LIBRARY OF 1885-1056 A monoc;rapii MEMBRACID/E C^xS In compliance with current copyright law, the Etherington Conservation Center produced this replacement volume on paper that meets ANSI Standard Z39.48-1992R (1997) to replace the ir- reparably deteriorated original 2000 A MONOGRAPH MEMBRACID.-E GEORGE BOWDLER BUCKTON, E.R.S., F.L.S., F.C.S. TO WHICH IS ADDKD A PAPER ENTITLED SUGGKSTIOXS AS TO THE MEANING OE THE SHAPES AND COLOURS OF THE AH^MISRACIU/E IN THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE i:i)\VARI) B. POULTON, D.Sc, M.A., Hon. LL.D. (Princeton), F.R.S., &c. NATCKA MAX I HE MIRANDA IN MINIMIS LONDON LOVELL REEVE & CO., LIMITED PUBLISHERS TO THE HOME, COLONIAL, AND INDIAN GOVERNMENTS 6 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN 1903 PREFACE Dr. Samuel Johnson remarked "that every author assumes that he can impart something to the public, and that if he fails to excite interest he lias no real cause of complaint to make against fair criticism." But the importance of a subject cannot always be gauged by the interest it excites, for originality consists in breaking new ground and exploring untrodden paths. This is the aim and object of the ))ioneer. Tlic activity of this age tends to the extinction of many species of high interest to the zoologist. Wild animals and insects become rare, and perhaps they may entirely disappear. The present volume, though admittedly incomplete, is offered partly by the assistance of its portraiture and partly as an invitation to others to stud}' the economy of a remarkable family of insects. Their unique forms will give the microscopic student much food for thought, and repay liis investigations as to their economies. Those who use the camera lucida in conjunction with the microscope are well aware that, with its signal advantages, the j^rism has defects, so far as exact drawing is concsrned. The projection of the image of an object must proceed from a single point, consequently the outer limits of aiield of view, seen through a prism, to a small extent will be unduly expanded on the paper used for drawing. The object, say of a flower or an insect, is not seen all on the same plane, and the eye must accommodate itself by practice to allow for the different foci adapted for different depths. Again, an insect, if small and unset, must have its limbs lore-shortened, and then the drawing may not appear to be symmetrical. Allowances will thus be made by critics, who may complain of a want of proportion between the two sides of some drawings. This defect might be cured by the engraver, but this correction cannot be expected of him, whose task is often strictly to reproduce the figures set before him. vi PREFACE. Witli respect to colour-representation, it must be remembered that some liglit is always lost by transmission through prisms and lenses. Enlarged figures of insects are liable to appear with less contrast than when seen of their natural size. It is not easy to concentrate sufficient daylight on an object, and artificial light, unless it be that from electricity, tends to obliterate delicate shades of blue and green. The author offers his best thanks to those, both at home and abroad, who have generously assisted him by loans of insects. Except through the good help given by others, tliis monograph would have lost whatever scientific value it may now possess. Amongst these efficient helpers have been the Rev. Canon W. VV. Fowler, Uv. W. L. Distant, Mr. W. F. Eosenberg of Ecuador, Mr. Rippon, Mr. E. E. Green of Ceylon, Mr. J. O. Tepper of Adelaide, Mr. Chas. Lounsbury of Cape Town, and Dr. C. Aurivillius of Vienna. Particularly the author's thanks are due to Mr. W. F. Kirby, of the British Museum, for his assistance in overlooking proofs, and suggestions. The author also feels under great obligation to Professor E. B. Poulton for his valuable chapter on " Suggestions as to the Meaning of the Shapes and Colours of the Membracidte in the Struggle for E-xistence." Finally, for tlie interest shown by the author's daughters in the subject, for the apt resetting of small insects more suitably for drawing, and for other assistance, the author expresses his affectionate recognition. Freedom of thought is a necessary condition of all scientific inquiry, which amongst other considerations includes the intricate problems of biolog3\ Modern reflection more and more gravitates to the ancient postulate of a benevo- lent Creator of all material and vital energy. Lord Kelvin remarks, " that there is nothing between absolute scientific belief in a creative power, and the acceptance of a theory of a fortuitous concourse of atoms. ... It is absurd to think that lapse of time could produce a living animal, much less the miracle of human free-will and thought." Evidence of purpose appears through the pages of this memoir. The author hopes that in it something may be found which will add to our knowledge of nature, and tend, in Lord Bacon's words, "to the Glory of God and to the relief of man's estate." CONTENTS Preface BiooRAPuicAL List of Titles ok Memoikes cited Sketch Tables of Oeneua Tables of Genera Introduction Classification External Anatomy Plate A and ]:)escription Plate B and Description Membracid.k Suh-Family Membracin.k ,, HoPLoPiioitiN,*; ,, Darnin.e . „ Smiliin.e . „ Oextrotid.e Suggestions as to the Mean IN the Struggle for Index to Genera and Speci Index to Subjects Plates 1 to GO with Descriptions Shapes and Colours of the Af Existence, by Professor Poulton 83 lOG 150 273 287 205 BIOGRAPHICAL LIST OF TITLES OF MEMOIIIES CITED (I.e.). Amyot and Serville Atkinson, E. T, Bolivar . Burmeister Butler, A. G, De Geer, Car Fabricius Fairinuiro Fallus . Fowler, W. W Genuar . Coding, F. W Gu6rin . Hope Kirby, W. F. Laporte . Latreille Linnteus Mei-ian . Olivier . Pertey . Riley, Chas. . Say Scheller, H. J stai StoU . Walker, F. Westwood, J. W. . Ilemip. Hist. Nat. des Insects, 1843. Indian Rhyncotii, Jour. Asiat. Soc. of Bengal, 1885. Easai sur les Aeridiens. Gaid. 1887. Handb. der Entom. 