106 



and underneath of a greyish yellow (as are all the legs), having two short setae or tails at the extremity. 

 Wings membranaceous and transparent ; the nerves appearing, when viewed by a magnifier, to be black 

 and white, like the quills of a porcupine. Inferior wings shorter than the superior. 



Drury has figured the wings as of an uniform colourless appearance, which induces me 

 to consider that it may be distinct from the Linnssan H. pectinicomis, that species being- 

 described by the great Swede with " signaturis nervisque fuscis albo subarticulatis." From 

 the paleness of the present species it is evident that the transverse nerves connecting the 

 longitudinal ribs of the wings in the t}-pical species of this genus have been overlooked, 

 especially as the longitudinal nerves are correctly represented. This genus and Corydalis, 

 seems to form a connecting link between Hemerobius and Perla. 



MYRMELEON AMERICANUM. 



Plate XLVI. fig. 6. 



Order: Neuroptera. Section: Filicornes. Family: MyrmeleonidiE, ieac/j. 



Genus. Mykmeleon, Linn, ^'C. 



Myrmeleon AniERiCANnM. Tliorace griseo nigro notato, alis hyalinis fnsco et luteo punctatis, punctis nonnullis 

 lineam centralem longitudinalem formantibus, abdomine lusco. (Expans. Alar. 5 unc.) 



Si'N. Myrmeleon americanus, Drury, App. vol. 2 



Habitat: New York. 



Head black, front grey and haiiy. Mouth with four long palpi. Eyes dark brown, almost black. 

 Antennse black, and as long as the thorax ; being small at the base, and increasing in size to their 

 extremities. Neck yellowish, striped with black, and covered with longish grey hairs. Thorax yellowish, 

 with black stripes, and covered with long grey hairs. Abdomen, which is full an inch and a half long, 

 brownish-coloured, and darker on the sides ; being furnished at the extremity with two short hairy tails, 

 seemingly of a horny substance. Wings of equal length, membranaceous and transparent, having a 

 great number of small spots thereon of a dark brown colour ; the superior ones being most spotted. 

 Legs black, and covered with grey hairs ; each of them being furnished at the tips of the tlbise with two 

 long spines that bend inwardly towards each other. 



LIBELLULID.^, PI. 47 & 48. 



All the insects represented in these two plates belong to the genus Libellula of Linnaeus, 

 or the family of Dragon-flies, Libellulidae. When the original edition of this work was 

 published, there was no English work in which the natural history and curious transforma- 

 tions of this tribe of insects were detailed. Our author, therefore, in order to supply the 

 deficiency, published the following interesting series of observations upon the subject : — 



" As I have not met with any English author who has given the natural history of the 

 insects delineated in these two plates, I shall make no apology for its introduction ; 



