PREFACE. 



IN the present volume the two remaining subfamilies of the 

 Noctuida, the FociUincB and Deltoidina, are described. The 

 latter consists of slenderly built, semidiurnal, grass-frequenting 

 forms which show far greater diversity of structure in both 

 generic and secondary sexual characters than the other groups 

 of the Noctuidae. It exhibits a gradual development from 

 forms with straight palpi fringed with hair above, such as 

 Hypena, which is closely allied to the Sarrothripince and to 

 the ancestors of the Noctuidce and Nolina, through forms 

 with oblique palpi, to a group possessing palpi of an extremely 

 curved sickle-shaped type : from this group arose the stouter 

 built more typically Noctuiform and nocturnal Focillinae 

 and Quadrifince. 



The Epicopiida, Uraniidae, Epiplemida , and Geometridae 

 belong to the group of families in which vein 5 of the fore 

 wing arises from the middle of the discocellulars. The first 

 three are closely allied and might perhaps be regarded as 

 subdivisions of one family, the Uraniida, which is most nearly 

 related to the Bombycidce and Saturniidce, some early form of 

 the same stock having also given rise to the Geometridte and 

 Notodontidc?. 



In the Geometridce Mr. Meyrick's excellent division into 

 subfamilies has been followed, and his classification will almost 

 certainly remain as the basis of any future work on the 

 subject. His definitions of the European genera also are 

 found to hold to a great extent for Indian forms, but least so 

 in the Boarmiince, which is far the most difficult subfamily to 

 classify, owing to the great diversity of structure that is found 

 in closely allied forms and to a large amount of individual 

 variation. It will require a considerably extended study, 

 embracing the forms of all the zoological regions, before a 

 really permanent classification can be arrived at. 



The Orthostixincs and (EnochromincB contain the most 

 primitive forms in the family ; the former has vein 8 of the 

 hind wing connected with the cell by a bar near the base, the 

 remains of one of the lost subcostals. From the Orthostixince 

 have arisen (1) the Acidaliince and Geometrince , by vein 8 of 



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