108 The Rec. Wm. Kırzy on a new Order of Insects. 
given it on account of its distorted elytra. With respect to the 
place of Strepsiptera in the system, it seems to me that this order 
should follow Coleoptera; for, its metamorphosis being different 
from that of Orthoptera and Hemiptera, and nearer to that of 
Coleoptera, this seems its most natural station, considered as an 
elytrophorous order, especially, since, if it be inserted between 
Orthoptera and Hemiptera, with both of which it has some afti- 
nity, it would interrupt the series of semicomplete metamorphosis, 
by which, besides other characters, those two orders are so closely 
united. | 
I shall next attempt to lay down in detail the characters by 
which the Strepsiptera are distinguished, giving an artificial and 
natural as well as an essential character of the order: the second 
of these, the natural character, I shall endeavour so to construct 
as to include all such features as are common to the two genera 
of which the order at present consists; but I must first observe, 
that a. describer of these insects, who would wish to get an ac- 
curate idea of all their characters, labours under considerable 
disadvantages, not only from the minuteness of the animals, but 
also from their dark opaque colour and velvet appearance, 
which conceal the sutures of many parts of the body altogether, 
unless they are viewed under a powerful magnifier with a strong 
light thrown upon them: and few, like myself, can possess the 
advantage of the eye and luminous pencil of a Bauer. | 
INSECTA. 
