254 



MR. B. m'LA.CHLAN ON A SYSTEMATIC 



lower cubitus is confluent with the postcosta in all the wings ; 

 but in the posterior wings it is scarcely distinguishable from 

 the ordinary veinlets, and its position is only indicated by a 

 slight geniculation of the cubitus : anterior pair with an ex- 

 cision at the extreme base of the inner margin ; not appen- 

 diculate. 



Antenna much shorter than the wings, nearly straight; club 



nearly orbicular or truncate. 

 Eyes with the divisions nearly equal, but varying; sometimes 



the divisional groove is scarcely evident. 

 Thorax scarcely villose. 



Abdomen moderate (in typical forms) ; appendices wanting. 

 Legs with the spurs of the posterior tibiae about equal to the 



first tarsal joint (or slightly longer or shorter). 

 Hah. Australia (typical forms), Polynesia, Malayan archipelago, 



Africa. 



This genus should be restricted to the Australian forms re- 

 presented by S. flavipes and its allies. But I have made it a sort 

 of " refuge for the destitute," and have placed in it several species 

 from Africa, &c, that appear to show more affinity to the ty- 

 pical Australian species than to any other group, so far as can 

 be ascertained from present knowledge, acquired ordinarily from 

 an examination of one sex only. Under Suphalasca, Lefebvre in- 

 cluded a multitude of discordant forms; and Hagen (Stett. ent. 

 Zeit. 1866, pp. 460, 461) arranges under it (among others) all the 

 American species of Eambur's genus Vlula, between which and 

 the Old-World forms there is really no relationship ; his cha- 

 racter, "postcosta simplici," will not strictly apply to Supha- 

 lasca, or to any Old- World group. 



[See my 1 Introductory Eemarks ' (p. 229) for reasons which 

 induce me fco think that the genus Stilbopteryx (Myrnieleonidce ?) 

 may be related to Suphalasca.'] 



Species. 



I arrange the species geographically, as follows : — 

 Australia. 



1. S. flavipes, Leach. (Ascal. flavipes, Leach, Zool. Misc. i. p. 48, 

 pi. xx. — Bubo flavipes, Ramb. Nevrop. p. 357-) Antennae nigricantes, 

 basi et ante clavam flavae. Frons flavus, cano-villosus. Vertex ni- 

 gro-villosus. Thorax flavus, supra utrinque niger, infra nigro-varius. 



