. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. HETEROCERA DREPANIDAE LIMACODIDAE 401 find Insects with the scales imperfect, they being few and small and approximating in form to hairs; in D. hyalina scales are nearly entirely absent. In other genera, Peridrepana, Sirep- toperas, there is only a very inferior state of scale-formation. The few larvae that are known are peculiar; they are nearly bare of hair, without the pair of terminal claspers, while the body is terminated by a long tubular process. They form a slight cocoon among leaves. The members of the family were formerly much misunder-
. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. HETEROCERA DREPANIDAE LIMACODIDAE 401 find Insects with the scales imperfect, they being few and small and approximating in form to hairs; in D. hyalina scales are nearly entirely absent. In other genera, Peridrepana, Sirep- toperas, there is only a very inferior state of scale-formation. The few larvae that are known are peculiar; they are nearly bare of hair, without the pair of terminal claspers, while the body is terminated by a long tubular process. They form a slight cocoon among leaves. The members of the family were formerly much misunder- stood, and were assigned to various positions in the Order. There are now about 30 genera, and 150 species known, the geographical distribution of the family being very wide. In Britain we have half a dozen species. Cilix glaucata (better known as C. spinula) is said " to undoubtedly imitate" the excrement of birds. No doubt the Insect resembles that sub- stance so as to be readily mistaken for it. This Insect has a very wide distribution in North America, Europe and East India, and is said to vary so much in the structure of its organs as to justify us in saying that the one species belongs to two or three genera. Fam. 26. Limacodidae (or Eucleidae).—These are some- what small moths, of stout formation, sometimes very short in the body; and with rather small wing - area. The family includes however at present many Insects of diverse appearance ; there are numerous forms in which apple-green is a prominent colour ; some bear a certain resemblance to the Swifts, others to Noctuids; some,Iiosema and Staetherinia, of extraordinary shapes ; certain very small forms, Gavara, Ceratonema, resemble Tortricids or Tineids; a few even remind one of Insects of other Orders; so that the group is a mimetic one. Nagoda nigricans (Ceylon) has the male some- what like a Psychid, while the female has a different system of coloration and wing-form; In Scopelodes the palpi are in
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