180 BRITISH MOTHS 



Family YPONOMEUTID^, Stephens. 

 The insects of tliis family are distinguished from the Tortricidae by having the labial palpi long, slender, and 

 generally recurved, and narrower fore wings ; and from the TineidsB, by having the maxillary palpi rarely, and 

 then but slightly developed. The body is ordinarily elongated and slender, but rather depressed in a few of the 

 groups nearest in relation to the Tortricidse ; the antennae are moderately long, slender, and simple ; the thorax 

 rarely crested ; the fore wings entire, and often long ; narrow, and often more or less convoluted. Sir. Stephens, 

 to whom we are indebted for the establishment of this family, observes that there is considerable diversity of 

 habit among these insects, some feeding in the larva state, on flowers ; others, feeding between the two surfaces 

 of a leaf, devouring the parenchyma ; some again live in immense societies, forming extensive webs ; amongst 

 the subcutaneous species are some of the most brilliant and minute of the Lepidoptera,* their wings being orna- 

 mented with highly polished metallic scales, and some of them being extremely varied in the number of their 

 tints ; others again are very plain ; the former set have drooping palpi, the latter ascending ones. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE CII. 



Insects. — Fig. I. Orthotcelia Venosa (the dark-veined long-winged). 



„ Fig. 2. Depressaria Heracleana (the cow-parsnip). 



„ Fig. 3. Depressaria Unibellana (the large-streaked). 



„ Fig. 4. Depressaria Venosa (the wainscot flat body). 



„ Fig. 5. Depressaria Nervosa (the coarse wainscot). 



„ Fig. 6. Depressaria Apicella (the brindled flat body). 



„ Fig. 7. Depressaria badiella (the brown-brindled flat body). 



„ Fig. 8. Depressaria Ckaracterosa (the lesser flat body). 



„ Fig. 9. Depressaria carduella (the thistle flat body). 



„ Fig. 10. Depressaria Pulverella. 



Insects — Fig. II. Depressaria Sparmanniana (the straw-coloured). 

 „ Fig. 12. Depressaria immaculana (the spotless flat body). 

 „ Fig. 13. Depressaria Yeatiana (the Yeatsian). 

 „ Fig. 14. Depressaria ocellana (the red letter). 

 Plant. — Fig. 15. Rosa villosa (the apple-bearing rose). 



All the insects figured in this plate, are from the Cabinet of Mr. 

 Bentley, except Depressaria Veuosa^ Apicella, immaculana, and Yeat- 

 iana, which are from Wood. 



ORTHOTiELIA, Stephens. 

 The curious insect which is the type of this genus, possesses long, narrow fore wings, truncated along the 

 apical margin, slightly marked with longitudinal dark streaks ; simple antennje of moderate length and long, 

 slender, recurved, labial palpi (the maxillary ones not being developed). The body is considerably elongated, 

 and slightly tufted at the extremity ; the head is also slightly tufted in front. The larva feeds in the interior 

 of the bulrush. 



Species 1. — Orthotcelia venosa" — (Plate CII., Fig. 1) — Measures from 10 to 1.3 lines in expanse; fore 

 wings ochreous-yellow ; the space near the apex of the discoidal cell paler; its anterior and apical margins 

 emitting several brownish radiating streaks, forming together a large, somewhat triangular dark patch on the 

 apical margin ; hind wings whitish, irrorated with brown towards the anal margin. Taken in marshy places 

 about the end of July. 



i Synonyme. — Tortrix venosa, Haworth's MSS., Stephens, (111.) H. pi. 35, fig. 3 ; Wood, fig. 1162. 



* It is impossible to avoid the observation which a generalised view of the families of natural objects continually presents to the mind's eye, 

 that certain pecuharities recur in very different tribes. Thus the characteristics of these small, metallic, subcutaneous moths, occur in the 

 Coleoptera amongst the Halticida;, and in the Hymenoptera amongst the Chalcididje. Two of these particular characteristics, namely, smallness 

 joined with metallic tints, also pre-emiuently distinguish the TrochilidEe among birds ; extreme activity appears to be further characteristic of 

 these analogical groups. It is the duty of the naturalist to notice these an.ilogies wherever they occur ; and by a careful comparison of them, 

 we may possibly discover a test of the correctness of our views of the affinities of natural objects. Such a comparison, to be effective, is in our 

 present great ignorance, absolutely impossible ; and if (as has been) attempted, results in profound trifling — such as has lately been published — in 

 which the most trivial and far-fetched resemblances have been seized upon and treated with as much importance as the most self-evident 

 analogies, resting, as in the present instance, upon several distinct characteristics. 



