85 



The veins are numbered from the base to the costa, and 

 compared with the former method they work out as follows. 

 For the fore-wing : 



Veins i a, i b,ic = submedian veins. 

 „ 2 and 3 = median veins. 

 ,, 4, 5, 6 = radial veins. 

 ,, 7, 8, 9, 10, II = subcostal veins. 

 Vein 12 = costal vein. 



Hypothetical diagram of completely veined fore- and hind-wing. 



For the hind-wing the same holds good for the first three 

 veins ; but 7, and what is called the cross-vein when 

 present = subcostals, and 8 = costal. 



There is something to be said in favour as well as 

 disfavour for either method. If one could be always abso- 

 lutely sure, when certain veins are missing, what the 

 remaining veins were, the numbering method would be the 

 simpler. Speaking generally, it undoubtedly is easier to 

 say, for instance, vein 7 than the fifth subcostal vein. But 

 it can happen that any of the subcostals, or even all the 

 subcostals, may be wanting in the hind-wing, and one at 

 least is not infrequently absent in the fore-wing. It becomes 

 then much easier to say that there are only, say, three sub- 

 costal veins, than to more or less hazard a guess as to which 

 veins are actually present. 



It has been argued that neuration is of no greater value 

 than any other character. But I think this is untenable, 



