OF INSECTS. 319 



of the mouth, will he sufficient to distinguish them. 

 But it has been recently shown, that two minute 

 appendages, attached to the sides of the mesothorax, 

 may he regarded as representing anterior wings; 

 these have been named pseudelytra, or prebalanciers. 

 The structure of the other parts will be well under- 

 stood from the dissections on PL XXXIII. which we 

 have taken the liberty to copy from Mr. Curtis' Brit. 

 Ent. as they are the most satisfactory that have come 

 under our observation. The head (E) is broad and 

 sessile, with a triangular projection in the centre ; 

 eyes lateral, globose, and formed of few large facets ; 

 antennae with more than one branch (F 1, and G) ; 

 palpi (H) large and two-jointed. The prothorax 

 and mesothorax (I and K) are very short, being 

 narrower than the head ; the mesothorax (D 6), on 

 the contrary, is large and long, and produces a large 

 scutellum (D*), which projects over the abdomen, 

 the latter composed of 8 or 9 joints, and somewhat 

 incurved at the extremity. In Stylops the anterior 

 wings appear as represented at K 9. It is on ac- 

 count of their twisted appearance that the name 

 Strepsiptera (from tfrgg-vjy/g and Trrsgov) has been ap- 

 plied. The hinder wings, or what may be regarded 

 as the only wings, if we consider their function, are 

 very ample, folded longitudinally like a fan, the ner- 

 vures remarkably fine (L 10). The legs are short 

 and compressed, without spines, the tarsi (which are 

 four-jointed,) having each joint furnished with a 

 pubescent membrane (K 8*), claws wanting. 



Rossi was the first who observed one of these 



