'24 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi.vi. 
Not only does Rothschildia carry the Nymphalid and Lyctenid secon¬ 
dary movement of the veins to an extreme, but it shows also the sub¬ 
primary Papilionid specialization of the hindwings, the inner margin 
hollowed out, and VIII vanished, characters evinced by the Attacinse. 
No better proof can be offered to sustain the thesis, that rank is a rela 
tive conception and that corresponding specializations are worked out 
upon different phylogenetic 'lines. And we see that it is inevitable, that 
systematists like Mr. Scudder, who erect an imaginary sequence upon 
the fastening of the chrysalis, or other congruous class of facts, and 
finding some example, like Oeneis, which meets their fancied require¬ 
ments, proceed to place this “ at the head ” of the lepidoptera, must be 
doomed to disappointment. 
The arrangement for the new check list may be provisionally laid 
down here, so far as embraced, by the two parts of my revision now 
published. I may say, that, so far as my preliminary studies, are con¬ 
cerned, I believe to recognize eight superfamilies in the Lepidoptera: 
Papilionides, Hesperiades, Sphingides, Saturniades, Bombycides (Agro¬ 
tides), Tineides, Micropterygides and Hepialides. I would keep as 
near as may be to the Linnean sequence, transferring the Sesiadse and 
Anthroceridse from the Sphinges to the Tineides; and the Cossidse, 
Apodidse, Ptychopsychidse and Psychidse from the Bombyces to the 
Tineides. 
To sum up : In Hemileuca, as in Saturnia , veins IVi and IV2 are 
furcate at the extremity of a long stem. This stem is morphologically 
the extension of that piece of the cross-vein lying between IV1 and the 
Radius. Vein IV1 is thus prevented absolutely from ascending the 
Radius, as it can in Aglia and Automens , where no such extension 
takes place or offers to take place, and does in Citheronia. The neg¬ 
ation here demands, in a positive manner, the classification advanced 
by me. No looking at the neuration “broadly,” no trifling as to terms 
or the theoretical value of certain changes in the movable veins, can 
ever obscure this point, which proves that Aglia can never be brought 
into a connection, either as a derived or original representative form, 
with the typical Saturnians. The dichotomy proposed by me is borne 
out by all exotic Saturnians I have been able to study. On the other 
hand, the reference of Endromis to the Sphingides is not positively de¬ 
manded by the neuration ; a shorter vein, connecting II and III, and 
bending down II, near base of hindwings js present in Bombyx mon. 
From uncompleted studies in the Lachneidse, this may not be homol¬ 
ogous. The union is at most not contradicted strongly. It becomes 
