CLASSIFICATION OF THE PSYCHIDES. 121 



according to Bruand, Epichnopteryx bombycella, Fumea crassiorella, 

 Proutia salicolella, &c, have the internal nervure (parallel with the 

 inner margin) of the forewings simple, as in Taleporia politella, 

 T. tubulosa, Soleiiobia clathrella &c. This character appeared so 

 important to Herrich-Schaffer that he founded his genus Taleporia 

 upon it, including in the genus Psyche all those species that had the 

 inner nervure bifurcate. Bruand considers that, without attaching 

 too much importance to this character, it sufficiently indicates that the 

 species exhibiting it should not be separated. It was practically on 

 the character offered by this nervure, too, that Herrich-Schaffer placed 

 the Macro-Psychids in the Bombycids, between the Cochlidids and 

 Heterogynids, whilst the other group — comprising the Taleporiids, 

 Solenobiids and Typhonia (Melasma) — were placed in the Tineids, 

 Herrich-Schaffer, however, all the while avowing, that they have the 

 strongest affinities with the Psychids proper, for, according to him, 

 Psyche forms the passage from the Cochlidids to the Tineids. 



Meyrick places the Psychidae (Psyche, Sterrhopterix) in the Psychina 

 which contains also the Zeuzeridae, Anthroceridae (Zyyaenidae), and 

 Cuchlidiilae (Heteroyeneidae). He transfers all the other genera — 

 Epichnopteryx, Fumea, Soleiiobia, Taleporia, Narycia andDiplodoma — to 

 the Tineidae, these genera being sandwiched between Arcrolepia, Curt., 

 on the one hand, and Ochsenheimeria,~H)o., on the other. The separa- 

 tion of Epichnopteryx and Fumea from the larger Psychids had been 

 suggested, as Ave have noticed, by Herrich-Schaffer and Duponchel. 

 In our opinion Meyrick quite yields the position in making the separa- 

 tion because he says that he considers his Psychidae (also the Zeuzeridae, 

 Anthroceridae and Cochlididae) as " correlative developments from a 

 common ancestral form, which must have closely approached the 

 typical Tineidae (group of Epiclinopteryx) " (Handbook, &c, p. 443). 

 This reminds one much of Herrich-Schaffer's statement that Psychids 

 connect the Cocliopods with the Tineids, Oanephora (Fumea and Epich- 

 nopteryx) and Taleporia, whilst, on the other hand, they approach through 

 the Heterogynids still nearer to the Zygsenids (Anthrocerids), &c. It 

 appears to us, therefore, that Herrich-Schaffer and Meyrick widely 

 separate the Micro-Psychids from the Macro-Psychids and then argue 

 that they are in reality very closely allied. 



Spuler followed Bruand in uniting the two sections, and states that 

 in shape, and mode of life, the females of many species of Fumea, 

 Epichnopteryx and Taleporia (including Solenobia) are much more 

 nearly related to each other than are those of other species of Fumea 

 and Psyche, the species of the latter genus, judging by the neuration, 

 falling into two groups. These views as to the unity of the Psychids 

 in one superfamily are confirmed by Chapman, who says that " the 

 Psychids are, judging by the structure of the pupaa, a homogeneous 

 group. Whittleia reticella (a Tineid according to Meyrick) and 

 Pachythelia villosella (a true Psychid) come close together and have 

 identical pupae. If there be a subdivision it is between the plant- 

 eating and lichen-eating groups, and they are only subdivisions of the 

 same superfamily " (in litt.). Chapman further notes that Psychids 

 are, speaking paradoxically, especially homogeneous, in exhibiting the 

 most remarkable vagaries in their neuration — nervures present or ab- 

 sent, accessory nervures present or absent, &c, in all sorts of ways in 

 otherwise closely allied genera. He considers that they might be divided 