1838. Cistula Entom. L'histoire des Insects, 1778-1783. Syst. Rhyngotorum, 1787. Ann. Soc. Entomol. de France, 184G. Revue d'Entom. 1890. Biologia Centrali Americana, Rhyn. Ilemip. vol. ii. I8'J1. Silberman's Revue Entomol. 183;"). Ti-ans. Canadian Ent. Soc. vol. xix. 1892. Icon R6gni Animal, 1829-1843. Linn. Soc. Trans. 1825. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1829. Ann. Soc. Entom. de France, 1832. Hist. Naturelle Hemip. 1802. Illig. Zool. 1833. Systema Naturaj, 1755. Insec. Surinam, tom. v. Entomologie (8 vols.). Paris, 1789. Del Ausen Arl. Brazil. Reports. Insect Life, vol. v. Jour, of Acad. Natur. Sein. Philadelphia. Drie Membracid. Surinam. Tidschript. Entomo. Nederland. Kongliga Swenska Vetruskaps Academ. Handlengar, 18G9. Hemiptera Africana, vol. iv. 18G4. Ofvers Kong. Vet. Aka. Fiirh. 18G9. Representation des Cigalles, 1787. Plates. List of Hemiptera in the Brit.. Museum, and Supplement, 1851. Insect Saundersiana. 1858. Modern Classification of Insects. 1839. SKETCH TABLES OF GENERA. Remaijlk dichotomous tables of genera are of great help as giving a short cut to the identification of species ; but such tables must be used with caution, for it is impossible, within small limits, to do more than direct study into certain lines, founded on characters which, after all, may not prove to be natural. Linnajus modestly met the objections made to his classifications that they were not natural, " that he was willing to adopt such a natural system, when it was found, and that it would be preferable to his own artificial system " ; which in the instance of botany was based on the sexes of plants. His words in extenuation of his own incomplete- ness of knowledge in natural tilings, I may be allowed to quote, as addressed to Dr. Haller, of Gottingen, in 1737 : "If you detect any mistakes of mine, I rely on your superior knowledge to excuse them ; for who has ever avoided error in the wide and extended field of nature ? ... I am still a learner, not learned."* The following tables are constructed primarily on the forms of the pronotum (which in the Centrotidse are thought to be distinctive), and secondarily on the character of tlie suprahumeral processes. The neuration of the wings is not here considered, as it appears to be too vague from its variability, though Sta.1 and also Dr. Goding have studied the characters. My figures have been drawn simply as they appear under the miscroscope, and without the trammels of any hypothesis to modify them. * Sir J. E. Smith's "Correspondence of LinnKus," vol. ii. p. 234 et seq. EXPLANATORY KEY TO THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE FOREGOING GENERA. I 1 I Oeiitruchoides Leptocentrus , Ophicontrus Tricoceps /Uentrotus Uauipylocentrus 1 Gnamptocontrus Spluurocentrua \Pedalion il' 2 J Rabduchus .9 1 Oeraon . Oxyrhacliis . Daunus . Bextius . Pterosticto Megaloscbema Otiiiotus Centrotypus . Ibiceps . Taurina ' ^ ■{ Smerdalea Pyramba Pogon . Otaris . 5U G 53 5 57 1 56 8 55 7 55 8 50 1 5G 4 57 8 58 5 58 C 59 1 EXPLANATORY KEY TO THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE FOREGOING GENERA— conlinued. M H Ischnocontrus Phrerotus Psiloccntrus . Phaulocontrus Mrerops Gargara Emphusis c^ W g J Platycentrus ^ ^ a\ Tolania Brachybelus Tolania 6 CHARACTERS OF POSTERIOR HORN. A. Ulnate. F. Rectilinear. B. Arcuate. G. Uncinate. C. Sinuate. 11. Subulate. D. Dentate. I. Calcate or spurred. E. Clavo- serrate. J. Obsolete. CHARACTERS OF SUPRAHUMERALS. Plate Fig. Plate Fig. . Approximate . 49 3 /. Conate .... . 56 7 b. Truncate . 50 3 ff- Divaricate, wide apart . . 55 5 3. Arcuate, bowed . . 53 5 h. Clavate, clubbed . . 51 2 I. Palmate, flattened . 5i i J- Subulate, awl-shaped . . 52 8 ?. Falcate, scythe-like . 55 1 k. Auriculate, eared . ;. . GO 1 MONOGEAPH MEMBEACIDiE INTRODUCTION. One of the glories of Creation consists in tlie infinite variety therein displayed. In the department of Biology this diversity is nowhere better shown than in Ento- mology, in which form, colour, and adaptability of structure are subjects of the highest interest. Tlie family Membracidte here illustrated, will in novelty nowhere yield the palm to other insect groups. The great divisions of the insect-body into head, thorax, and abdomen, have in the Homoptera each their own special abnormal develop- ments, which may be exemplified by the gigantic head of the lantern fly, Fidyora laternaria, the extraordinary contortions and expansion of the thorax in Heteronotus bicinctiis, and the inflated bladder-like abdomen of the Cicada, Cj/sfosovia saundersii. It has been thought that the larger part of the animal matter of this globe is locked up in insect forms. Few, indeed, consider how these comparatively small animals are so much concerned in liuman economy. Out of the two hundred and sixty thousand insects already named, eighteen thousand are Hemiptera or bugs, and of these insects the Hoinopterous Membracidse are somewhat important in point of number. It is computed by Mr. W. F. Kirby that up to 1898 inclusive, about one thousand one hundred and fifty species have been noted or described, and this number might be probably doubled with safety, when we con.sider our ignorance of the sub-tropical parts of many regions of the world. The question may be asked. Why are we so ignorant of these curious forms ? This may partly be answered by the fact that what we call extraordinary develop- ments of parts are to be noted in some inverse ratio to the magnitude of the living forms, and therefore interest in certain small forms cannot be excited through the naked eye, but recourse often must be made to a lens or a microscope to elicit suflicient interest in them. 2 ME.UBRACFD.E. The Irisbinan's apology for the smallness of his pig, that " he is very wicked," may be permitted for the Membracid;e, for this quality, so far as appearance goes, may be urged as a point of interest, for