MR. n. m'LACHLAN on the ASCALAPIITBiE. 219 "' All Attempt towards a Systematic Classification of the Family AscalaphidcB. By E. M'Lachlak, E.L.S., Sec. Ent. Soc. [Read May 4, 1871.] Fon some years I have been collecting materials with the hope that T might some day publish a monograph of this interesting Ncuropterous family ; but the difficulty of defining the limits of species, owing to their innate tendency to variation, and the ab-sence, in many cases, of one sex, prove to me the impossibility of, at present, writing an exhaustive work. Collectors generally have paid very little attention to these insects ; and without an exami-nation of an extensive series from diiferent localities, a safe generalization on specific forms could not be attempted. I have therefore drawn up the present paper as a sketch of my present knowledge of the family, and as an assistance to myself and others in investigating it. A glance may here be taken at the progress made in the study of these insects. Linne, at the time of publication of the 12th edition of the 'Systcma ISTatura),' knew of only two species, which he placed with Mynneleon. A few years previously, and afterwards, such competent entomologists as Scopoli and the authors of the ' Wiener Verzeichniss,' deceived by external form, described two of the gay-coloured South-European species as Papilios. The genus Ascalapltis, which is synonymous with the family as it now stands, was instituted by Eabricius in his ' Systema Entomologia^.,' in 1776, and at the time of publication of the second volume of the 'Entomologia Systematica,' in 1793, he indicated six species, and one more in his ' Supplement ' in 1798. For a long time the progress was scarcely evident, Bur-meister, in 1839, in his ' Handbuch der Entomologie,' enume-rates only eighteen species as then known to him. In this work is what was probably the first attempt at dividing the old genus Ascalaphus into sections ; and Burmeister in one instance indi-cates a divisional name {Raploglenius), which has since been adopted for a genus. In 1842, Lefebvre, in Guerin's ' Magasin,' made the first essay at a generic splitting-up of Ascalaphus, and divided it into ten genera, under the names Ptynx, Azesia, Amoea, Thele-proctophylla, Proctarrelabris, Ascalaphus, Hyhris, Acheron, Orphne, and Suphalasca. This short paper shows great research and an lilNN. JOUnN. — ZOOLOGT, VOL. XI. 16
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