14 GROTE—THE DESCENT OF THE PIERIDS. (Jan. 5, 
Gen. Leptidia Bilberg, 1820. 
Type: L. sinapis. 
Syn. Leucophasia Stephens, 1827. 
Leptidia sinapis. 
This common European species differs from Aza/ais by the 
characters given in the above table. From the neuration the genus 
Leptosia, with the type given by Scudder, does not belong here. 
In the Handbook of British Lepidoptera, Mr. Meyrick places Lepitdia 
in the Pierididz, between Luchloe and Pieris. 
The wings of the Leptidianze show apparently no sexual character 
in size and shape, whereas, in the Dismorphianz, the males have 
the primaries narrowed and the secondaries disproportionately 
widened. 
Subfamily Dzsmorphiane. 
This subfamily is closely related to the,preceding, but differs by 
the sexual disproportion of the wings in the males of the genera 
allied to Dismorphia, and by the longer and narrow discal cells. I 
can find no traces of the fork to the second anal vein of fore wings 
at base except doubtfully in Acmepteron. ‘The Dismorphianze agree 
in the cubital position of the middle median branch, but this posi- 
tion is assumed on doth wings, hence it would be herein a more spe- 
cialized group than the Leptidianz. The parallel between these two 
groups and the Heliconiide is shown by the neuration, in that the 
radial branches tend also in the latter family to arise beyond the 
cell, Neither in this group nor the Leptidianz are there any traces 
of the cubital cross-vein, hence they are more specialized forms 
than the Heliconiidz. It is possible the coincidences indicate that 
they had a common origin, but against this view the fact of the 
cubital position of the second median branch, as contrasted with 
its radial position in the Heliconiidz and the brush-footed butter- 
flies, will militate. The discal cross-vein is, however, concave on 
fore wings as in the Heliconians, but since it is convex outwardly 
in the Leptidianz, which otherwise so well agree, the character will 
not have much weight. The broadened hind wings of male Dz¢s- 
morphia recall in shape those of Pseudopontia. 
The Dismorphianz are remarkable in the cubital position of the 
middle median branch of fore wings, and this position within the 
Hesperiades is only repeated apparently in certain Giant Skippers, 
Megathymidz, which I have had no opportunity to study closely. 
