17 



I am. TRICHOPTERYGID^E. 

 Tribe Trichopterygina. 

 . II. PTINELLA. 



Sonn entomologists have lately asserted thai in Ptinella both sexes may possess 

 wings; I cannol of course contradict this assertion without examination of the 

 pposed winged males, but, until convinced to the contrary by ocular demon- 

 stration, I shall Btill adhere to my previously expressed opinion — thai ible 

 wings are confined to the t'< males alone. Indeed, the law of what is called Nature 

 strongly supports this id< a, for, as it is well known in the history of \nt - and their 

 allies, the power of lli.^ht in the females is the main factor in the preservation and 

 diffusion of the species. I have for many ojoyed unusual facilities for 

 investigating the habits and anatomy of insects genus; more than two 

 thousand specimens ha\' under my examination, and I have always found 

 that the presence or absence of wings formed an unmistakable indication of the sex 

 of the individual. I mean by "wings" not mere rudimentary apologies for those 

 members, but fully developed serviceable wings, and 1 have many anatomical 

 preparations which (dearly prove that winged specimens are always females : in 

 some of these the ova are Been fully formed, and ready for extrusion. 1 may go 

 i farther than thiB, and say that in specimens in which the wings, although 

 presi nt, are more or less imperfect. trium is in a similar condition, hut in 

 ry such case male organs are wholly absent. I am fully aware that in some 

 undoubted males minute appendages may be discovered arising from that part of 

 the mesothorax on which the wings articulate, bul these can by no stretch of 

 imagination he regarded as wh 



Many Luten 3ting species have recently been added to this genus, and one I 

 ago recorded by Col. Motschulsky from Finland, and described by that author under 

 the name of /'. rotundicollis, has again been found in its original locality: this is 

 the smallest and most graceful of all these elegant inse- 



In a note by Mr. .Matthew.- he .-tat. - thai th< jenus Ptinella is furnished with 

 fully developed eyes. He has carefully examined the -pedes — aptera, angustula, 

 and denticollii are particularly mentioned, rh bat the onlj peculiarity about 



them is that they are concolorous with the other part- of the head. Hay are 

 mamly situated on the lower surface, being scarcely visihle from above. Ed. 



SPECIERUM RECENTIORUM EPITOMA. 



L. c. 112 mm.— Elongato-ovalis, depressa, flava, pronoto basiin versus 

 abrupte coustricto, capi riori, elytris brevibus, abdomine 



obtuso, pea atque ant. modicis flavis Championana. 



L. c. 0'87 nun. — Elongata, convexa, obscure castanea, pronoto basim 

 odice coustricto, elytris sat longis, abdoniiue oh: 

 ped. atqui ant. longis, gracUibu lavis .... Fauvelii. 



L. c. 0*80 nun EloDgato-ovalis, sat depressa, castanea, pronoti lateribns 



[ue ant. late Bavis . . Pacifica. 

 L. c. 0'80 mm. — 1 in. 



ranea, pronoto ad basim contracto, ped. atque ant. Ifflte flavis . Braziliana. 

 L. o. 0*75 mm. Elongato-ovahs, convexa^ flava, pronoto brevi, baud 



coustricto, elytris brevibus, ped. atq Matthewsiana. 



u 



