to 

 my artist, Mr. H. Knight, for the careful way he has carried 

 out the drawings of structure. 



In conclusion, I may say that the other two volumes have 

 made such progress that I hope they will be published within 

 the next three years, bringing the work down to the end of 

 the Pyralidce proper, which is all that is contemplated for 

 the present. The material for the other families is almost 



