Vol. XX vi] ENTOMOUXSICAL NEWS 345 



to the "LoGMtbdae** and Gryllidae. The fact that the "Acridii- 

 dac" Gryllidae and "Locustidac" are all saltatorial should have 

 no great weight, for on this basis, we would have to group to- 

 gether the flea-beetles. Psyllidae, and any other forms which 

 happened to have developed the power of leaping. The salu- 

 torial habit is a purely physiological one, and should not have 

 the weight of a fundamental structural resemblance, as will 

 be elsewhere diictissed. 



There is apparent in many Phasmids, particularly the 

 tropical forms from India, etc., a marked tendency toward the 

 development of (or the retention of) an ovipositor, and forms 

 such as Phasmodrs and Zaf^ochilus seem to indicate a rather 

 close relationship between the (fryllid-"Locustid" group (which 

 is an ovipositor-beartng one) and the Phasmidae. ()n the 

 other hand, forms such as Thmtma (specimens of which were 

 kindly l(>ane<l me by Mr. Caudell) seem to point to a relation- 

 ship between the I'hasmidae and the PlecopCera-Dermapteron 

 group, and hence with the Grylloblattidae. The relationship 

 lK*tween the I*hasmidae and Grylloblattidae. however, is more 

 direct than through the mediation of the Plecoptera-Dermap- 

 teron group, and, in all probability, the Phasmidae and Gryl- 

 loblattidae arose from very similar ancestors. 



On the other hand, the Phasmidae and Mantidae are very 

 closely related, and I must confess that the complicated inter- 

 relations of these lower groups is a very puzzling feature. 

 Thus some Mantid-like forms such as Mantoida are very Neu- 

 ropteron-like, and even resemble the aberrant Panorpid 

 Merope. This, however, may be explained by the fact that 

 the Neuroptera, Plecoptera (Dermaptera, etc.), Mantidae, 

 I*hasmidae. etc.. all sprang from very similar (ckwely related) 

 ancestors: and it is therefore to be expected that mutual re- 

 semblances would be retained by some members of each group 



The Psocidae are regarded by many recent investigators, as 

 very near to the Isoptera and Plecoptera (with the Embiidae) 

 — and therefore to the Grylloblattidae. I do not entirely agree 

 with this view, however. The Neuroptera have departed but 

 little from the ancestral group whence sprung the Trichoptera 

 and Lcpidoptera. the Mecoptera, Diptera and Siphonaptera, 



