f> VARIETIES OP NOCTU^E 



Herminia, Latr. 



This genus is used in its most comprehensive form by Guenee, 

 and includes no less than eighteen species of which the British ones 

 are: Derivalis, barbalis, tarsipennalis, grisealis, and cribrumalis 

 (eribralis). The genus is subdivided by Staudinger, and he places the 

 British species in the subdivisions as follows: In Herminia cribrumalis 

 and derivalis ; in Zanclognatha grisealis, tarsipennalis and emortualis ; 

 in Pecliipogon barbalis. Guenee himself recognised the great differ- 

 ence in some of the species, but as other species showed transitional 

 forms, he preferred to keep them united. He writes : " Since this 

 genus was created by Latreille, it has appeared a natural one to all 

 entomologists, and has been adopted by all authors ; however, it is 

 very far from presenting very homogeneous characters, and almost 

 every organ which appears, if one or two species only be consulted, to 

 carry some striking characters, is modified by degrees as we advance. 

 Thus the antennas, furnished in all with reclining ciliations, are some- 

 times simply pubescent, sometimes strongly ciliated, sometimes 

 altogether pectinated, and, lastly, are sometimes laden towards the 

 lower part, about a third of the way up, with a fascicle of scales, which 

 forms a swelling or knot on the upper part of the face. The palpi, of 

 which the second joint is regularly arcuated and turned towards the 

 head, and which are simply flattened scales in most species, have 

 sometimes this same joint absolutely straight and ascending obliquely 

 as in barbalis, erinalis etc., and sometimes furnished above with long 

 upright hairs, as in eribralis and barbalis. The third joint of the palpi 

 is often similarly constituted as in crinalis, and often it varies both in 

 form and direction, since it is sometimes simply elbowed at 45 degrees 

 to the preceding point, sometimes regularly arcuated, and sometimes 

 returning as far as the collar (as in fractalis). The feet, which in 

 many species present no peculiarity, have, in other species, the anterior 

 tibia? enlarged, very velvety, and enclosing some tufts of silky hairs, 

 which under certain conditions are spread out like a fan. Lastly, the 

 wings themselves, and this has escaped every entomologist, offer very 

 important differences, since the areole, of variable form without doubt, 

 but usually well marked and well closed, is completely absent in 

 barbalis, in which species the second superior vein gives rise at once to 

 the third and to the last two costal branches. In crinalis where the 

 areole exists, the same arrangement of the nervures is to be observed. 

 In the hind wings there is another anomaly, the independent 

 nervure, well isolated in almost all the species, and grafted on the 

 disco-cellular nervure very far from the two following, approaches to 

 them, notably in the case of derivalis " (' Histoire naturelle ' etc. 

 (DeltoVdes), vol. viii., pp. 53-54). Guene'e then criticises their separation 

 into distinct genera as carried out by the English authors and 

 Duponchel, and, on the other hand, the method of Herrich-Schiiffer, 

 who includes too many species. He then goes on to say : " The 

 genus Herminia, reduced to the limits I have indicated, are PhalaBniform 

 insects of a testaceous or yellowish-grey coloration, which fly in the 

 shady parts of woods and rest under the leaves like GEOMETRY, but 

 their flight is generally quicker and more irregular than that of the latter. 

 Their larvae are only imperfectly known. Barbalis, which I know 