many are grotesque if not diabolical in appearance, and might suggest some of the gruesome shapes represented by the Italian painter Orgyia, in the famous frescoes of the Campo Sancto of Pisa. But the J^ritish neglect of this family is also due to tiie fact that it is exotic. Most scientific biologists up to the present have been European in birth, and obviously those objects close to liand would come first under tlieir observation. Tlic lirilliant colours of tlie Initterlly and the metallic hue,", of the humming-bird easily secure their votaries, wliilst tlie sombre colours of Hemiptera are in great measure neglected by many entomologists. Times of little things are, however, at Iiand. " Natura de minimis admiranda.'' The microscope is indispensable tor the study of bacteriology, and for tracking the spread of malaria through the agency of the gnat's proboscis, or, again, the occurrence of Filaria and tiie parasite of Tsetse in the blood of animals. The larger Membracidte do not exceed two English inches in the expanse (tf their wings, but tlie snuiller forms call for the use of a good lens to show the peculiarities of their structure. If we could give the Membracidaj a bad name, some interest in the family might be excited, but their characteristics on the economical side are chiefly negative. They possess no bad odour, for they show no stink glands, which are the objection- able marks of many Hemiptera. They do not irritate animals by their skin- punctures, for they are exclusively vegetable feeders. They are not in sufficient numbers to distress the agriculturalist by doing injury to his crops, though Professor Riley says Cercsa hulxthift injures the potato and the apple in certain parts of North America. Some of those who may inspect the plates of this monograph may feel an inclination to laugh at the grotesque outlines shown b}' species typified by Splton- gophonix redicidiis, but these forbidding aspects belie their life-history, so far as we know it, and thus the porcine wickedness, hinted at a few sentences in advance, has yet to be proved by the field-naturalist, who has much, however, to teach us as to the habits and economy of the Faniilj-. In a more serious mood the student may remember that the Hemiptera, perhaps more than any other insects, are connected with the welfare of the human race. If their natural enemies were withdrawn, man's starvation would ensue from the us' famous binomial system of nomenclature was fully adopted. Consequently the figures given in Stoll's Representation des Ciyules et des Punaises are not easily identified with insects of the present day, though the coloured copperplate figures are carefully executed, and the descriptions are good so far as they go. Fairmaire's Reinie is important. It is accompanied with five plates in plain outline, which characterise the genera and some of the species he describes and tabulates. Dr. Fairmaire had temporary possession of the rich collections of Alaximilien Spinosa, and of Professor Germar of Halle. He studied also the cabinets of Messrs. Signoret, Serville, and Lefebvre. Professor Westwood lent him many " especes tres curieuses " which had been collected from the East Indies and parts of Mexico. In great measure I rely on the synonomy furnished by so great an adept as Dr. Fairmaire, in those cases where a personal comparison of species has not been attainable by me. He represents the Membracidie as being all Phytophagus. They leap with great facility, and they can also use their wings for short flights from tree to tree. Some live in communities, whilst others form smaller groups, their location being much 6 MEMBRAGID.-E. governed by the character of the vegetation, the substance of wliich tliey puncture for the juices required for food. At present the early life-history of the family is obscure, and we are ignorant even of the metamorphosis of the only three or four European species which represent it. The natural position amongst insects is that between the trimerous Cicadida?, and the Circopidse, or Frog-hoppers. The Membracidaj have been supposed to supply the place of Aphida? in semi- tropical countries, but this is hardly true, for communities of both families can be found spread over the same areas of country. Their geographical range is wide, for the species affect not only countries which are subject to great cold; as is found in Canada and the North of the United States, but they are numerous under the tropical heats of Brazil, the Amazons, and Ecuador. The more temperate regions on the slopes of the Himalaya, and the high grounds of Central Africa, are also rich in examples. 'J'he extraordinary and striking forms of S/jhoiir/op/ioriis clavatn-s, Boci/dium glohularis and Umbonia spiiiosa were known to Linnanis, to Stoll, and Coquebert. William Kirby and William Spence perhaps first suggested tlie theory of protective disguise, as an explanation of the lichen-like, fungoid, and thorny exteriors of these species, and of many of the examples contained in these genera.* The works of Garolus Stal are numerous and scattered, but they lose much of their value as they are without figures. His tables are often obscure in their defini- tions. Thus such ternis of qualification as sjepissime, levissime, und raro paullo, should be as far as possible rejected, as bewildering to the searcher. His work on the African Membracidse in Vol. IV. of the " Hemiptera Africana," 1S()4, however, appears to be our best guide at present to these insects of that Continent. These species in great measure belong to the Centrotidie and their allies, which are the last to be treated, in this monograph. A number of species are named by Mr. Francis Walker, and are preserved in the cabinets of our National Museum. Some are type specimens, single and unique. In great part they are more or less sufficiently described in " Walker's List of Homoptera in the British Museum," but some of these I have not been able to figure here. Mr. Walker added several new and good genera to the family of Membracidse. Canon W. W. Fowler's monograph, above alluded to, is the most important memoir that has occurred uj) to present date. It is profusely illustrated by coloured plates. Had it not been confined to the insects of one portion of the world only, * Kirby and Spence, Intro, to Ent., vol. ii. p. 182, fifth edition, 1843. MEMBBACIDjE. 