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24 V.—CLASSIFICATION, NOMENCLATURE AND REMARKS. 
with the labial, and the sometimes, functionally active man- 
dibles, they will be all found commonly in the T'richop- 
tera, affording additional confirmation.’’* 
In the present work I have not employed the divisions, 
formerly called groups, with their titles ending in -zna, but 
have somewhat extended the scope of many of the families, 
and adopted the terminations -idae or -adae for the names 
of these divisions. Families, if large, are divided into 
several sub-families, with their names ending in -ides or 
-ades,t and are in many cases equivalent to the families of 
other authors who use groups.t The sub-families consist 
of a variable number of genera, and the genera again of an 
equally variable number of species. A species may be de- 
fined as an assemblage of individuals having a number of 
characters in common and freely breeding together. Many 
species are very variable, but their varieties are always con- 
tinually fertile if paired together. Thus when two dif- 
ferent varieties freely pair together, and their offspring are 
mutually fertile, it is usually considered that their specific 
identity is proved. 
The classification here adopted is in the main that given 
by Mr. Meyrick in his revision of the various groups of 
the Lepidoptera, which have appeared in the volumes of the 
Transactions of the New Zealand Institute.** In order, 
however, to bring the value of the divisions termed 
‘‘Families’’ in closer equality with the families in other 
orders of insects, such as the Coleoptera, I have, as already 
explained, converted those divisions designated by Mr. Mey- 
rick as ‘‘Groups’’ into ‘‘Families,’’ and most of his 
‘*Wamilies’’ into ‘‘Sub-families.’”’ This has enabled me to 
adopt the older and more generally known names for the 
families, and it is thought that this course will be found 
more convenient by the majority of entomologists. It is 
also hoped that some degree of permanence will be secured 
by the use of major divisions which have already stood the 
test of time. 
Jn the structural descriptions of genera, ete., which 
have in almost every instance been taken from Mr. Mey- 
rick’s works, proportional measurements are sometimes 
briefly expressed in numbers as follows:—Ciliations of 

*Handbook of British Lepidoptera, p. 12. See also Chapter 
XIX in the present work. 
+The termination ides, for the names of sub-families, has 
been in general use amongst most entomologists since 1840, and, 
despite “conference decisions,” there does not appear to be any 
valid reason for changing it. 
tMost of the divisions ranked in this work as “ Families ” 
would be designated by the American entomologists “ Super- 
families,” having the termination “ oidea.” Thus the Americans 
would speak of the superfamily Noctwoidea and so on. 
**Revision of the classification of the New Zealand Tortricina. 
EATS oN. Ze S yee kelel t my se 
Revision of the classification of the New Zealand Ouradrinina. 
Trans. N.Z. Inst., XLIV, 88. 
Revision of the classification of the New Zealand Pyralidina. 
; Trans. N.Z. Inst., XLV., 30. 
ence of New Zealand Tineina. Trans N.Z. Inst., XLVII., 
Revision of New Zealand Notodontina. Trans. N.Z. Inst., 
XLIX., 248, 
the antennae are measured in terms of the breadth of the 
stalk, thus ‘‘ ciliations $’’ means ‘‘ ciliations half as long 
as the antennal stalk is broad’’; the length of the antennae 
is expressed in terms of the length of the fore-wings, thus 
‘‘ antennae over 1 ’’ oS 
ce 
means ‘‘ antennae longer than fore- 
wings ”’; the length of the palpi is expressed in terms of the 
breadth of the eye, thus ae ** palpi two 
ce 
palpi 23°’ means 
and a half times as long as the eye is broad ’’; the length 
of the tarsus is expressed in terms of the length of the tibia, 
thus ‘‘ tarsus 14 ’’ means “‘ tarsus half as long again as the 
tibia ’’; the outer spurs of the tibiae are expressed in terms 
of the inner, thus ‘‘ outer spurs ?’’ means ‘‘outer spurs 
three-quarters of the length of the inner ’’; the breadth of 
the hind-wings is expressed in terms of the fore-wings, thus 
‘* hind-wings 1’’ means ‘‘ hind-wings as broad as fore- 
wings’’; the length of the cilia of the hind-wings is expressed 
in terms of the breadth of the hind-wings, thus ‘‘ cilia 6 ”’ 
means ‘‘ cilia six times as long as the hind-wings are broad.”’ 
In describing the veins, they are assumed to be all present 
and separate, except so far as they are expressly mentioned 
to be otherwise. Generally, the absence of peculiar charac- 
ters is assumed unless they are mentioned as present.* 
oe 
In the specifie deseriptions, the expansion of the wings 
is given in inches or fractions of an inch, taken from a 
specimen of average size, set in the usual way. Unless 
specially mentioned, it is to be assumed that the colour of 
the head and thorax is the same as that of the fore-wings, 
and the colour of the abdomen the same as that of the hind- 
wings. In all cases the description proceeds from the base 
of the wing to the termen, and the positions of the various 
markings are indicated in terms of the distance from the 
base to the apex, or from the base to the tornus. Charac- 
ters of special importance for the identification of the 
species are printed in italics. 
In regard to the vexed question of the specific identity 
of allied forms, I have, in all cases where the insects are 
known to me, only regarded those forms as distinct, where 
their distinctness is fully eomprehensible and is capable of 
clear definition in a figure or deseription. Mr. Meyrick 
points out that the New Zealand fauna contains an excep- 
tional number of obscure species, whose slight and elusive 
differences do not provoke suspicion; whilst, on the other 
hand, there are very variable species whose forms exhibit 
much greater apparent diversity.t Again Darwin explains 
that it is all important to remember that naturalists have 
no golden rule by which to distinguish species and varieties ; 
they grant some little variability to each species, but when 
they meet with a somewhat greater amount of difference 
between any two forms, they rank both as species, unless 
they are enabled to connect them together by the closest 
intermediate gradations. | These facts should be borne in 
mind by those who may, at times, be discouraged, by the 

*Handbook of British Lepidoptera, 15. 
y*Trans. N.Z. Inst., XLVI, 101. 
tOrigin of Species, Sixth Edition, 260. 

