78 [Ap"-". 



species are apparently nearctic also, and that the nomenclature and 

 synonymy of the former cannot be considered settled until a careful 

 revision of the latter be made, for there appear to be cases in which 

 the name bestowed upon nearctic examples may have the right of 

 priority. 



In putting together these notes a certain amount of preliminary 

 knowledge on the part of the reader has been presumed. 



Hemerobius neetostjs and allies. 

 The members of this group are amongst the largest of the palse- 

 arctic species. The prevailing colour may be said to be grey. The 

 thorax above has a broad, longitudinal, pale (whitish to ochreous) 

 band (in which is a black median line) which is deep black on each 

 side. The wings are long-oval, the anterior pair mottled with grey 

 and greyish-black, and the neuration white interrupted with blackish 

 (or vice versa), the gradate nervules forming ill-defined dark fasciae. 

 The anal structure of the males seems to partake of the same general 

 plan in all the species. 



H. NEuvosus, Fab, (1793), et auct. 



? a. betuUnus, Strom, Nye Samling af det Kongel. Norskes Bi- 

 densklabers Selskabs Skrifter, ii, pp. 387—389, tab. v (1788). 



The anterior wings usually prettily mottled. By 

 several authors (including Brauer and myself) it has 

 been said that the second " post-costal "* cellule (cf. 

 Brauer, Neuropt. Austr., fig. 103) is open. This, 

 if constant, would be a very satisfactory character 

 by which to separate the females of this species. 

 But it is not constant, for I have several males 

 undoubtedly belonging here in which the cellule is 

 closed. 



The appendages of the <? have the basal portion ^«^j_i--Y\\ 



long and rather narrow, the apical portion regularly ' ^ 



curved and not forming an abrupt angle with the basal, its edge finely serrate at the 

 tip inwardly. 



A wide-spread species, extending into the Arctic Circle, probably 

 less common south of the Alps. Very partial to birch trees. 



I have a very strong opinion that this insect is in all probability 

 Strom's a. betulinus, and it is solely my dislike for upsetting existing 

 nomenclature that deters me from adopting the name. Strom's 

 description is full (and there is a good figure), even to the male ap- 

 pendages, which 80 far as I can make out were as in nervosus and not 



* It seems to me that post-cubital would be more correct than pott-costal for these cellules. 



