50 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 85 



veined insects to a restricted group of very few families. Hence 

 many of the determinations (in want of re-examination) cannot be 

 definitely correlated with modern classification. With little doubt, 

 therefore, there has been confusion of records between Neuropter- 

 oidea (in the present sense) and some of the orders elsewhere discussed 

 as Agnatha, Mecaptera, and especially Plecoptera. Hence the tabula- 

 tion figures given are only approximations, and a better conception 

 of the relations of birds to the insects would be obtained by lumping 

 all of the so-called net-veined insects together. 



Protective adaptations. — The Neuropteroidea have not been given 

 so much attention by adaptationists as some other groups of insects, 

 but certain supposedly protective features have been pointed out or are 

 suggested by analogy with other described cases. Dobsonflies are 

 large, the larvae and females have powerful biting-jaws, while in 

 some cases the males have enormously developed mandibles of less 

 sturdy construction, and the coloration of the wings of some presents 

 strong contrasts. The latter characteristic is possessed by the Myrme- 

 leonidae also, while their larvae, the ant-lions, have large, strong jaws 

 and an antlike odor. Some Ascalaphidae are said to resemble dragon- 

 flies both in appearance and habits ; Chrysopidae have vile smells 

 earning them the name of stink flies ; and Mantispidae not only have 

 predatory forelegs but are said to be protected by their resemblance 

 to Hymenoptera. (Poulton. E. B., Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1902, 

 P- 536-) "The well-known cases of Caddice-worms (Trichoptera) 

 are partly for concealment and partly for defence." (Poulton, Colours 

 of Animals, p. yy, 1890.) Some of them resemble snail-shells. 



Bird enemies. — While Neuroptera (sens, lat.) have been identified 

 from the stomachs of 56 species of birds there is little object in dis- 

 cussing further this heterogenous assemblage. Sialidae (dobsonflies 

 etc.), despite their average large size and biting powers, were taken 

 by 38 kinds of birds ; 58 specimens were found in the stomach of a 

 Bonaparte's gull and from 55 to 93 larvae in three stomachs of lesser 

 scaups and 192 in one of a canvas-back. Snakeflies, of bizarre ap- 

 pearance, and of limited distribution in the United States were 

 identified in the food of 22 species of birds ; and Mantispidae, " pro- 

 tected by their resemblance to Hymenoptera," and also by considerable 

 rarity in oin^ fauna, were found in the stomach of 11 species. Stink 

 flies (Chrysopidae) were eaten by 18 kinds of birds, and Myrme- 

 leonidae by 20. AscalapJius was identified but once, quite in keeping 

 with its extreme rarity, and PTemerobiidae 11 times. The figures for 

 identifications are low for scarce or locally distributed groups, but 



