19 



means would be taken to make the fact as widely known as 

 possible. Reference has already been made to the fact that 

 many English entomologists now collect Lepidoptera on the 

 Continent. It may also be added that some of our brethren 

 abroad are interested in our species, more especially the 

 polymorphic ones. Possibly we may some day learn as 

 much about the distribution of the varieties of our species as 

 .we now know about that of the species themselves. There 

 are some forms, it may be mentioned, which seem to be 

 purely insular, as, so far as we know, they are not found on 

 the Continent. 



According to the value they attach to details of structure 

 as characters of generic importance, some systematists 

 merge several genera into one, whilst others not only adopt 

 every genus which has been formed and comes within their 

 province, but find it necessary to create new genera in addi- 

 tion. Of the works on British Lepidoptera recently published, 

 the three of most importance differ materially in systematic 

 arrangement, and also in nomenclature. In one the genera 

 are not greatly different from what we have been accustomed 

 to ; in the second, almost everything in the way of arrange- 

 ment is altered ; whilst in the third there are some striking 

 innovations. As each of these books will probably be studied 

 by those interested in the subject, and one of the three be 

 adopted as a standard, it seems likely that some confusion may 

 arise in the matter of names, more especially as regards genera 

 perhaps. This difficulty, however, will probably be soon 

 overcome, as every one will have learned to know their 

 species by their various aliases. 



Structural details would seem to offer exceedingly satis- 

 factory characters on which to base a system of classification 

 of Lepidoptera. The majority of these are not difficult to 

 make out, and when their position and appearance is defi- 

 nitely ascertained and clearly understood there is little 

 trouble in the matter. 



In his recent arrangement of the British species, Mr. 

 Meyrick has divided moths and butterflies into nine groups, 

 each group differentiated by some peculiarity of neuration. 

 The groups are again divided into families, also according 

 to neuration. In the generic divisions, however, what may 

 be termed old-time characters play an important part. 

 Among these the head with its organs, the labial palpi, the 

 antennae, and the eyes are of no mean value, while the 

 abdomen, with the thorax and the legs, have due consideration 

 paid to them. Apart from neuration, the wings often exhibit 



