93 



exactly the same neuration may mean only that thev have 

 exactly the same flight, and there may be often other charac- 

 ters which show that there are grounds for separating species 

 into different genera. If, however, one were dealing with 

 foreign species, of which we knew absolutely nothing as to 

 life - histories, we should be justified in accepting genera, 

 which would be but temporary, subject to conformation of 

 the life-histories ; for we could not wait 500 years to get 

 the life-histories of all the similarly veined species to settle 

 the position they held one with another. But if the genera 

 by neuration are problematical, the families, as defined by 

 the more constant veins in conjunction with other imaginal 

 structures, such as the presence or absence of the proboscis 

 or of the frenulum and the structure of the antennae, are on 

 a sound and workable basis. To the student of exotic 

 Lepidoptera with unknown life-histories, classification by 

 neuration has brought order where comparatively recently 

 there was absolute chaos. It is now possible to say to what 

 family any given species belongs with more or less certainty, 

 and wnthin many of the families small variation of the veins, 

 in conjunction with other structural differences, can be utilized 

 at the least for genera for the time being. But we must 

 always be ready to adjust our groupings and general classifica- 

 tion as the life-histories become known. And in the mean- 

 time we can sift and analyze the vast amount of work and 

 the knowledge already gleaned from the wonderful world of 

 entomoloirv. 



List of Works Consulted. 



Rothschild and Jordan. — " Revision of the Lepidopterous 

 Family Sphingidce." 



Rothschild and Jordan. — "Novitates Zoologicaj." 



Meyrick. — " Handbook of British Lepidoptera." 



Hampson. — " Fauna of British Lidia " 



Meyrick. — " Transactions of the Academy of Science of New 

 Zealand." 



Hampson. — " Catalogue of tlie Lepidoptera Phahencc" 1S98-1910. 



Lederer. — "Wiener Entomologische Monatschrift," No. 1S6. 



HerrichSch.^p'Fer. — " Schmetterlinge von Europa," 1843-56. 



Snellen. — " De Vlinder van Nedeiland," 1867-82. 



Heinemann. — "Schmetterlinge Deutschlands," 1859-77. 



Meyrick. — "Trans. Linn. Soc. N.S.W.," 1876-1910. 



Lederer. — " Verhandlungen zoologisch-botanische Vereins." 



