the Classification of Lepido])tera, 361 
to a boring life during the larval stage^ in reeds, wood, or 
roots, and I should much like to see an examination of 
the many scattered species in the higher families that 
have returned to boring during the larval stage, such as 
Virachola perse and isocrates in the Lycsenidse. 
" That we shall soon have a good natural classification 
of the Lepidoptera, which will be confirmed by characters 
based on all the stages, is hardly open to doubt, seeing 
how many good workers there are in the field and the 
progress already made, and I will do my best to forward 
it, both on my own account and to help others ; and to 
this end am asking for pupge from my various corres- 
pondents in India, and have just received one parcel 
from Mysore and hear of another on its way from Bhutan, 
each with the pupae of a certain number of species. 
Should you care to read this letter at the Entomological 
Meeting with your paper, you are quite at liberty to 
do so/^ 
This letter leaves but little to say. It confirms my 
supposition as to Mr. Hampson^s treatment of the 
Tineidse and Bhopalocera, which is the most important 
point so far as this paper is concerned. With regard to 
the remarks on the larva I quite agree with Mr. Hamp- 
son that they are subject to the struggle for existence,^' 
but so, indeed, are even the molecules of animal tissues 
if the recently developed theory of intra-selection be 
correct, and it is certain that they are also subject to 
^^modification in relation to environment,^' but I dis- 
agree with him that setiferous tubercles are superficial 
larval characters '' in the sense assumed. Every larva 
inside or outside of the eggshell possesses them, and 
even in its m.ost restricted sense the structures are 
embryological, and it is in the very fact that they are 
subject to modification that we find them of service for 
the purpose of classification, and that we are enabled to 
separate specialised from generalised forms. The varied 
stages of development of the setiferous tubercles some- 
times reached in allied genera in the egg is of the 
highest significance, as is also their comparative develop- 
ment in the various stages of larvse in allied genera, as 
in Ornithoptera and Papilio, in Aglia and Githeronia; 
whilst Packard states that the tubercles of the species 
of Baturnia {carjpini, pyri) are on the same plane with 
the embryo, just before exclusion, of the more highly 
