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Order IV. 

 NEUROPTERA. 



J.HE Order Neuroptera is composed of in- 

 sects with four naked, membranous, and reti- 

 culated wings. There is one exception how- 

 ever with respect to the number, the Ephemera 

 having but two wings instead of four. The 

 wings are in most instances nearly equal in 

 size, that is, the first pair are hardly longer or 

 broader than the second, though in some cases 

 the lower pair are much the smallest ; and in 

 the Ephemera, as has been just observed, they 

 are wholly wanting. For the most part they 

 are very large, and widely extended ; naked, or 

 covered with fine scattered hairs, very different 

 in their form and arrangement from the little 

 close and imbricated scales, which entirely 

 C 2 