7 it might have served as a conveuieut text-book for the student, except for its cost ; and from the fact tluit it cannot be obtained separately, as it forms part of a long series of volumes on Central America, and is attainable only by a kw. These considerations may be accepted as some apology for the appearance of this present monograph. Before closing this sketch o)! the classification of Membracida', attention should be drawn to a synoptical scheme proposed in 18U2 Ijy Dr. F. W. Goding, relating to tlie ITomuptera of North America. He takes the six sub-families adopted by Stal, commencing with Ceutrotina) (in which the yl<]thalionin;e are included), and placing Membracinffi the last but one of the grouj). His scheme is in great measure based on the structure ot the alary organs. Measurements of the delicate wings, such as half the length of the tegmen, are difficult to verify without dissection. In such cases we must accept authority for a genus, wliilst unable perhaps to prove the conditions necessary for its identification. After all, the neuration of the vvings in this family, taken by itself, does not well arrange the grouping. What may seem to be a closely allied genus may show a diverse venation of tegmen. Supernumerary areas and transverse nervures may be the results of degradation of the typical organs or due to a slow development. We may assume that the constancy of neuration is in proportion to its simplicity. We have little difficulty in deciding to what section a winged aphis belongs, but as to Membracid£B, Canon Fowler remarks : " The complex characters of this family make the genera difhcult to observe, as they run very closel}' one into the other, and it is hard to draw the line anywhere." l)r. (joding, in his paper above noted, gives us help towards grouping the difficult sub-family of Centrotinre. At present the confusion of genera is great, and the synonymy involved. He holds out to us some hope that in a future memoir he will clear away some of these intricacies. Amongst other recent and living authorities may be mentioned Dr. Handlirsch, Dr. Aurivillius, Dr. Ganglbauer, and M. Severin. In India the Membracidie are well represented; at least, the late excellent Entomologist, Mr. E. T. Atkinson, assures us " that new forms of Jassidie and Membracida' exist in great profusion in that country."* He published valuable memoirs on Rhynchota. In 1898 the biological committee of the British Association f decided that, before any zoological term can be recognised, generic or otherwise, it must be, or must * See Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal, Notes on Indian Rliynchota. IMenibiacidiv, No. 3, vol. liv. 1885. t See International Congi-ess at Cambridge Report, p. 288. g MEMBRACIDyE. have been, published and clearly defined. This decision obviously will reduce the- value of many so-called species if known only under what may be designated as " cabinet names." Apposite to this, some remarks may be permitted as to the use I have made of the specimens contained in the Natural History Collection in the British Museum at South Kensington. I understand that the collection of Membracida% at the date of this monograph, remains under Mr. Francis Walker's arrangement, except so far as this has been modified by Dr. Butler. The printed works of these authors are of course to be relied on as authoritative, whilst other undescribed labelled insects must be considered only as cabinet or provisional names. In the same way, it will be understood that the labels on specimens in the Hope collection at Oxford do not necessarily imply more than the opinion of Professor Westwood or others who labelled such insects. The author of this monograpli also only states his belief, that his descriptions conform to continental or other types, in cases where he has not personally examined them. EXTERNAL ANATOMY. Before commencing the diagnosis of species it will be well to touch shortly on the general external anatomy of the MembracidsB. It will be the task of the expert microscopist to deal with the internal organs, when opportunities offer for investigating the tissues in the supple conditions of recent life. The integuments of insects are generally composed of three layers. The outer one is usually smooth, shining, and apparently structureless. With care it may be separated from the others by maceration. Mostly it is colourless and semi-transparent, but it may be perforated by small' holes near the seats of hairs or their follicles. Beneath this delicate layer or epidermis, there is a soft stratum, which is the location of the brilliant colours seen developed in many Coleoptera and Hemiptera. The third and thickest layer constitutes the dense corium, in which the bulbs of the hairs are fixed ; the sculpturing and apparent punctuation in the surface of many of the Membracidse are chiefly caused by the thinning down of this tough layer. This punctuation may be well seen when the pronota of genera like Umbonia, Hemiptycha, &c., are viewed by transmitted light under a microscope. The remarkable spines of these insects have no bulbous origin, but are hollow^ MEMBBACIL^E. ff- tubes rising directly from the surfaces, and occur of all sliapes and sizes. If broken ofl", they leave clear apertures in the integument. Being filled witli air, they do not impede the movements of the insect, as tliey would do if solid. The chitinous parts resist the action of caustic potash solutions, and tlius they behave quite differently from the substance of skin, feather and horn.