THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XV.] FEBEUAEY, 1882. [No. 225. 



THE LINNEAN OKDER NEUROPTERA. 

 By James J. King. 



Why is it that we have so few entomologists in this country 

 who will devote their attention to anything excepting the 

 Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, to the utter neglect of many other 

 groups that are in no way less interesting ? This is a matter 

 that has occupied my attention for some time, seeing that we 

 have so many orders of insects that are no less attractive, and 

 whose history is almost unknown. 



No doubt, during the last few years, we have had a small 

 number of workers who have taken up the Hemiptera and 

 Hymenoptera, but I am sorry to say that the workers at that 

 most interesting and beautiful order of insects, the Neuroptera, 

 might almost be counted on the fingers of a person's hand. Why 

 this should be the case I cannot understand, seeing that we have 

 such great diversity of form and colouring among the various 

 species of this order, many of which, for example, Cordulia 

 and Calojjteryx among the dragon-flies, are adorned with most 

 gorgeous metallic colours. 



I think that I could do no better than enter into a short 

 description of the most characteristic of the Neuroptera. This 

 order, as generally understood in this country, embraces groups 

 of very unequal systematic value. 



Some of the Neuroptera are closely related to the Orthoptera, 

 as will be seen from the structure of the wings, which are of a 

 membranous character and are traversed by a large number of 

 veins which foi'm little facets from which light is reflected. 



