41 



STUDIE8 IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA. 



No. ii. Descriptions of new Genera and .Species of the 

 Families Osmylid.h, MvmtELEONTiD.i-:, and Ascalapiiida:. 



By R. J. TiLLYARD, M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., F.E.S., Linnean 

 Macleay Fellow of the Society in Zoolooy. 



(Plates i.-vi., and three Text-figs.) 



The material on which this paper is based is mainly drawn 

 from my own collection, but has been gathered together by the 

 kindness and energy of many correspondents rather than by 

 myself. These larger Neuroptera are not generally to be taken in 

 ".ny numbers, as are the Odonata; and the gathering together of 

 the material necessary for their study must be spread over a 

 large number of years and carried on by a number of collectors. 

 Particularly must this be so when, as in the case of the Myrrae- 

 leontidoi, the majority of species are not to be found in the well- 

 watered coastal regions, but are confined to the more arid regions 

 of the interior. Thus it would seem that Broken Hill, N.S.W., 

 with a rainfall of less than ten inches, is particularly rich in 

 these insects, and the largest number of new species must be 

 credited to the energy of Mr. O. B. Lower, F.E.S., my valued 

 correspondent in this locality. Almost equally rich is the dry, 

 sandy region of Western Australia, and even the coastal portion 

 of that State po.ssesses a large number of fine species. From 

 Mr. W. B. Alexander, F.E.S., Keeper of Biology in the W.A. 

 Museum, Perth, I have received, for study, a small collection of 

 Neuroptera containing some fine species; the types of the new- 

 species of this collection are in the West Australian Museum, 

 and the descriptions are included in this paper. Other small 

 collections of Neuroptera have been sent to me by Mr. G. F. 

 Berthoud, of Waroona, W.A., Mr. G. A. Waterhouse, B.E , B.Sc, 



