PREFACE. 



The three families dealt with in the present volume, the 

 Arctiidce, Agaristidce, and Noctuidce, are very closely allied 

 and in some cases difficult to discriminate. The Arctiidce may 

 be distinguished from the Noctuidce by vein 8 of the hind wing 

 anastomosing with vein 7 to the middle of the cell, though a 

 few of the lower forms of the Noctuidce have a similar structure, 

 especially in the Sarrothripince, which are closely allied to the 

 Nolince, the lowest subfamily of the Arctiidce, and almost 

 grade into them. 



The Noctuidce are a large family of Moths dominant at the 

 present day, and consist of several subfamilies and a very large 

 number of genera and species with such slight diversities of 

 structure and pattern as to make a satisfactory classification 

 of them far more difficult than of any other family. The 

 lowest forms are those of which the larvae have four pairs of 

 abdominal prolegs, and the perfect insects have vein 5 of the 

 hind wing fully developed and from the centre of the disco- 

 cellulars — this ancestral form being only found in some 

 Deltoidince and Sarrothripince. 



From this type has developed, firstly the subfamilies with 

 vein 5 of the hind wing fully formed : (1) Deltoidince, (2) Fo- 

 cillince, (3) Quadrifince, (4) Gonopterince, (5) Stictopterince , 

 (6) Euteliince, (7) Sarrothripince, (8) Palindiince ; secondly, 

 the subfamilies which have vein 5 of the hind wing obso- 

 lescent : (1) Acontiince, (2) Trifince. 



The other family, the Agaristidce, is a modification of the 

 Noctuidce, with the antennae more or less dilated towards the 

 extremity, and consists of a few genera with gaily coloured 

 species of diurnal or crepuscular habits. 



