298 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
extinction), and their dominant character, as shown by their wide 
distribution and the prodigious number of similar species and 
individuals, must be thought to be the most recent. The following 
order correctly expresses the phylogeny as indicated above, whilst 
paying some regard to collateral relationship also, viz. *Cara- 
drinina, *Notodontina, Lasiocampina, *Papilionina, Pyralidina, 
Psychina, *Tortricina, Tineina, Micropterygina; where the 
asterisk marks terminal developments. 
It is not uncommon to see futile discussions as to which of 
two groups, reached by different lines of descent, is the higher, 7. e. 
the more highly organized. The question is not only always un- 
answerable, but the answer would be quite valueless if found; all 
that can be done is to find the more recent. 
In conclusion, a word as to the practical value of structural 
characters in classification. Characters of colour and general 
form are bad only because they are particularly liable to be 
modified by changes of environment. Now some structural 
characters are quite as liable, and are therefore equally bad. 
For example, in birds the shape of the beak is obviously likely 
to be modified in accordance with a change of food, and is there- 
fore (as between allied forms) probably little better than a colour 
character. Yet the teeth of mammals, used for the same purpose, 
afford an excellent character, because the element of number 
comes in, which gives definition and admits of greater variation. 
It may be doubted whether any group of animals exhibits a better 
character than the neuration of insects, which displays sufficient 
complexity and variation in the number and interconnection of 
the different veins, whilst at the same time it is practically un- 
affected by external forces, except occasionally the easily calculable 
influence of a change in form of wing; moreover, the modifica- 
tions effected are often irrevocable, and therefore less puzzling to 
follow. 
