366 [September, 



should be noticed. The head is carried almost hidden by the pro- 

 jecting anterior margin of the pronotum, i. e., the dorsal plate of the 

 first thoracic segment. The dorsal plate of the second is the meso- 

 notum, aud that of the third the metanotum ; the three corresponding 

 ventral plates being respectively the pro-, rneso- and meta-sternum. 

 The venation of the upper wings (called, for convenience, elytra) is of 

 importance. It is simpler in this Family than in the Acridiidce (q. v.), 

 and simpler in Ectobia than in Phyllodromia and Periplaneta. The 

 elytron of P. americana (fig. 2) may be taken as an example ; and 

 here from before backwards the named veins are— the mediastinal (wa), 

 contiguous at the base with the radial ; the radial (r), arising at the 

 base and giving off branches, the position and complexity of which 

 form useful generic characters ; the anterior ulna (a u), and the 

 posterior ulnar (p u). In Ectobia (fig. 1) there is only one ulnar 

 vein, and that arises from the radial and not from the base. Lastly, 

 there is the dividing vein (d), this is the " vena dividens " of Brunner, 

 and the " vena analis " of Fischer. It curves outwards and down- 

 wards from the base to the posterior margin, the curve of which is 

 always changed where the vein joins it. This also applies to the wing. 



In the under-wings are seen corresponding veins, but the portion 

 of the wing behind the dividing vein is very much larger than in the 

 elytra, and when at rest, the insect carries this part folded longitudi- 

 nally. In Ectobia there is a curious dilated hyaline area at the apex 

 of the wing (fig. 1, a, ar), this is rather the dilated extremity of a 

 long area which runs up to the base of the wing, and is crossed by a 

 few transverse veinlets, which vary in number and position in different 

 specimens. It is situated immediately above the dividing vein (d), but 

 at the apex of the wing part of the hyaline area is below the dividing 

 vein. Brunner calls this " campus apicalis triangularis ;" and to avoid 

 confusion I have called it the apical area, though perhaps ulnar area 

 would be a better name. The drawing has been very carefully made 

 under the microscope by Mr. Gr. S. Saunders. The narrow basal part 

 of this area is partly filled up by a vein arising from the base , and 

 terminating about the middle, and the area is folded when the insect 

 is at rest. 



The femora of all the British Elattidce have spines beneath, though 

 this is not the case with the continental genus Heterogamia ; and the 

 tarsi are 5-jointed, and without a cushion between the claws. 



The extremity of the pronotum gives several important characters. 

 The dorsal plate of the last segment of the abdomen forms the supra- 

 anal plate, and also bears two jointed processes, the cerci. The last 



