280 CATALOGUE OF 



India ; I desire, therefore, that the work may not be considered as a 

 final subdivision of this Tribe. 



It is manifest to all Entomologists that the transformations in this 

 Tribe have, as yet, been very imperfectly observed and recorded ; 

 most of those of African, Australian, and American Lepidoptera are 

 a desideratum in science, although those of Europe have been largely 

 illustrated by Hubner. The final subdivision of this Tribe, formed 

 on the Metamorphosis of the several species, remains for some future 

 Entomologist, who may undertake the examination and arrangement 

 of this Tribe with the views applied by Vigors to Birds, and by De Haan 

 to Crustacea. 



The most prominent types of form among those above enumerated 

 are the following ; viz., — Sphingiformes, Easciculatse, Cuspidate, Yer- 

 ticillatse, and Limaciformes, which I enumerate as those Stirpes into 

 which the entire Tribe may be resolved, when more complete mate- 

 rials shall have been obtained. 



Respecting the first stirps here proposed, named Sphingiformes, I 

 have to state briefly, that it is divided into three sections. The first 

 section contains the genera allied to the Zygaenidae of authors. Of the 

 genus Eusemia, belonging to this section, we have the larvae of five 

 species, but unfortunately the cocoon has not been preserved. The 

 second and third sections consist of genera which are variously 

 arranged by authors. In Mr. E. "Walker's Catalogue of the Lepi- 

 dopterous Insects contained in the British Museum, all the genera 

 of our collection are placed in the family of Lithosiidae ; and this 

 determination, formed from the examination of the perfect insect, 

 agrees with the conclusion to which I have arrived from the examina- 

 tion of the metamorphosis. As, however, has been observed, Ento- 

 mologists entertain different views respecting the natural position of 

 this extensive group. M. Latreille, in the first edition of the Regne 

 Animal, vol. iii. p. 570, has the following remark : — 



" Les Lithosies de Eabricius paraissent, sous plusieurs rapports 

 naturels, avoisiner les Lepidopteres de cette tribu (les Callimorplies) ; 

 mais nous les placerons, a .raison de leur forme etroite et allongee, 

 dans la tribu des Tineites, comme avait fait Linnaeus." 



Mr. Stephens places them among his Lepidoptera Nocturna (Brit. 

 Ent. ii. p. 88). By Mr. "Westwood they form the eighth family of 

 his subdivision of the Heterocera, and he mentions their close affinity 

 to the aberrant Arctiidae. 



June 30th, 1858. 



