2 NEUROPTERA. 



than the body. Legs very thin and delicate, femora and 

 tibiae of nearly equal length ; tarsi five-jointed, at the apex 

 with two broad claws differing more or less in form ; the first 

 joint of the tarsi is generally very small. The anterior legs 

 of the male are considerably longer than those of the female, 

 sometimes as lonsf as the bodv. In the males beneath the 

 outer caudal filaments are two four-jointed, rather long anal 

 forceps, between which protrudes the well-developed cleft 

 penis, which difi'ers in shape according to the species. Some 

 of the females have a rounded egg-valve at the antepenulti- 

 mate abdominal plate, but in others it is wanting, and the 

 eggs appear to be pushed out by the disruption of the ab- 

 domen. 



Wings four, in one genus only two are present, and the 

 posterior wings are wanting in individual species of other 

 genera. The. anterior wings are large and triangular, the 

 costa forming the longest side ; the posterior wings are con- 

 siderably smaller than the anterior wings, often almost quite 

 undeveloped, resembling small scales. Near the (X)sta and 

 almost parallel to it are two simple lons^itudinal veins, the 

 third is forked more or less, and supplies the entire wing with 

 straight veins running to the margin. Transverse veins, in 

 greater or less number, but never entirely wanting, connect 

 the longitudinal veins and form cells, which are generally 

 quadrangular. The apical half of the marginal field some- 

 times shows very irregular transverse veins and even rows of 

 double cells. 



The colouring of the Ephevieridce is generally rather dull 

 and monotonous. The head and thorax are often glossy. 

 The colours of the abdomen are principally a more or less 

 dark brown or black, yellow or yellowish-red in all shades, 

 the belly sometimes white. The eyes are often very brightly 

 coloured, blood-red, blue, green or yellow. The caudal 

 filaments are generally paler than the body, the joints often 



