112 Psyche [Sept.-Dee. 
by authors (Eimer, Kusnezov, Schwanwitsch, and others) from 
a point of view with which I entirely disagree. 7 Thus I have 
been forced to devise a scheme of my own. 
Before passing on to this scheme, certain methodological 
points must be explained. An extremely exact and simple 
method of mapping the wing characters has been suggested by 
the fact that the wing is crossed by a set of concentric scale lines 
of equal breadth (very constantly about 0.06 mm.; sinking to 
0.05 only in dwarfs and rising to 0.07 only in giants). Although 
a few of these lines may fork 8 here and there, their curved 
course is, on the whole, remarkably regular, and easily followed 
from costa to dorsum. By stating the meridian of the scale line 
and the parallel of the vein, the position of any point on the wing 
can be given, and by counting the scale lines occupied by a 
marking, the extension of the latter can be adequately measured 
both in its absolute size and in relation to the whole expanse of 
the wing. At the root of the wing the scale lines are badly 
blurred, since the scales here are coarse and irregular. I have 
thus taken for 0 the scale line crossing the wing through the 
base of Cu, which is especially convenient as then the axis of 
the forewing discoidal macule (i.e. the two discales or cross 
veins) coincides more or less with the course of the hundredth 
scale line (from about the 95th in average sized specimens). 
Out of a great number of specimens examined and measured, 
an average looking Lycceides was selected the discoidal macule 
of which lay exactly upon the hundredth scale line (see pi. V, 
the model of which was a Colorado male of melissa melissa 
Edwards, to which macules R 2 and R 3 have been added from 
other individuals). 
When prolonged beyond the wing, the scale lines are seen to 
form concentric circles (the curvature of the central and distal 
lines, forewing, and that of the distal ones, hindwing, showing 
almost geometrical regularity). These, however, are not con- 
centric with the termen (especially in the forewing) 9 and thus 
7 While deeply enjoying the profusion of fascinating figures provided by those 
authors; and of course Kusnezov’s masterpiece (1915, Insectes lepidopteres 
(Nasekomye cheshuekrylye) i (1), in Faune de la Russie) is unsurpassed by 
any other general survey of the morphology of Lepidoptera. 
8 This seems to be a more frequent occurrence in large races than in small ones, 
and takes place more often distally than basally but I have not yet come to any 
conclusion regarding the morphological value of this character. 
9 They are concentric to the termen in representatives of other subfamilies, 
e.g. in Thecla Fabricius ( s.s .). 
