50 MANBIBULATA. NEWtOl'TERA. 



the trophi are placed ; the latter variable in the different genera ; antennae 

 setaceous^ inserted between the eyes, and somewhat approximating, com- 

 posed of numerous articulations, the basal one being largest, the remainder 

 generally distinct : head transverse ; eyes prominent ; thorax with the 

 anterior segment occasionally very short, but sometimes ample ; wings 

 sometimes wanting, or four, either uniform in appearance, or very dissimilar ; 

 body elongate-conic, or subcylindric ; legs generally long and slender ; tarsi 

 long, five-jointed, slender. Metamorphosis unknown. 



This family contains only two British genera, thus distinguished: 



.(4te 4, subsimiles, incumbentes, reticulatffi : . . .2. Panorpid^. 



nullffi, aut rudimentes : . . . . .1. Boreid^. 



Family I.— BOREID.E mild. 



Wings none, or only rudimentary ; ocelli wanting ; prothorax, or collar, ample ; 

 ahdo?nen obtuse at the apex in the males; furnished with an ovipositor in 

 the females. 



The ample prothorax, combined with the almost total absence of 

 ■wings, obtusely terminated abdomen in the males, as well as the 

 presence of a peculiar ovipositor in the females, sufficiently indicate 

 the distinctions of this family, which consists only of one indigenous 

 genus. 



Genus I.— BOREUS, Latreille. 



AntenncE approximating at the base, rather long, filiform, composed of more 

 than twenty joints, the basal one of which is broad and the terminal conic ; 

 head nutant; thorax ample, its first segment or prothorax large and uneven; 

 the two following, or meso- and meta-thorax short, each furnished in the 

 males with a pair of slender wings, above half the length of the abdomen, 

 and resembling an awl, the apes recurved and ciliated ; and in the females 

 with a pair of short scale-like appendages ; abdomen robust, cylindric, and 

 obtuse at the apex in the males ; somewhat acuminated at the apex in the 

 females, and furnished with a triarticulate ovipositor, having a bilobed valve 

 beneath; legs long and slender, simple in both sexes. 



The characters of this genus are sufficiently indicated in the ob- 

 servations appended to the family Boreidas, so that it is unnecessary 

 to repeat them : the only British species is found in the winter season 

 under moss, stones, &c., and appears to be rather extensively distri- 

 buted : its metamorphoses are unknown. 



