: _ | a series of short rushes of a foot or so against the stream, giving 
84 The American Naturalist. [January, 
F. DIOPTIDÆ. — 
FF. The Goometro- Bombycids and the Gemo 
tridæ. 
Families NOTODONTIDÆ, BREPHIDÆ, Gronin a 
FFF. The Noctuo-Bombycids and the Noctuids. 
Familes CYMATOPHORIDÆ, NOCTUIDÆ. — 2 
LIPARIDÆ, ÅGARISTIDÆ, and ARCTIDE. — 7 
FFFF. Isolated families of specialized frenulum 
conservers d ; 
Families Sesupa, THYRIDIDÆ, SPHINGIDE, | ; 
_ and Superfamily ZYGAEINA. 
CC. The Frenulum-losers. 
The Frenulum-losing Moths. 
Superfamily Sarurniwa and families DRE- 
PANIDA and LASIOCAMPIDÆ. 
DD. Tue Skirrrrs.—Butterflies in which all of 
the branches of radius of the fore wings arise from 
the discal cell. Family HESPERIDÆ 
DDD. The Butterflies —Butterflies in which some 
of the branches of radius coalesce beyond the apex 
the discal cell, 
Families PAPILIONIDÆ, PIERIDÆ, LYCÆNIDÆ 
and NYMPHALIDÆ. 
The essay is illustrated by an admirable plate engraved on wood 
` from Nature by Mrs. Comstock and a large number of ink draw 
by Mr. E. P. Felt. 
Habits of Halobates.—Mr. James J. Walker of the British 
Royal Navy has recently published’ an account of his observations on 
the peculiar bugs of the genus Halobates. He has studied them Í 
many seas for several years, finding the habits of the various $} 
much alike. “In tropical latitudes, when a sailing ship is beca 
or a steamer is stopped for any purpose on a perfectly calm sea it 
- not long before little whitish creatures are seen rapidly swimming 0Y* 
the glassy surface with a sinuous motion, and soon half a dozen 0 
‘more Halobates are in view at once, evidently attracted by 
bulky hull of the ship which they will approach frequently 
-arm’s length. Their progress seems to be effected by a sort of $ 
action of the long, ciliated, intermediate and hind legs. ; 
‘ship is anchored in a current or tide way, they aged abreast of her 
"Ent. Month. Mag. 2d. ser. v. IV, p. 297, 
