to be not very material whether we build our ideas of a primitive 

 moth on Hepialus or on Eriocrania. Such a view of the matter is, 

 however, very far from correct. If we take our view froni the 

 Micropieryx {calthella) starting-point, we see that even Eriocrania 

 (purpurella) is a good way ahead of us, but that Hepialus is really 

 in the far distance, much further off than the lower Adelids (Incur- 

 varia, etc.), further off than the Nepticulas and Cochlidids. It still 

 comes within the accepted definition of Jugatre ; and so far we have 

 not to reach it by going through or over the families named and 

 others, but as to actual distance it is further off. In acquiring a larva 

 with well-developed prolegs, it has made a long stride past the tricho- 

 pteroid Eriocranias. The somewhat solidified pupa has not only 

 passed the Eriocrania type, but is more advanced than Nepticula and 

 Limacodes. It is at the summit of one branch of Jugatae, a branch which 

 perhaps gave rise to the Cossids and Tortrices, and other Frenatse ; 

 but a branch which has risen to a considerable height, overtopping 

 various generalised Frenatae that originated nearer the Microp- 

 teryges and Eriocranias. It follows that the scaleless antenna that 

 occurs in the Hepialidae is by no means a type of the primitive 

 lepidopterous antenna, for this we must go to the Micropteryges or 

 Eriocranias. We shall see good reason for following Bodine in 

 taking Eriocrania (purpurella, etc.) as presenting the nearest existing 

 representative of the primary lepidopterous antenna, which Bodine 

 is correct in describing as provided all over with hairs, and from 

 which he can derive all other distributions and evolutions of hair 

 structures. Jordan is in error in rejecting it and passing on to the 

 much more highly evolved Hepialus in search of a scaleless antenna, 

 whence he falls into the necessity of making scales evolve themselves 

 from hairs in the remarkable way already alluded to. The erio- 

 craniad antenna is covered not only with sensory hairs, but also 

 with scales, and is thus an eminently generalised lepidopterous 

 antenna. The further evolution of the scaling takes place in quite 

 parallel (but we might perhaps say opposite or opposed) lines to that 

 of the hairs. The history is one of retirement of hairs and scales 

 each to their own more advantageous territory, and of after advance 

 and retreat over the territories where they adjoin. 



We ought not, perhaps, to throw over without further notice the 

 hypothesis of our two authorities, so far as its verbal definition goes, 

 that the primitive lepidopterous antenna was covered with sensory 

 hairs (and without scales). There never was a primitive Lepidopteron 

 with such an antenna, but there can be little doubt that such was 

 the antenna of the ancestor of the Lepidoptera. 



I do not know that such an ancestor exists, still less that anyone 

 has spotted it, but amongst our familiar insects the one that probably 

 approaches it most nearly is the common scorpion fly (Panorpa 

 vulgaris). The ancestor of the Lepidoptera was not very distantly 

 related to the Panorpida?. Here we have an antenna that satisfies 

 our definition, a scaleless antenna covered with sensory hairs. There 