* Ingenious speculations have arisen as to the elimination of carbon by insects through their respiratory systems. Some have thought that the curious chitinous excrescences of beetles and other insects partake of the nature of excrementitious matter thrown off by the trachete. As this matter is assumed commonly after the time of pupation it might be thouglit that the waste matter accumulates, from the inability of the young imago to tlirow it off, and that the growths take place from the centres of least resistance, branching into forms like those of Sphongophorus. Tracheal sacs however are common in many larviu, where no free carbon is eliminated, and it is difficult to regard the grand framework of the Coleoptera and the MembracidjB as derived from mere waste product. The exact composition of chitin is yet obscure. After the soit parts of insects have been removed by solution in dilute caustic potash, the remaining part nia}'^ be readily bleached by a few drops of hydrochloric acid into which some small fragments of potassium chlorate have been thrown. Mounting in Canada balsam then will dis- close many details not otherwise visible. The large pronotal processes of Membracidse must seriously affect the stability of the insects duing flight, but as all the specimens I have examined show the.se processes as hollow chambers, the wings have less work to do to keep the insects poised in horizontal positions. The formation of pattern by stain in the substance of chitin is of great interest, but the question involves too many questions for consideration in this place. Why pattern should be so constant in some genera, and so variable in others, is as yet very obscure. Patches of white or of colour appear in some Membracidoe to be due to a peculiar felt-like surface resembling fine flannel. This is a growth on the chitinous coat. It appears on the wings of many Cicadidse and Fulgoridse, and is quite distinct from the scales on the wings of the Lepidoptera. In the first mentioned families many genera might easily be mistaken for moths or sphinges. In Centrotus and Pterygia, &c., amongst the Membracidse, this adherent pile is often scattered in isolated patches with pronounced pore marks, like black spots in white ermine. The Head. — As a rule the head is not large. It is mostly prone, that is, it is so sloped, that. the insect looks downwards on the twigs which support it. * See Batailloii on Chitin, Bull. Sci. France Belgique, xxv. 1893, p. 18. 10 iimiBBACIDJ^. Tiie front is triangular in shape, its surface may be smooth, punctured, or pilose. At the cleft base a short proboscis is articulated. The compound eyes are large, usually hemispherical, and studded with minute facets. The two ocelli are almost always visible as bright spots placed between, or a little below, the line joining the e3res, not on the gulre or cheeks, as is commonly seen in the Fulgoridfe. When these Membracidre are viewed as it were in profile, the lower part of the front of the head, being flattened, appears as if the insect was beaked like a bird. The vertex is rarely visible, as it is more or less covered by the pronotum, or at least it is only separated by a suture, without any neck to connect it with the thorax. The prone, or the more or less perpendicular aspect of the head, with reference to the anterior part of the pronotum, is a good character to consider. T/te Antennce. — These organs are remarkably small and inconspicuous. Whatever function they fulfil in other insects, the sense they develop must be very obtuse in the MembracidPB. The fact that they cannot be found on many specimens in our cabinets does not however prove that in the living insects they may not exist. The large Cicadidte show them only as fine bristles, and in the family at present under consideration they are still further degenerated, or are obsolete. In the species which best show them, they consist of two larger basal joints, articu- lated to the lower part of the front, and terminated by a long and fine bristle. Plate I, Fig. 6«, represents these organs behind the clypeus of Xerojjhijlhnn acrvillei , and Plate I, Fig. la, indicates their position under the ocelli o^ Memhrads JJ areola and Umhonia spinosa. Tlie Eostnnii. — The form of this organ does not essentially difler from tiiat of the Fulgoridce. It is short, and when at rest, folded between the first and second pairs of legs. The two joints enclose three setfe or bristles, which are often seen protruded. These piercing organs are shown on Plate A, Fig. 8, which represents the mouth-parts of Umhonia orozimbo. The labrum in its position may l)e seen in Plate I, Fig. 3. M. fasdata. The Ei/es and Ocelli. — The compound eyes are large, and usiuilly protuberant. The facets are small, and the hemispherical mass is sometimes sunk in a sort of cup with a rim or edge. The two ocelli are almost always present, and are visible as bright spots between the e3'es, at varying distances. Some authors have used their position for the diagnosis of species, but as there is mueh uncertainty in judging their distances, the character is not used in this memoir of the family. Occasionally the eyes are lenticular or bean-like, or in form somewhat hooked. See Aconophora, Plate A, Fig. 2. T/ic Thorax. — As is usual in the Homoptera and other insects, this segment is MEAfnnACIDJ'J. 11 divided into three parts, eacli witli its adjunct of wings or legs, but of these three parts, by far the most remarkable is the region of the pronotum, which often \f developed into the most fantastic shapes and excrescences. The Prunolum may be conveniently sub-divided into four, though there are no corresponding sutures to mark them anatomically. These are (1) the j\ [do indium, (2) the Proci'jihalon, (3) the Dursinii, and (4) the Posterior process. 