MADEIRA AND THE CANAET ISLANDS. 151 



insects) is now in the British Museum, having been presented to 

 that Institution some years ago by this Society. 



From that time up to 1815 I find no reference to Neuroptera 

 from the island ; but in the latter year there was published ano- 

 nymously at Haddington a curious little book called ' The Tra- 

 veller's Guide to Madeira and the West Indies :' it bears no 

 date on the titlepage ; but the preface is dated " Jan. 1815." 

 Speaking of Dragonflies, the author says " there are several 

 kinds, and the largest sort 3 inches long" (Anax formosus in all 

 probability). 



In Bowdich's ' Excursions in Madeira and Porto Santo,' 1825, 

 p. 169, we find a reference to an "uSSschna approaching grandis, 

 and greatly resembling the species figured by Eoesel, t. 2, Insect. 

 Aquat. tab. ii. fig. 1." Eoesel's insect is j^schia cyanea of modern 

 authors ; and there can be little doubt that the species observed 

 by Bowdich was likewise Anax formosus. 



In 1812, Eambnr, in his ' Histoire des Insectes Nevropteres,' in- 

 dicates Agrion pumilio from Madeira (p. 278), which reference we 

 find reproduced in De Selys-Longchamps and Hagen's ' Eevue 

 des Odonates d'Europe,' 1850, p. 181; and at p. 396 of this latter 

 work is a reference of the occurrence in Madeira of Lihellula 

 striolata, Anax formosus, and Agrion madercs (Eambur, MS.) in 

 addition. 



Harcourt, in his ' Sketch of Madeira,' published in 1854, alludes, 

 at p. 125, to " several kinds of Lihellula.'''' 



In De Selys-Longchamps and Hagen's ' Monographic des Gom- 

 phines,' 1857, p. 138, is a reference to a species of Gomjjhus, x^hich. 

 still remains doubtful. 



In vol. xii. of the ' Linutea Entomologica,' published in 1858, 

 we find notices by Hagen of two species of TermitidsB, viz. Calo- 

 termes prcecox(^. 51), received by Wollastou from Heinecken, and 

 Termes lucifugus (pp. 178-179), with interesting accounts of the 

 habits as observed by Hartung. 



When AVollaston first left England for Madeira in 1847, it was 

 probably with the hope that he should not be compelled to i-evisit 

 the island for health's sake. As is well known, this was not to 

 be ; and on the occasion of his second visit he resolved to collect 

 materials for an ' lusecta Maderensia,' remaining throughout the 

 year for that purpose. This work was published in 1854, so far 

 as the Coleoptera were concerned ; but the author abandoned the 

 idea of a general Insect Fauna of the islands, and his materials 



