IV PREFACE. 



species, the latter must be regarded as the type_, notwithstandmg 

 that the Baron selected one of the others, when he subsequently 

 characterized the genus and the species belonging to it. 



Latreille fixed the types of Lihellula, JEshna, and Agrion; 

 and therefore Leaches subsequent alterations in their use must 

 be rejected. But to minimize the resulting confusion, the 

 corrected form of the second name [JEsckna) has been allowed to 

 stand, as in popular use, in addition to JEshna, which is 

 cotypical with Gomphus, Leach, though, strictly speaking, it 

 should perhaps have received a new name. Ap'ion, when used 

 by the older authors, though properly neuter, is always employed 

 in association with feminine specific names, and this use has 

 here been allowed to remain. Newman's name, Sympetrum, to 

 which Dr. Hagen objects because it was published, unaccom- 

 panied by a description, in an English periodical unknown in 

 Germany at the time, and was not subsequently used by 

 Newman himself, has two of the strongest claims to be retained 

 instead of Diplax, Charpentier, — firstly, that of nine years 

 priority ; and, secondly, of having had a specific type assigned 

 to it at the time of publication, which Diplax had not. 



An asterisk (*) (except in the index) denotes the type o£ a 

 genus ; 



(t) denotes that the section of the genus to which it is pre- 

 fixed is not regarded as typical ; 



(II) denotes that the name so marked is preoccupied. 



In conclusion, I may say that I regard the Oclonata as 

 possessing a better claim than any other group to be regarded 

 as the typical Neuroptera of Linne ; and even if I were disposed 

 to combine them with the Orthoptera (which I am not), it is the 

 latter name, of much later date, and not the former, which I 

 would reject. 



W. F. KIRBY. 



Cliiswick, 



July, 1890. 



