Discrimination of the Species of the Genus Stylops. 117 



delicate texture of the whole body, that no representation of a 

 dried specimen is of much use in attempting to determine the 

 species ; for it is quite certain that the form which many of the 

 parts of the insect will assume in drying, must in a great measure 

 be accidental. 



Having made a drawing of my fresh specimen, I was anxious 

 to ascertain the species, for which purpose I consulted the 

 following authorities : — from Kirby's description and figure I only 

 derived the satisfaction of confirming my opinion, that I possessed 

 an undoubted species of Stylops ; but found it impossible to 

 ascertain whether mine was the Stylops Meliltce or not. 



The Stylops Childreni, figured in " Griffith's Animal Kingdom," 

 is from Nova Scotia ; still having the opportunity of examining 

 the typical example, in the Museum collection, I compared mine 

 with it, and found that it very closely resembled it, but is dis-p 

 tinguished by a marked characteristic difference in the form of the 

 antennae. The engraving of aS". Childreni gives a very indifferent 

 idea of the insect, the relative proportion of parts being very 

 defective. 



Stylops Kirbii, is figured by Sowerby in the " Zoological Mis- 

 cellany," the typical specimen being in the Museum collection ; 

 this figure bears very little resemblance to the insect, the thorax 

 is badly drawn, and no one on examining the insect would imagine 

 the figure was intended to represent it. 



Stylops aterrima, of Newport ; figured in " The Linnaean Trans- 

 actions," of which I possess the typical specimen ; this is a very 

 poor figure, —in one respect, the worst that has appeared ; that 

 part which is represented in the figure as the abdomen, is in fact 

 the metathorax ; the scutellum is represented, but it has to answer 

 for metathorax as well as itself; the true abdomen, in the speci- 

 men, is crumbled up and lies beneath the metathorax. On a 

 careful comparison of my recently captured specimen with the 

 typical one of 5. aterrima, I believe them to be the same species. 



Stylops Daiti; this is figured by Mr. Curtis in his usual beautiful 

 and correct manner ; making a little allowance for the shortness 

 of the abdomen from shrinking after death, I have seen no figure 

 to be compared with it ; the details are also admirable. There are 

 two specimens of this species in the Museum, presented by J. C. 

 Dale, Esq.; I have therefore compared my insect with them, and 

 I have come to the conclusion that they are identical ; it will 

 therefore appear, that on a comparison of specimens, 1 have 

 arrived at the conclusion that probably they are all of one species ; 

 the figures indeed are widely different, but with the exception of 