1. Metopidiiiiii. — Canon Fowler describes this first part as " the declivous part of the pronotum, reaching from the base of the head to the front of the dorsum." It often rises perpendicularly or vertically for a space, and may then develop a long ])orrect or horizontal horn, as in Polyglypta, or develop into a vertical style, simple or branched, as in Stylocentrus, or it may form a convex curve, joining or running from the dorsal ridge, as in Enchenopa. •1. The Procephalon is the portion above this metopidium just described. It is variable in form, and may extend ])ackwards as a horn to the posterior apex, or sometimes it may branch into five or more curious balls or bullte, as seen in Bocydium. The anprn-liiiiiieral processes occur above the insertions of the wings, and when seen from the dorsal aspect, are divergent, wide apart, or appear as sharp thorn- like processes of various shapes. They may be broad and flattened at their tips, strongly serrated, carinated, or else rounded. They are not always present, in which case the pronotum is smooth, as in Darnis and Stictopelta. 3. The Dorsum comprises the ridge from between the supra-humeral processes (shortly called the siijjra-humerals) to the region of the tail. Sometimes, as in Membracis proper, Ceresa, etc., this dorsal ridge is strongly convex and without any processes ; but in other species the dorsal ridge may rise into very grotesque shapes. It may be contorted into almost amorphous masses, as shown in Sphongophorus. In considering a species it will be well to note whether these pronotal processes are truly cephalic or dorsal, and if they prove to belong to the latter, attention may be called to whether the horns or tubercles are single or double in character, smooth or reticulated, clavate, etc. The dorsal portion of the pronotum may also occur straight and horizontal as in Aconophora, it may be blown up as it were into bulbs as seen in Sphongophorus, or it may be raised into wart-like masses as in Pterygia. In Umbonia and Triquetra the dorsal processes occur in the form of lai'ge recurved thorn-like projections, which well represent the prickly parts of shrubs or bushes like our own wild briars. Horny and strong, even red in colour as if bloody, they would suggest the propriety of careful handling, if the insects were ranged in a row on a stem, as on a bramble-stem. 4. The Posterior process is continued often to the tips of the tegmina, and it 12 MEMIUIACIDjE. generally ends in a sliarp black point. It may be curved downwards as in Ceresa, or straightly prolonged as in Polyglypta. It may be twisted as in Opliiocentrus, or expanded into a sub-triangular flattened blade, like a ship's rudder, as in Pedalion. Briefly it might be almost thought that through some convulsive action, these insects had been permanently fixed in catalepsy, and had thus perpetuated their species in the form of a menace to tlieir enemies. The pronotum, as before noted, is the most highly developed part of the thorax in the Membracidiie, but although so superior in size its uses as thus expanded can only be the subject of conjecture. In Heteronotus the globular masses are very large and filled with air, so most probably they are connected witli the respiratory system. They may be looked upon as analogous to the remarkable head-developments of the lantern flies, Laternaria, and the snouts of Pyrops. From such examples as I have examined after maceration in water, I have not been able to detect distinct trachea? on the inner walls of these hollow balls, though there is an indication of such vessels. The proof's of their presence and import can only come from dissection of recent or living forms. The laminated pronotum of Membracis proper is easily seen to consist of two layers or sheets of chitin, united at their outer edges, and widening below as a cavity to embrace the body above the dorsum of the insect. The pronotum is almost always pitted by shallow depressions or punctures. These do not seem to be perforations, but they permit the light to pass through them as bright dots when suitably jjlaced on the microscope stage. As a shell this part of the thorax may be sufficiently large to cover the whole of the tegmina. Generally the head and the eyes are also so wholly covered by it, that they cannot be seen from above. Much may be learnt by the use of a lens directed towards the front of the insect, in which position numerous outline drawings have been made, to represent the head with the procephalic processes and the supra-humeral horns. The contour of these parts is of much assistance in deciding on the genus and species of an insect. The whole of the above complex development of the pronotum is practically united into a single piece, which can be easily detached from the head and body of the dry insect, the point of articulation being marked on the mesothorax beneath by a sort of crescentic articulation above the great lobes which operate as attachments for the muscles of the tegmina and wings. The pronotum has often a kind of septum near the posterior end, which completes the enclosing walls of these curious air-chambers. The Mc'soiiotum and the Metanotmn, so obvious in other insects, are in the Membracidse concealed, but their pi'esence maj'^ be easily shown by removal of the sheath of the pronotum. MEMBIIACID^E. 13 Tlie inesonotuin then appears to be composed of two shining chitinous lobes or bullre, which form the attachments internally of the bundles of muscles which move the alary organs. These oval convex protuberances may be seen in Umbonia spinosa and U. orozimbo. Also in Meiiibraces tectiyera and M. alia.; see PL A, Figs. 6, 11, 12_ These processes are quite independent of the pronotal sheath. Above them there is a smaller shining lobe, the significance of which is not so obvious, but it occurs in otlier insects. The crescentic process lor articulating the pronotum may be seen in PI. A, Fig. 10, and in profile in Fig. 0. Also the situation of the septum above noted Fig. 1 3 d. The Scalellinii. — This portion of the thorax is very little developed in Membracidso, though in the allied Jassida; it is