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NATURAL ORDERS OF INSECTS. 



By W. J. Lucas, B.A., F.E.S. 



Those who are interested in any group of insects coming 

 within the Neuroptera {sensu lato) will welcome Dr. Sharp's pro- 

 nouncement in last month's 'Entomologist' on an arrangement 

 of the Natural Order of Insects that falls in line with present- 

 day opinions. At first sight the list seems somewhat revolu- 

 tionary. A second glance, however, shews that the changes 

 from the well-known nine are really slight. They are mainly 

 two : (1) Breaking up the old Neuroptera into the parts, which 

 everyone who has had to do with them has always recognised, 

 and which many have long been accustomed to consider distinct 

 orders. (2) Placing together and giving ordinate rank to three 

 groups of apparently degenerate, but at any rate distinct, insects, 

 about which perhaps further may be learned in the future. The 

 old Aptera comprising the first three orders in the new list 

 differ so much from one another that probably if they had their 

 due they should be still further subdivided; but their numbers 

 are so few that in practice this is unnecessary. For the orders 

 containing normally winged insects it seems well to adopt names 

 ending in ■2Uera if possible ; perhaps it might be wise to do the 

 reverse with the rest. This could be done with very little 

 change in nomenclature, except in the case of the Siphonaptera 

 and Odonata. 



THE DRAGONFLIES OF EPPING FOREST IN 1909. 

 By F. W. & H. Campion. 



Notwithstanding the deplorable weather, we collected during 

 the past season as many as fifteen species of Odonata in the 

 Epping Forest district; none of these, however, were new to our 

 local list. It will be noticed from the following remarks on the 

 species observed that exceptionally late dates were recorded for 

 Pyrrhosoma nympkida (August 15th), Agrion puella (September 

 12th), Corduiia cenea (August 4th), Erijthromma naias (August 

 4th), and Anax imperator (August 15th). 



(1) Pyrrhosoma nymphula. — Immature specimens were met 

 with plentifully on May 9th, at which time females preponderated 

 greatly over males. By May 23rd pairs were flying in couple and 

 ovipositing. Teneral individuals occurred as late in the season 

 as June 13th, and the species continued in flight until Aug. 15th 

 at all events, on which date an aged male was taken. This is 

 the latest date for P. nymp)hula within our experience, although 

 we have previously taken it in August (August 1st, 1904). The 

 form of the female named fulvipes was taken on May 9th, 16th, 



