154 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. v. 
problematical. There are three patterns of the wings of Day But¬ 
terflies: the Papilionid, the Pieri-Nymphalid, the Lycseni-Hesperid. 
I cannot place Nemeobius satisfactorily because I am told it is a Ly- 
cgenid while its wings are of the pattern of the Pieri-Nymphalids. 
The plan of the Lycsenid and Hesperid wing is identical. The first 
only differs from the latter, by the commencement of the absorption of 
the radial veins. It is, in my opinion, very improbable that the Lycae- 
nid and Hesperid wing should be separately evolved. The Lycaenid 
wing is a continuation of the Hesperid and can be directly inferred from 
it. The process of absorption which divides Lyccena from Hesperia , 
makes a further step and produces Thecla . The morphological value 
of the stages is similar. 
Although, from any limited study, the neuration appears as a whole 
fixed, it is not so; it has its flux, perhaps its reflux. A wider compari¬ 
son brings this out already and it will bring it out more and more. The 
neuration has a present meaning which cannot be overlooked. To 
neglect or pass over its teaching, the conclusions we may derive from its 
variations, is to detract from the picture, to make this picture by so 
much an inaccurate one, of the present condition and the probable past 
and future of the organism. In the Lepidoptera, the veins which seem 
to be most stable are the main branches, the Radius and Cubitus. Per¬ 
haps the latter with its two branches is the more constant. The play is 
now with the Media and its system of branches. Even in so fast 
bound, so concrete a group as the Sphingidae, where everything seems 
exhausted tending to a future development, where there is so little that 
is lax and pliable in any stage of the insect, the branches of the median 
system still shift, vein IVi sometimes leaves the crossvein and appears 
attached to the Radius, while IV2 varies in its inclination to the Cubitus. 
So rigid and stark a neuration as we find in the Hawk Moths seems to 
defy the investigator and to tax his patience beyond its power. But 
finally even here something will be yielded to the diligent enquirer. He 
will be able on occasion at least to distinguish between the more gen¬ 
eralized and the more specialized form and this through the veining of 
the wings. The wing of the Hawk Moths has assumed a certain stability 
from its meeting in a high degree the requirements of flight and holds 
fast to this pattern of veining in consequence. 
The art of the student is exercised to seize upon what is disparate 
and bring these characters together into deeper harmony. No doubt, 
a record lies for us to read in the neuration of the wings; the difficulty 
lies in properly revealing it, in an adequate interpretation. What I 
