292 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
existent structures, and are therefore ancestral; hence these two 
families constitute not only a separate group, but the oldest 
group of the Lepidoptera, and may be termed Micropterygina. 
Their close affinity to the Trichoptera is shown by the possession 
of the jugum, and by the fact that the complex neuration of the 
Micropterygide is practically quite identical with that of certain 
Trichoptera (as Rhyacophila). As the Trichoptera usually 
possess a much larger number of veins, especially in the hind 
wings, they must be the older group, and the Lepidoptera must 
have originated from them. The most ancient Micropterygide 
known are found in New Zealand, though the majority are 
European ; but these little insects are so readily overlooked by 
collectors that their distribution is insufficiently ascertained. 
The Hepialide, standing considerably isolated from these, are 
presumably the highest development of a once extensive group, 
intermediate forms being apparently all extinct; they are now 
very widely distributed, probably as a result of their very 
powerful flight, but would seem to be Indo-Malayan in origin. 
The next point is to ascertain the connection of the typical 
Lepidoptera with the Micropterygina ; this cannot be at more than 
one point, since it is highly improbable that the frenulum and 
fixed type of lepidopterous neuration could have been evolved 
twice. This transition is undoubtedly indicated by the New 
Zealand genus Mnesarchea, which in the character of the palpi 
and the neuration of fore wings approximates closely to some 
forms of Plutelide and Tineide, whilst remaining by strict 
definition a true Micropterygid. The origin of the Twneina is 
thus established; and in the two above-mentioned earliest 
families (divergent branches from the same stem) the excessively 
long anterne of the Adela group, and the occurrence of long 
six-jointed maxillary palpi in many genera of the Tineida, as also 
the porrected habit of the antenne in some genera of Plutellide, 
are distinct reminiscences of their Trichopterous origin, and may 
be quoted as examples of reversion. Further, there can be no 
question that the other families of the Tineina constitute a line 
of development originating in the Plutellide, all these being 
typically smooth-headed ; whilst the Tortricina form a parallel 
branch taking its rise from the Jineide, all these being typically 
rough-headed. Whether the Yortricina are maintained as a 
