MR. W. F. KIR, BY ON THE DIURNAL LEPIDOPTERA. 



431 



European form, 

 cone. Colour, first green, then 

 brown. Sometimes stalked. 



Dense squamae, representing 

 converted cupule; generally con- 

 cealing the acorn. 



Squamae closely appressed in the 

 earlier stage of growth, less so when 

 mature. 



Acorn stunted, standing upright 

 on a central axis. Acorn converted 

 into a capacious larval cell, dropping 

 to the ground in autumn. 



Insect. Aphilothrix gemmm, Linn. 

 {Cynips fecundatrix, Hartig). 



Chincso form. 

 " One distinctly stalked.". 



" Dense " squannc (" of the cu- 

 pule " ?) entirely concealing the 

 acorn. (No cupule is visible in the 

 figure.) 



Squamae looking like those of 

 Q. dentata, Thunb., though closely 

 appressed, instead of being more or 

 less reflexed. (The figure does not 

 show them closely appressed.) 



No evidence. (No acorn visible 

 in the figure.) 



Insect not known. A Cynips ? 



I have not taken any notice of the different Chinese localities 

 whence the above facts were procured. The European Cynips 

 has an extensive range ; and its Chinese ally is not likely to be 

 worse off in this respect. 



It now behoves the residents on the spot to prosecute this in- 

 quiry ; the naturalist at home has done his share by calling atten- 

 tion to the matter. 



On the Geographical Distribution of the Diurnal Lepidoptera as 

 compared with that of the Birds. By W. F. Kirby, Assistant 

 in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, author of 'A Ca- 

 talogue of Diurnal Lepidoptera,' &c. 



[Read February 15, 1872.] 



The preparation of my ' Catalogue of Diurnal Lepidoptera' has 

 furnished me with materials for a paper on the general distribu- 

 tion of the group, which I have hitherto always shrunk from at- 

 tempting. It happens that the number of species recorded 

 slightly exceeds that of the number of birds as estimated by Dr. 

 Sclater* in his paper " On the general Geographical Distribution 

 of the Members of the Class Aves " (Journ. Linn. Soc. Zool. vol. 



* Gray now enumerates upwards of 11,000 species ; but it is more conve- 

 nient to take Sciater's estimate in the present paper. 



