308 General Notes. [ March, 
tinguishable; beneath, the segment is distinct on the sides, but 
obsolete in the middle. 
In the larval butterflies the ninth segment is rather more distinct 
than in the Sphinges, but it is short; the tenth segment is as in 
all caterpillars represented by the supra-anal plate and anal legs. 
In the A‘gerians, Zygænidæ and Bombycidz, the latter especi- 
ally, the ninth segment is very distinct. In Halesidota the ninth 
segment is quite long, forming an entire segment, with its own set 
of hair-bearing warts, the urite, or ventral surface is- quite dis- 
tinct from the infra-anal plate or tenth urite. In Datana the ninth 
segment is longer than the supra-anal plate; in Lochmaus tessella 
with its long anal filaments, the homologues of the anal feet, the 
ninth segment is distinct from the tenth; in an allied Notodon- 
tian with elongated anal legs, the ninth segment is unusually long 
and distinct. In Teea polyphemus there are ten abdominal seg- 
ments, counting the supra-anal plate and anal legs as the tenth ; in 
Hyperchiria io and Clisiocampa the ninth is distinct from the tenth 
segment 
In Limacodes scapha and P. pithecium there are no traces of 
legs; the number of abdominal segments appears to be ten. 
In the Noctuidae the ninth segment is distinct, with a series of 
-verticils above and a well marked ventral portion or urite. 
In the geometers the ninth segment is distinct above but below 
merged into the infra-anal plate. In the Pyralid caterpillars, as 
well as the Tortricids and Tineids, the ninth segment is longer 
and more distinct than in the higher families. 
Although the indications are slight, yet the Bombycidz, as we 
have previously remarked, seem to be the oldest, most generalized 
group of Lepidoptera, and it is a question whether the Pyralids, 
Tortricids and Tineids are not degenerate forms which have de- 
scended fron the Noctuidz and ultimately from the Bombycide ; 
there are indications that the Noctuide have descended from the. 
geometers, since the young of the Plusiæ and Catocale, &c., 
have three pairs of abdominal legs, being semi-loopers when 
hatched, and afterwards acquiring the additional pair of legs. At 
any rate the primitive caterpillar had ten pairs of abdominal legs. 
_ it will be remembered that the saw-fly larvae (Lophyrus) have 
eight pairs of abdominal legs, while the embryo honey-bee has 
tenpairs of temporary abdominal appendages.—A. S. Packard. 
In Psyche for June-July, 
rai 
