296 THE ZOOLOGIST 
the fore wings separate, and the median spurs of the posterior 
tibiz usually present, whilst the other has always two or more 
veins stalked, and the said spurs always absent, there can be no 
doubt that the Hesperiade@ are the most ancestral family. Their 
very simple neuration closely resembles that of the Thyridide, 
but is not found elsewhere in the higher groups, and there is no 
discordance in other structural characters ; moreover, the ten- 
dency to show pale semi-hyaline spots in the fore wings, and the 
development of specific colour-characters on the lower surface of 
the hind wings, are marked points of superficial resemblance. 
Similarly knobbed antenne occurring in the higher Caradrinina 
(Agaristide) have been thought to indicate relationship to the 
Papilionina ; but there the frenulum is always strong and per- 
sistent, and the required simple type of neuration is never found. 
Hence we must suppose that the Thyridide are the true starting- 
point of the group. 
The Lasiocampina comprise five families of no great svebiece 
altogether. In these the frenulum either is or tends to be absent, 
and vein 8 of the hind wings is frequently approximated to 7 
beyond the cell, the group being always separable from the 
Caradrinina by one or other of these characters. In the Péero- 
thysanide, Lasiocampide, and Endromidide the frenulum is con- 
stantly absent ; in the Drepanideé and Callidulide it is sometimes 
present, though tending towards obsolescence, and these two 
families, which are apparently collateral developments, must be 
the more primitive. They approach the Thyridide, and the 
Callidulide also appear to show near collateral relationship to 
the Papilionina, for which, except that the antenne are not 
knobbed, they might sometimes be mistaken even by an expert. 
The Notodontina include all those families of the higher 
Lepidoptera in which vein 5 of the fore wings, instead of being 
approximated at its origin to 4, is parallel with it, or even some- 
times more approximated to 6, thus appearing to form an in- 
dependent vein from the cell, instead of a branch of the vein 
which forms the lower margin of the cell. There is no reason to 
suspect that this modification has arisen more than once, the 
whole of these families agreeing well together in all other respects. 
The Hupterotide, mostly large insects which, both in the imago 
and larva states, have considerable relationship to the Lasio- 
