Vili INTRODUCTION. 



and touches him, the two at once dropping to the ground to pair. Messrs. 

 Barrett and Kobson have both recorded observations connected witii 

 this. The females of the allied H. lupulinus and sylvinus, however, 

 stand on a grass stem and appear only to exert their attractive influ- 

 ence on the males (quite an inversion compared with hectus, and yet 

 following the general rule), when, with rapidly vibrating wings, they 

 apparently give out an odour which speedily attracts their mates. 



The presence of these scent glands and patches being beyond 

 doubt, it now becomes necessary to classify them. It would appear 

 that they might be readily sub-divided into the following 3 classes : 

 (1). By the to attract & , rarely (if ever) perceptible by man. It 

 is very possible that this scent which appears to be common to most 

 species, is in direct connection with the primary sexual organs, but not 

 certainly so. In those species as Hepialus lupulinus and H. sylvinus, in 

 which the female usually rests with quivering wings to attract the 

 male, it is very probable that special organs are actually used to secrete 

 certain odours, and that the movements of the wings help in the diffu- 

 sion. (2). By the $ to attract $ as in Hepialus Jiectus. This has 

 already been fully dealt with and is a most remarkable case. (3). By 

 the $ to charm ? who is discovered by vision, the special scent 

 glands being microscopic and often grouped into special organs in 

 various positions in different groups. This takes place in most butterflies 

 where "sexual selection" probably occurs more frequently than in 

 moths, in fact, it must be a very rare occurrence in the latter. Butterfly 

 courtship (as we suppose it) is pretty well recognised, the $ finds the fe- 

 male by sight then flutters around her, pursues her, endeavours to charm 

 her and often fails, having to repeat the process over and over again. 

 It has been suggested to me that it is quite possible that the male odours 

 from the scent structures before mentioned, add a hypnotic influence 

 to the others exerted by the male over the female. It would seem 

 also that almost all butterflies ( $ ) are scented by " androconia " and 

 that the various patches etc. are special arrangements, or, as it were, 

 local developments of these. (4). By both sexes to repel enemies. 

 This, and No. 3, are the chief cases to which Fritz Miiller draws 

 attention. He assumes that the special scent glands found in both 

 sexes are of this character, and it is very possible that his view is 

 correct. 



(3) ABSENCE OF WINGS. In other families where there is a vast 

 disparity between the sexes, it is usually the female which is the more 

 highly developed, but in lepidoptera, the complete or partial absence 

 of wings is generally (always ?) associated with the female sex when 

 such a phenomenon occurs. Apterous and semi-apterous females are 

 therefore well known in this order and we will now look at some 

 instances. The British genera which exhibit this peculiarity most 

 strikingly are as follows: Orgyia in the Liparidce ; Phigalia and 

 Nyssia in the Amphidasydce ; Hybernia and Anisopteryx in the Hyber- 

 nidce ; Cheimatobia in the Larentiidce ; Tortricodes in Aphelidce ; Lemna- 

 tophila, Exapate, Diurncea and Epigraphia in Epigraphiidce ; Talceporia, 

 Psyche, Solenobia and Psychoides in Psychidw. The females of the 

 species in these genera are remarkable not only for the fact that they 

 are apterous or semiapterous, but that their bodies, compared with 

 those of the males, are exceedingly large, and it becomes evident that 



