408 ORDERS OF PTILOTA. 



obscurities. Caterpillars are the flowers of the Lepidoptera, 

 They are, indeed, not always present when the perfect in- 

 sects are before the examiner ; but is the case different with 

 the botanist?" And Mr. MacLeay says to the same effect : 

 " As the knowledge of the whole life of an insect must make 

 us better acquainted with its nature than a mere description 

 of one of its forms, in the same proportion ought metamor- 

 phosis to outweigh every other ])rinciple of arrangement." 



Latreille's mode of primary distinction has also been 

 adopted by Mr. Stephens, by whom, how^ever, a distinct 

 mode of classification of the Nocturna, or Linnaean Phalcence, 

 has been proposed, and by whom the following groups, con- 

 sidered as of equivalent rank with the Diurna and Crepuscu- 

 laria, have been formed : — 



1. Lepidoptera j)omeridiana, corresponding with the Lin- 

 nffian Bomhyces, and comprising foiu" famihes : Hejnalidie, 

 BombycidcB, Notodontida, and Arctiidce. 



2. Lepidoptera nocturna, corresponding with the Linujcan 

 Noctuce, and comprising two families : Lithosiidce, and 

 NoctuidcB. 



3. Lepidoptera semidiurna, corresponding with the Lin- 

 nsean Geometrce and Pyrales, and comprising the families 

 Geometridce, Platyptericidce, and Pyralidce. 



4. Lepidoptera vespertina, corresponding with the Linnaan 

 Tor trices, Tinece, and Alucitce, and comprising the families 

 TortricidcE, Yponomeutidce, TineidcB, and AlucitidcB. 



There are still two other very valuable w^orks upon the 

 Lepidoptera, of the mode of distribution in which I would 

 have given an account : their incomplete state, however, 

 prevents my doing this. I allude to Dr. Horsfield's 

 Lepidoptera Javanica, and the before-mentioned work of 

 M. Boisduval; the former of which, by its philosophical 

 introduction, and the latter by the careful description of all 

 the species of this order, which it will contain, arc especially 

 deserving of attention. The British species, of which there 



