100 



Thj] Naturalist, 



Diurni, Nocturni, Geometrse, Drepanulje, Pseudo-Bombyces, Noctuge^ 

 and Deltoides, as adopted by that author, ranking the insect from 

 physiological data we should have the following order :— Noctuse, 

 Pseudo Bombyces, Drepanulse, Deltoides, Geometrae, Bombyces (or the 

 Nocturni of Newman's arrangement from the genus Procris to the 

 genus Saturnia), Diurni and Sphingina (or the remaining portion of 

 the Nocturni of Newman). 



It is evident we have in this way greater harmony as regards 

 structure, and that certain insects of lower organic perfection than the 

 rest are more thrown together, instead of being isolated as heretofore 

 among those more highly organised, as always must result from a 

 horizontal projection.. The Deltoides where certain of the males are 

 fan-footed, ally themselves with the falcate-winged Drepanulse ; the 

 Noctuae, in the fan-footed Catocalse bridge over the passage to the fan- 

 footed Geometrae ; the tailed Geometry of the genus Urapteryx form 

 a passage to the genera of the Bombyces, Saturnia, andEndromis; 

 while both Geometers and Bombyces alike exhibit transition to the 

 butterflies. The Diurni, or butterflies, again, pass into the Sphingina 

 and their allies, where we find assorted such rudimentary forms as the 

 genera Plepialus and Psychidse, that form a natural passage to the case- 

 bearing micro-lepidoptera. Another link, according to Mr. A. G. 

 Butter, is found in the clear-winged ^geriidse (Trans. Ent. Soc, 1878^ 

 p. 121), and these lowly forms, by way of the aquatic genera of the 

 Pyralides, Acentropus, and Hydrocampa, form a transition to the 

 trichopterous forms of tl-e Neuroptera. 



If anyone is desirous of further following up this essay towards a 

 fresh arrangement of iLe British Lepidoptera, I should suggest the 

 procuring of an exchange list such as is sold by Mr. Cooke, of Museum- 

 street. If he then will number the groups from the Noctuae back- 

 wards as suggested, and draw a line dividing the first two columns of 

 the Nocturni from the last four, the matter will flash upon him at once. 

 Perhaps he may gain thereby some new light regarding the mysterious 

 tree of life. 



July 26th, 1882. 



THE GOOSEBERRY CATERPILLAR, OR LARVA OF 

 NEMATUS RIBESIL 

 By Miss Okmerod, F.M.S. 

 [Absteact of Paper in Jouh. Eoy. Coll. Agric. Cirencester.] 

 The Gooseberry Sawfly is perhaps one of the commonest of our garden 

 pests, and by means of its caterpillars regularly year by year causes 

 damage from, we might say, one end of the kingdom to the other. It 



