374 MK. R. m'lachlan on -the 



these singular insects, and subdivided the genus Embia (instituted 

 by Latreille in 1825) into three, viz. JEmlia, Oligotoma, and 

 Olyntha, each containing a single species, all that vs'ere known at 

 that time. Forty years have elapsed since the publication of that 

 paper ; yet even at the present time thfe number of known species is 

 very small. In 1837, only the larval (or absolutely wingless) form, 

 and the fully developed insect had been observed ; there remained 

 a gap to be filled up. The analogy of the group with the Termites 

 made it evident that the metamorphoses (or, rather, the partial 

 absence of metamorphoses) were the same in both ; yet the penul- 

 timate stage, in which the creatures should have abbreviated wings, 

 remained to be discovered this has only just been done, and under 

 very singular circumstances. 



Quite at the end of last year Mr. W. H. Michael, of High- 

 gate, an extensive grower of exotic orchids, discovered that a 

 large mass of Saccolohium retusum, purchased from a London nur- 

 seryman, was apparently being damaged by some insect ; and ex- 

 amination revealed the presence of numerous Embidae on the 

 roots concealed in silken tunnels. He visited the nursery whence 

 they were obtained, and found there more examples, including a 

 winged insect which was unfortunately lost. In the ' Gardener's 

 Chronicle,' for Dee. 30, 1876, Mr. Michael gave an account of the 

 discovery, illustrated by magnified figures (of which I shall pre- 

 sently have more to say), and accompanied by notes by Prof. 

 Westwood in which a doubt was implied as to the damage to the 

 orchids being occasioned by the Erabidae. In a subsequent num- 

 ber of the same periodical I gave a few notes in which I stated 

 that Prof. Westwood's doubt appeared to be well founded. How- 

 ever, the sequel proved, tolerably to my satisfaction, that the 

 insects had eaten the roots to some extent ; but I still think that 

 some old wounds on the plants, attributed by Mr. Michael's gar- 

 dener to them, had resulted from other causes. About the same 

 time I received from a mutual friend (Mr. W. A. Forbes) a well- 

 grown larva, but showing no traces whatever of rudimentary 

 wings. But the figure puzzled me much. It showed what ap- 

 appeared to be short rudimentary metathoracic wings, but no 

 tTace of the mesothoracic pair. I am of opinion that this pair had 

 been accidentally destroyed, and that the figure give the first 

 indication of the " nymph " stage in the group. On th 24th of 

 January of this year I received a note from Mr. Michael's son 

 with the information that " we have just discovered three JEmbia 



