56 Prof. Schaum on the Systematic Position 



tention [Introd. vol. ii. p. 393], although he had only examined 

 dried specimens) ; it is coriaceous and destitute of veins, like an 

 elytron. Such a structure of the anterior wings stands in the 

 most complete opposition to the most essential character of the 

 Neuroptera. 



With this structure of the fore wings, the hinder pair of 

 course constitute the sole organs of flight in the Slrepsiptera. 

 In the above-mentioned ' Handbook ^ (p. 79), the agreement in 

 the radiate venation of the posterior wings is indeed adduced as 

 an argument in favour of the position of the Strepsiptera among 

 the Neuroptera, "only that in the Strepsiptera this occurs still 

 more decidedly and clearly." Neither in their development nor 

 in their venation, however, have the posterior wings any analogue 

 among the Neuroptera; but they find one in the Coleopterous 

 genus Atradocerus, as indeed has already been correctly indi- 

 cated by Westwood in his classical work, the * Introduction to 

 the modem Classification of Insects' (which is still the only 

 good introduction to the study of special entomology). The 

 radiate arrangement of the venation is indeed characteristic of 

 the posterior wings of the Coleoptera in a far higher degree than 

 of those of the Neuroptera. 



Before we pass to the development of the Strepsiptera, we have 

 still to glance at the arguments that have been adduced in 

 favour of their position with the Neuroptera, and the objections 

 which have been raised against their union with the Coleoptera. 

 In the above-mentioned ' Handbook of Zoology ' (p. 79) we find 

 " the family (Strepsiptera) by its essential characters " (perhaps 

 the nature of the anterior wings) "naturally approaches the 

 Neuroptera, and among these especially the Phryganidse. With 

 the latter it agrees in the structure of the prothorax, which never 

 occurs among the Coleoptera, in the elongated, free anterior and 

 middle coxse, the rudimentary buccal organs, of which the 

 maxillae are amalgamated with the labium, as also in the radiate 

 venation of the posterior wings, only that the latter is more de- 

 cidedly and clearly marked ; this relationship is further proved 

 by the branchiiform respiratory organs discovered by Newport 

 on the abdominal segments of the larvae of Strepsiptera.'^ 



The Strepsiptera are therefore appended to the Neuroptera, 

 not because they agree with that order in their chief character, 

 the nature of the fore wings (which is rather in complete opposi- 

 tion to the above-cited diagnosis of the Neuroptera), but because 

 they are supposed to agree in some secondary characters with a 

 family (Phryganidse) which is referred to the Neuroptera. Of 

 these secondary characters, the radiate arrangement of the vena- 

 tion of the posterior wings has already been indicated as cha- 

 racteristic of the Coleoptera. Branchiiform respiratory organs 



