20 



characters which are useful for family or generic division. 

 These are the frenulum, a bristle found on the under-side of 

 the hind wings ; the point of this, when the wings are in 

 position for flying, is held in place by a catch-like process, 

 called the retinaculum, on the fore-wing. 



Then there is a more or less circular depression found on 

 the under-side of the fore-wing of the male. It is known as 

 a fovea, and is placed below the median nervure. This 

 structure may be well observed in Boarmia repandata. 



The males of some species have a tuft of long hairs on the 

 under-side of fore-wing, or towards anal angle of hind wings ; 

 others have a lobe at base of hind wing, and the abdominal 

 margin is aborted to a greater or lesser degree. 



Although it completely upsets our old ideas, there is, 

 perhaps, not much to object to in the composition of the 

 first two groups in the new classification ; but it is possible 

 that the sequence of the families and genera in these groups, 

 and also the arrangement of the first three groups them- 

 selves, will not be generally accepted. 



Granted that the Lepidoptera are descended from the 

 Trichoptera, and that Micropterygina is the ancient group 

 from which all other Lepidoptera have been evolved, we 

 ought still to wait for further light to be derived from 

 thorough and critical examination of the earlier stages of 

 Lepidoptera before we can consider that the phylogeny of 

 either groups, families, or genera is fully demonstrated, or a 

 system of arrangement likely to remain unaltered been 

 devised. 



Mr. Meyrick's system is undoubtedly a great advance 

 upon the old one, and his conclusions appear to be quite 

 consistent with the facts dealt with. The question is, are 

 those facts sufficient in themselves for the purpose he has 

 used them ? 



There has been a good deal of correspondence during the 

 year in the matter of " Collector v. Entomologist." It 

 certainly seems somewhat authoritative for anyone to state 

 that people who form collections of insects, and do not 

 make use of the material acquired for the purpose of 

 clearing up some biological question, are unworthy of the 

 name of entomologist. Of course, it will be readily ad- 

 mitted that there is a good deal more in entomology, as a 

 science, than merely collecting and describing insects ; but 

 still, at the same time, it may very justly be contended that 

 one may be an entomologist although one does not go very 



