Classification. 27 



about this connection, the newer term, OrtJwptcra, would 

 probably have to be dropped in favour of the older one, 

 Neiiroptera, of which order Linnaeus seems to look upon 

 the Dragonflies as the t}'pe. 



Seeing" that but a small proportion (perhaps not more 

 than one in ten) of the Ncuroptera of the world have 

 come under the examination of entomologists, and that 

 the life-histor}' of but few even of these has been 

 studied, it seems best to adopt the older view of the order, 

 and look upon the Dragonflies as part of the Xciiroptcra, 

 using the term in the oldest sense as empkn'ed by 

 Linnitus. Later, when more indi\'iduals have been clis- 

 co\ered, their life-histories worked out, and their affinities 

 established, it may be found necessar\' to break up the 

 order, and possibl}^ to place the different parts of it more 

 satisfactorily. 



So heterogeneous are the groups of insects comprising 

 the order that it is not eas}' to draw up a comprehensive 

 list of characters possessed b}' the whole. The order Neii- 

 roptera may, howe\-er, thus be diagnosed : jMctamorpJiosis 

 complete or incomplete ; month of imago mandibnlate, 

 t/iat is, suited for biting ; iv<iiigs (sometimes not present) 

 four, similar in texture, naked (or hairy), usually loith 

 a close net-K'ork of nervures ; abdomen never armed zoith 

 a sting. 



It now becomes necessary to sub-divide the order — 

 a b)- no means eas}- task. McLachlan^ does so as 

 follows : 



I. Psendo-neuroptcra, containing the Psocicla,-, Perlidce, 

 and the Ephemerida?, or Ma^-flies. 



*A catalogue of British Neuroptera, published by Entom. Soc. of London, 

 1870. 



