i902.j 255 



nettles and brakes, with here and there an islet of firs; yet the substratum appears 

 to be chalk " (cf. Freeman's " Life of Eev. W. Kirby, M.A., &c.," p. 107, and "The 

 Coleoptera of Suffolk," p. 11). The formation of these heaths is post-glacial, con- 

 sisting of chalk, overlaid by plateaux of recent valley gravels ; and it is said to have 

 once constituted the bed of a tidal river, though now fifty miles from the sea. To 

 all but a naturalist the view, which has not altered during the past century, is still 

 desolate in the extreme ; barren sandy wastes of heath stretching for miles on 

 every hand. In the same vicinity, at Thetford Warren, I have taken the closely 

 allied Psammobius sulcicollis, Illig. (cf. " Coleoptera of Suffolk," p. 66, and Ent. 

 Ann., 1865, p. 40), also beneath stones ; and I am glad to have added another 

 species to our fauna, since the first (cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., 1898, p. 84 ; 1901, p. 64) 

 seems to have nearly or quite vacated its indigenous position. — Claude Morlky, 

 Ipswich : /September, 1902. 



THE BRITISH SPECIES OF LEUCTRA. 

 BY KENNETH J. MORTON, F.E.S. 



Since the publication of my " Palsearctic Nemource" (Trans. 

 Ent. Soc. Loud., 1891 and 1896) much activity has prevailed amongst 

 continental Neuropterologists, their efforts having been specially and 

 successfully directed to the better elucidation of the smaller species 

 of Plecoptera (Perlidce). Kempny's papers on Leuctra form a mar- 

 vellous exposition of a genus that had previously been considered 

 impenetrably obscure ; Bis has recently made a masterly Revision of 

 the central European Nemource ; while Klapalek, who combines with 

 his systematic work valuable biological studies, has largely extended 

 our information concerning Tamiopteryx. 



The old descriptions of these insects being quite inadequate, the 

 question of synonymy is a great stumbling block, and it is difficult to 

 see how it can be surmounted. Even where types exist in the shape 

 of dried specimens in museums, these are practically not determinable 

 with certainty in their present condition, although they could probably 

 be determined without difficulty, even now, if prepared as microscopic 

 objects. 



In Leuctra especially, Kempny has been obliged to ignore almost 

 entirely the old names, and new and unfamiliar names are beginning 

 to appear in lists, while familiar ones, such as L.fusciventris, find no 

 place. This is of course very unsatisfactory, but the author is not 

 without good excuse. 



Leaving the subject of synonymy in abeyance in the meantime, 



it may be of interest to the few British Entomologists who concern 



themselves about these iusectB to give a list of the British species of 



aa % 



