OF MAICDIBULATA. 425 



them, to be correct. M. Latreille, in consequence of a 

 late most elaborate examination of them, comes to the 

 following conclusion : " Les Chalcidites et les Chrysides, 

 tribus de ce dernier ordre (Hj/menoptera) sont les seuls in- 

 sedes dont le thorax, par Censemble de ses rapports piiisse 

 etre compart a celui des Rhipipteres. C'est encore vers la hy- 

 menopttres pupivores que nous rameiient d'autres caracttres 

 de ces denners insectes, leur manihe de vivre et riiabitude 

 de sautiller." A naturalist, therefore, judging, as I now 

 do, of the situation of an insect which he has never had 

 an opportunity of examining, cannot be far wrong when he 

 in this manner unites the opinions of three persons so di- 

 stinguished in the science as MM. J urine, Latreille and 

 Kirby. 



M. Latreille, however, reviving another of the neglected 

 observations of Degeer, finds two epaulettes, as he calls 

 them, attached to the anterior and dorsal extremities of 

 the second segment of the thorax in Lepidoptcra ; and on 

 account of this solitary resemblance deems the Strepsi- 

 ptera to be situated between the Ilymenoptera and Lepi- 

 doptera. There is certainly eveiy reason to think him 

 right in imagining the elytra of Xenos to answer to these 

 epaulettes in Lepidoptcra, and to the tegulos in Ilymen- 

 optera ; but as l^europtera, Dipt era, &)C. appear also to 

 have similar thoracic processes, although under different 

 forms, we may perhaps be enabled to set its proper value 

 on this as a single character sufficient to establish an affi- 

 nity. No other character, I may venture to say, will ever- 

 bind a Strepsipterous insect to the Lepidoptcra. 



I have little doubt, moreover, of the elytra of Coleopiera 

 being still the same epaulettes or tegulse under a diflferent 

 form ; and this belief is grounded on the fact that the 



