PANORPIDAE 451 



division of the true stomach. The particulars given by these 

 two anatomists as to some other parts of the internal anatomy 

 are very discrepant. 



The Panorpidae form a small family of only nine or ten genera, 

 two or three of these being exotic and only imperfectly known ; 

 the three genera found in Europe are composed of very curious 

 Insects. The scorpion-flies Panorpa proper are very common 

 Insects, and have received their vernacular name from the fact 

 that the males have the terminal segments elongate and slender 

 and very mobile, and carry them curved up somewhat after the 

 fashion of the scorpions (Fig. 294). It is said that Aristotle was 

 acquainted with these Insects, and considered them to be really 

 winged scorpions. 



A second European genus, Boreus, is still more peculiar ; it is 

 destitute of wings, and has the appearance of a minute wingless 

 grasshopper ; it is found 

 from late autumn to early 

 spring in moss and under 

 stones, and is said to be some- 

 times found disporting itself 

 on the surface of the snow : 

 the female of this Insect 



r Fig. 295. -Borei^s/a'emaZiSj female. Dumfriesshire. 



The writer has found this 



little creature in Scotland among moss in November, and under 

 stones early in March (Fig. 295). The third European genus, 

 Bittacus, does not occur in our islands, but is common on many parts 

 of the Continent ; the perfect Insect has a great resemblance to a 

 Tipula, or " daddy-long-legs " fly, and attaches itself to the stems 

 of ' grasses, and preys on flies ; according to Brauer it has the 

 peculiar habit of using the hind pair of legs as hands (Fig. 296), 

 instead of the front pair, as is usual in Insects. This remark- 

 able genus is widely distributed, and species of it are found even 

 in the Antipodes. A species inhabiting caves has been mentioned 

 by M'Lachlan.^ 



The early stages of the Panorpidae were for long unknown, but 

 have recently been discovered by Brauer: he obtained eggs oiPanorpa 

 by confining a number of the perfect flies in a vessel containing 

 some damp earth on which was placed a piece of meat ; when 



1 Ent. Month. Mag. 1894, p. 39. 