often very visible and obvious. In the Membracidsc it can rarely be seen, though always present. This obscurity is due to the great development of the pronotum, which entirely covers it, except in the subdivision CentrotidiB, in which case the pronotum is either raised above it by a clear space, or else the pronotum is very short, and but little developed. The scutellum in insects has by no means the same anatomical importance as the other great divisions of the thorax, for no special organs like wings or legs proceed from it. It thus proves a valuable help in the identification of species, for it seems to be a rule, that the less specialised a part of an insect is, the more constant it is in form, for it is not necessarily modified by the requirements of organs attached to it, and their adjuncts. When the j^ronotum is fbliaceous in form, as in Membracis, and thus composed of two distinct layers, the representatives of the mesonotum and the metanotum can be easily seen, and the same may be shown by the careful removal of the large thorn- like sheath of the pronotum in Umbonia. In these cases, viewed from the back, the pronotal attachment occurs as an angular process near the head, and below this three considerable bullae, or shining, horn-like protuberances mark the attachment of the internal muscles which work the tegmina and wings. Under the last of these bullae the scutellum may be found lying above the first segment of the abdomen. In Umbonia sjjinosa this is figured in profile, Plate A, Fig. 6. In Membracis alia, Plate A, Fig. 10, it is seen from above. Though never large, the scutellum is uncovered in the Centrotidee. Perhaps it has its greatest development in the genera ..^thalion and Tolania. Many Centrotidae are conspicuously marked with a white triangular patch near the middle of the pronotum, which may or may not represent the scutellum. The spot is covered with a shining felt or velvety, pile-like substance. This structure however 14 MEMBBACIDyE. appears to belong more to tlie pronotum than to the scutellum proper, and ought therefore to be ineluded in it. Although the scutellum is said to be exposed in all Centrotidte, the tegmina in almost all cases so cover it that it only comes into view when the alar organs are expanded for flight. The Slenium and Us Paris. — The thoracic-parts of Membracidpe show no particular diversity of form, each portion being indicated by the seats of articulation for the legs. No voice organs similar to those of the true Cicadidse are present, and the insects appear to l)e mute as to producing sounds except by a faint buz/Jng.* T/w Tcf/iiiliui or E/i/lra. — Difficulties in homologising the wings of the Hcmiptera have been long recognised. The neuration of the upper and lower wings is always different. The tegmina of the Hemiptera Heteroptera are usually quite simple in their venation, but the tegmina of the Homoptera are often very complex, as may be seen in the fine network of Fulgoridfe (lantern flies), which is almost as delicate as that of the Neuroptera. The tegmina of the Membracidre follow the general rule in insects, that the upper wing is the largest. Exceptions to this rule however are to be found in the Orthoptera, where there are many specific cases of an entire absence of elytra, in which event the lower wings become very large and efficient. Wing neuration presents great difficulties where we find variation not only in the species of the same genus but also in the different sexes. There are peculiar obstacles to the stud}' of the wings of Membracidse. The pronotum is so large that in some cases it quite encloses them, and they can only be unfolded, in dead specimens, by the removal of this part of the thorax. The pronotum, moreover, is not cleft as we see in most Coleoptera, but consists of one hard piece, soldered to the shoulders, and it is only then possible for the insect to open its wings after a depression of the abdomen. Characteristic notches are then provided in the shoulder edges for the insertion of the wings, and so as to allow them to have free play. Dr. Loon Fairmaire, Dr. Goding, and Canon Fowler have given detailed notes and outlines of neuration in many species of Membracida;, and I have gladly availed myself of their help. A review of the outlines I give to represent the neuration of the wings and tegmina will show their very diverse characters. Scudder and others have laid much * The Cicadidre in Surinam are called Schaarslijpers or shear-grindei's, doubtless from the noise of their chirping. No noixe, however, has 3'et been detected from the Membracid.T, though these insects are allied to the Fulgoridm and Cicadid.'e, MEMBIIACID^E. 15 stress on tlie importance of tliese veins for classification in the families of insects. Otliers like JJrauer, consider the alary organs to be of secondary importance. In this monograph I have employed the alary characters more as a help in diagnosis, tiian made any attempt to found generic distinctions upon them. In some families of Homoptera the comparative simplicity of wing frame-work is of great value, and it can be relied on, as in Aphis and Coccus. In Cicada, and also in Fulgora, Jassus and Membracis, the neuratiou, taken alone, will be ibund insuilicieut for sliarp separation into genera. T/ii' Jiadifil NervKi-es. — The membranous part of the alary system is divided into two portions, separated by a suture which mayor maynot be strongly marked. The upper part or corium is outwardly bounded by the costal nervure, which with the cubitus below forms the chief frame-work on which the wing is built. Insensibly the costa unites with the apical nervure, bordered by the delicate membranous fold forming the limbus in many, but not in all species. For convenience of nomenclature I count four chief radial nervures, which may proceed straight to the apex of the tegmen. These may be forked, to inclose additional areas or cellules of the tegmen. The first radial is the costal. Those following are named the second or cubital, the third and fourth radials. These are succeeded by the sutural fold. One radial may be connected with another by short transverse nervures, Ijut these are not considered as furcations, for they do not directly run to the margin. The lower margin forms the claval suture or bend, which enables the insect to fold up this part of the tegmen in small compass under the pronotum. It is not always easy to trace this sutural fold in the expanded wing, but it is olten shown by a kind of notch in the apical membranes. A radial may be twice furcated, which of course will increase the number of the alar areas enclosed. 