224 MR. II. m'lachlan on a systematic 



Eepagula elongata pediinculata, subcliaphaua, rufesceutia. Larva 



— Abdomen ovale, eoinplauatum, scabrum ; pectiues utriuque 



decern atro ciliati, anticis duobus (alarum rudimentis ?) curvis." 

 And at p. 511 we are informed that " by tbe term repagula 

 (barriers) Mr. Gruilding designates certain attendants on tbe 

 eggs, which lie conceives to be without analogies in the animal 

 creation. They are curiously placed in ci-cles, and always on 

 the extremity of a branch, so that nothing can approach the 

 brood ; nor can the young ramble abroad till they have acquii*ed 

 strength to resist the ants and other insect enemies. The female 

 may be seen expelling from her ovary these natural barriers 

 with as much care as her real eggs." Typical examples of the 

 perfect insect are contained in the Oxford Museum, witli young 

 larvaj ; and I imagine it is one of the latter that Prof. AV^est- 

 wood figures in his ' Introduction,* fig. G3, 20. It is much to 

 be regretted that no one since Gruilding's time has described the 

 metamorphoses of American species of the family. The allies of 

 his species are common enough in some parts of America, and a 

 species so closely related as to have been considered identical is 

 fouiul ill ilm Soulh(»rii SlaUw; why, Ukmi, doi^a not soinn Ame- 

 rican entomologist give us some information respecting the ex- 

 traordinary barriers by whicb the eggs &c. are protected ? 

 That these are not present in Old-AVorld species is certain, so 

 far as observations have gone. If the barriers also "protect" 

 the larvae till they have acquired suflicient strength to protect 

 themselves, one is tempted to ask on what these feed in the 

 mean time ? 



In the ' Verhandlungen der zoologisch-botanischen Gesellachaft 

 in Wien,' for 185i, pp. 403-471, and 1855, pp. 479-482, Herr 

 Brauer, so well known for his biological researches on various 

 Neuroptera, records his observations on Ascalaplius macaronius, 

 with explanatory figures. According ta him, " The perfect in- 

 sects fly only in the sunshine, very high in the air during calm 

 weather ; their flight resembles that of Zygcena among the Lepi- 

 doptera, but is steadier. In the morning, and in cold rainy 

 weather, they sit on stalks of grass with the wings folded roof- 

 wise. They are then diflicult to see, because they notice each 

 movement of the observer, and turn slowly round the grass-stem, 

 so that they alwa^'s maintain the same concealment. The time 

 of flight begins at the end of June, and lasts until the middle 

 of August. Pairing takes place during flight. The male seizes 



