hable that they inhabit the trunks of trees like many other 

 Neuroptera. 



The perfect insects are saitl to live upon Diptera, and the 

 two first species are found in woods, hedges, meadows, and 

 gardens, in May and June. 



The rostrum is formed by the union of the elongated bases 

 of the trophi, and the singular structure of the tail in the males 

 has caused them to be called Scorpion flies. 



As there are innumerable varieties of these insects, I think 

 it is very probable they may all belong to one species; I shall 

 however give the essential characters of the types found in 

 Britain. 



1. communis Linn. — Don. 6. 201. ? . — Zool. Misc. 2. t. 95. f. 1. 

 Blackish ; rostrum, crown of head, and 3 terminal joints of 

 abdomen ferruginous, 4 spots down the thorax and legs 

 ochreous; wings with a fascia beyond the middle, the apex 

 and a few spots towards the base brown : expanse 1 inch and 

 upwards. 



2. affinis Lea. Zool. Misc. 95. 2. — communis Don. 6. 201. c?. 

 Similar to No. 1. : wings spotted with brown ; instead of the 

 fascia there are 3 spots, and the apex is margined and spot- 

 ted below. 



3. apicalis Ste. III. 6. 52. 3. 



Black, wings hyaline, the apex and nervures fuscous, legs 

 piceous: expanse 9 to 10 lines. 

 June, Darent Wood. 



4. borealis LeacJi^ MSS. 



Black; rostrum, apex of abdomen and legs piceous; wings 

 hyaline, stigma and nervures fuscous. 



In the British Museum: it was found by Dr. Leach near 

 Edinburgh. 



5. germanica Li}in. — Qui. Brit. Efit. pi. 696. (?. var. 

 Ochreous, finely pubescent, head ferruginous, face black, 

 excepting the 2 cavities in which the antenna; are inserted : 

 antennae piceous, basal joint ferruginous : thorax greyish- 

 black with abroad ochreous stripe down the middle, as well 

 as a spot on each side before the wings : abdomen greyish 

 black, 3 terminal joints ferruginous, a line down each side 

 of the others, and the edges of the segments ochreous: wings 

 iridescent, nervures brown, transverse ones pale: stigma 

 yellow, with a (juadrate fuscous spot, a small faint fuscous 

 cloud below each, a lew smaller ones on the disc of the su- 

 perior, and a lunulate one at the apex : tips of tarsi piceous. 

 Obs. The spots are often much stronger than in the variety 



figured and described. 



Beginning of September in damp woods, Glanville's Woot- 

 ton, Mr. Dale; also in the New Forest and Cumberland in 

 June and July. 



The Plant is Malva rotunJifclia, Dwarf Mallow. 



