TRICHOPTILUS PYGMAEUS WLSM. 
AND 
THE NEURATION OF THE FAMILY PTEROPHORIDAE 
A. W. Lindsey 
When “The Pterophoridae of America, North of Mexico’' was 
published, two specimens of T. pygmaeus were available to the 
authors, one in the collection of the United States National Mu- 
seum and the other in the Fernald collection from the type lot. 
It was gratifying, therefore, to receive from Mr. E. H. Blackmore 
a series of ten specimens taken at Shawnigan, Vancouver Is., 
July 18, 1923. This is but one of many valuable results of Mr. 
Blackmore’s diligent collecting and careful study for which the 
writer expresses his hearty appreciation and thanks. 
An examination of the specimens corroborated Mr. Black- 
more’s identification. The opportunity which they furnish for 
the accurate determination of the generic characters of Trichop- 
tihis has apparently not been enjoyed by anyone else, excepting 
possibly Lord Walsingham himself, for Professor Fernald had 
not removed the wings from the single specimen now in his col- 
lection, and there is no reason to believe that others exist where 
they are available for scientific scrutiny. Mr. T. Bainbrigge 
Fletcher (in litt.) states that he uses Buckleria Tutt for the other 
species commonly placed in the genus, retaining Trichoptilus for 
its type alone. His reason, ample, to be sure, is that Lord Wal- 
singham compared the species concerned and agreed with his 
views. In order to settle this point, the right wings of one speci- 
men were removed and mounted for microscopic examination, 
and this led to the surprising results here recorded. 
The first wings prepared showed only a single long vein run- 
ning to the tip of the second lobe of the primaries, apparently 
M.+CUi, according to later discoveries. They were otherwise 
similar to those of T. lohiclactylus Fitch excepting the evanescent 
tips of R 2 and R^ and bases of both anals. The complete loss of a 
vein from the second lobe seemed to justify the separation of the 
genera as practiced by Mr. Fletcher, but to my surprise, other 
187 
