66 MR. R. SHELFORD : THE BRITISH MUSEUM 



abdominal segments does not greatly vary. Consequently the systematist is 

 compelled to fall back on the venation of the tegmina and wings in his efforts 

 to discriminate between the species ; but this resource fails in the case of 

 these particular amber iiiclusa, for their tegmina are pressed closely to the 

 body and the merest vestige of one wing is visible. I see no object, then, in 

 giving a name to a s^oecies wdiich may be, for all I can tell to the contrary, 

 identical with some modern representative of this very difficult genus, and 

 which it is impossible to describe in detail. As a matter of fact, these 

 amber specimens look veiy like rufous specimens of the modern West African 

 Anaplecta chicta, Gerst., but very probably their wing-venation is totally 

 different. 



The following is a description of the specimens : — 



Rufo-castaneous. Antennae fuscous, not quite so long as the body. 

 Pronotum transversely elliptical, its lateral margins hyaline. Tegmina with 

 lateral margin in basal half hyaline ; discoidal sectors longitudinal. Sub- 

 genital lamina (^) triangular, apex notched, ( ? ) semi-orbicular. Cerci 

 testaceous. Legs testaceous, femora weakly armed. 



Total length 5 mm. 



ISCHNOPTERA PROVJSIONALIS, sp. n. 



Two females, Nos. 1 13764, 1 13766. 



llufo-testaceous. Head with vertex not covered by anterior margin of 

 pronotum ; a castaneous band between the eyes. Pronotum trapezoidal, 

 posteriorly produced slightly ; disc indistinctly marked with castaneous. 

 Tegmina and wings barely exceeding apex of abdomen. Tegmina with 

 radial vein simple, 15-17 costals, 7 longitudinal discoidal sectors. Outer 

 margins of the abdominal sternites and disc of subgenital lamina blotched 

 with castaneous. Subgenital lamina semi-orbicular, ample. Cerci short. 

 Front femora armed on anterior marsin beneath with a few long and strong 

 spines, succeeded distally by shorter spines ; remaining femora moderately 

 armed. 



Total length 15-16 mm. 



This species presents so exactly the facies of those African species of 

 Ischnoptera typified by Isclinoptera himaculata, Gerst., that I have no 

 hesitation in determining its generic position, even though the truly diagnostic 

 character of the genus afforded by the Aving-venation is not visible. I am 

 less satisfied that the species is really distinct from all modern African 

 species of Ischnoptera, and until the male sex is discovered I fear that this 

 must remain uncertain ; the females of this group of the genus resemble 

 each other so closely that their separation into species is excessively difficult 

 even when the entomologist has fresh, pinned specimens before him. The 



