PEEFATOEY NOTE. 



With the present volume the first group of Indian Inver- 

 tebrata included in the present Series is completed. Of 

 the remaining Lepidoptera, the Butterflies are being fully- 

 described elsewhere, whilst the Tineas, Tortrices, and a few 

 other lowly organized forms are not sufficiently known 

 for a general description to be practicable at present. The 

 magnitude of the work is shown by the fact that the four 

 volumes of Moths, with the Appendix to the last volume, 

 contain descriptions of 5618 species regarded as valid, 

 exclusive of races or subspecies. 



The number of Indian Insects and other Invertebrata is 

 so large, and that of students and collectors of the majority 

 of the groups so small, that it is very difficult to deal with 

 most of the orders. I am therefore fortunate in being able 

 to announce that the next volume (to be published, it 

 is hoped, early in 1897) will commence the description of 

 the Hymenoptera, and contain the Bees and Wasps by 

 Col. C. T. Bingham. 



W. T. BLANFORD. 



October 1896, 



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