96 Mr. R. Templeton's Descriptions of 



Sp. 7. PoDURA Stagnortjm. 

 Plate XII. Fig. 4. 

 Body elongate obovate, pale. Head ovate; eyes black. Antenna 

 not much longer than the head. Thoracic and abdominal rings 

 equal in length, pale, with a greenish transverse fascia occupy- 

 ing the posterior half of each ring, interrupted in the middle, an 

 elongate triangle, with its base at the apex of each ring, oc- 

 cupying that part. 

 Length 0"05 inch. 



In some varieties a double row of black points down the back. 

 Extremely common at Cranmore, on the surface of little pools of 

 stagnant water. March 1808. 



Fig. 4. Animal magnified. 4a. The antennae. 4b. Leg. 4c. Tlie Ist 



and 2nd abdominal rings beneath, to show the position occupied by a 

 singular erectile body, which is seen in profile when fully distended at 

 fig. id. The animal has the capability of jutting this out at pleasure; 

 and in some species its head is swollen beyond the dimensions of the 

 peduncle, and stands up between the extremities of the fork, so as to 

 lead me at first to suppose that it was useful in the springing of the 

 little animal, but I now believe it to be the external sexual organ; when 

 retracting, the head is first drawn in, then each portion successively, 

 leaving ultimately a little depression in the ring. 



AcHORUTEs, n. g. 

 Antenna 4-jointed, shorter than the head ; fork obsolete. 



Sp. 1. AcHORUTES DUBIUS. 



Plate XII. Fig. 5. 

 Body subcylindrical, purplish black, shining ; wings tuberculate 

 and with scattered spines. Head large, subtriangular, truncate 

 anteriorly ; eyes remote from the base of the antennae, which 

 have the two first joints very short, the succeeding long and not 

 much contracted. Apex of the abdotnen ending obtusely. 

 Length O'OS inch. 



At Cranmore, on water. It cannot leap. Can it be the young of 

 P. aquatica, Linn.?* 



Fig. 5. Animal magnified. 5 a. Antenna. 5 6. Under surface of the ab- 



domen, showing the obsolete fork and the erectile process. 



* Podura aquatica is common enough in Ireland. I had not, however, an oppor- 

 tunity of examining it attentively before I left Cranmore ; but I should have placed 

 it under Acliorutes as a third Irish species, had I not been startled by the description 

 given by Lamarck, ^». «aw,s J'erteh. vol. v. p. 21, " P. nigra, aquatica; antennis cor- 

 poris suhlongihidive" ; and by the remembrance of the ease with which it leaps. 



