67 
im Hinterleibe von Hymenopteren, die Meloiden-Larven näh- 
ren sich von Honig; beide haben also in der Lebensweise 
nichts untereinander gemein. Ref.) In Elementarbichern sollte 
man Absurditäten wohl am wenigsten fär baare Mänze aus- 
geben!” 
Som svar på de af GERSTECKER gjorda anmärkningarna, 
anför LE ConTtE i Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Scien- 
ces of Philadelphia, 1864 p. 49: ”I do not propose here to en- 
ter into a discussion of the views which have induced LA- 
CORDAIRE, BURMEISTER, NEWMAN and SCHAUM to consider Stylo- 
pidae as a family of Coleoptera, an opinion which many others 
have silently acquiesced in. The subject was considered 
nearly exhausted, until reopened by DuvaAL, in his note on 
the order Rhipiptera, (Gen. Col. Europe, 3,419), published 
subsequently to my work on Classification; 
I will, however, answer briefly the questions asked by 
D:r GERSTAECKER in the passage above cited. 
The characters common to a Strepsipteron and various 
Coleoptera are these: 1. Hypermetamorphosis of the larva, 
(Meloidae); 2. Parasitism, (Rhipidius); 3. Retention of the Pu- 
pa within the skin of the larva, (Lampyridae, tribe Lycini, ge- 
nus Calopteron); 4. Unfitness of anterior wings for flight, (a 
character also found in Orthoptera and Hemiptera, which, ho- 
wever, have no metamorphosis); 5. Large development of 
metathoracie segment. 
Even if the Stylopidae are considered as a distinet order 
— Strepsiptera — it will be necessary to place them imme- 
diately after the Coleoptera. 
In view of the great variation of characters found in 
Coleoptera, it would seem rational to consider Stylopidae as an 
extreme amd degraded form of that order, rather than to re- 
gard such a small number of objects, closely related in form, 
structure and habits, as an equivalent to the great orders Co- 
leoptera, Orthoptera and Hemiptera, with whieh alone they 
can be morphologically compared, (characters 4 and 5). 
The information given by D:r GERSTECKER regarding the 
difference in food and manner of life between the larvae of 