2'he Tra/isoerse Ncrviiren. — Tliese are short connections between the longitudinal ribs of the wings. Their variable number, according to the genus or even the species of the insect, renders a satisfactory nomenclature difficult. These short nervures moreover are not alwaj's constant in a series, and sometimes they abnormally appear double. On this account, and the tendency shown in some genera of Membracidte to develop these transverse nervures in curves, rather than in straight lines, less reliance can be given to the wing-neuration for generic diagnosis than is available to most other insects. Examples of such difficulties may be instanced in Ceresa, Cyphonia, and Bolbonota. It may here be noted that in the Membracidse the wings, when folded and at rest, are usually carried pent-wise as in Aphides. Thus the costa is seen below the MEMBRACID^. lower edge of tlie jn'onotum. Often the greater part of the flying apparatus of tlie insect is covered up. In Darnis and Stictopelta the costal parts are the only portions visible. The j\lcmbranouii Areas or Cellules. — The substance of the tegmina is very varied in character. In some genera it is dense and horny, in others corrugated, striated, or punctured wholly, or in part. Other species show thein clear, hyaline, or fumose. A few like Lycoderes, have developed bright colours and banded marks. The tegmina are protections to the more delicate true wings folded under them. Generally the tegmina are terminated at the apical ends by a broad border ratlier thinner than tlie rest of the substance, and finely crumpled or corrugated. This is the limbus. It is not always developed, though its presence is the rule. T/ie Jpiccil Areas. — The number of these cellules has been used by several authors as a help to the generic distinctions, but it is not always clear what designates an apical area. I have figured a tegnien of Hoplopliora 2^eriiisa as being a somewhat common and large species, the lettering of whicli diagrammatically will show what I mean, when the number of cells is noted in the diagnosis of species. The apical areas are all bounded by the limbus, or else by a peripheral nervure, and by one or more portions of the radial nervures. The cubital area, F, called by some the embolium, may be coriaceous. It is bounded by the cubitus and the costa, but often it is inconspicuous. The other areas, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (5 being present only in some genera), are contiguous, and succeed each other till the claval or anal suture is reached. The inner areas sometimes are complete to the base of the tegmen, and are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd discoidals figured as A, B, C. There may be a supplementary cellule which is subcubital. If there be a basal area D, in the tegmen it will be situated close to the union of the radial nervures, but there is confusion in the nomenclature. I may cite Fairmaire's conclusion that Polyglypta has three basal cellules, whilst Fowler gives an outline of the tegmen of Polyglypta, with what I consider to be one large basal area with four apical and one discoidal cellule. In Hoplophora pertusa I count only one basal area. In Darnis and Membracis there is no basal cellule. Except for specific purposes, the plan of wing-neuration breaks down. Even the species of a genus may here vary one with another. MEMBRACID^E. 17 When practicable I have given outlines of venation from the insects described, but I append a sketch plan to show what is meant by the nomenclature used in the diagnosis. The cubitus may be forked, and this shorter brancli may be forked again, as seen in Membracis. The question is, should the area enclosed by the first furcation, bounded by the tine apical nervure, be counted as a subcubital area, or the first apical area? I jjrefer to call it apical, and tlius Membracis will have five and not four apicals. The area marked X I call the sutural area. Where there is no subcubital the first apical would touch the cidjitus, but it is difficult to form a rule for all genera. The Wuiyti. — A few words will suffice as to the neuration of these more simple organs, which are smaller than the tegmina, and are folded behind them. Usually, as in Uinbonia, they have broad corrugated outer margins of delicate membrane. The base gives off from four to five radials, enclosing petiolate areas, with angular cross-veins connecting the first with the second, and the second with the third main veins. In this manner four, five, or more apicals, two discoidals, and three anal cellules may be formed. The variations are numerous, as shown in different species. The subdivisions of the membrane are not easy to describe in words, but some cellules may be seen drawn on the plates to follow in the diagnoses. The Abdomen. — In Hemijjtera, and, still more, in Homoptera, there is difficulty in determining the exact number of the abdominal somites, or rings. This in great part is due, at least amongst the Homoptera, to the whole or partial overlapping of the mesothorax with its scutellum and the smaller metathorax below it. Again, it is not yet decided how many segments are theoretically comprised in the development of the genital apparatus of the sexes. The female of jMcmhracis mewicana has clearly nine segments, the last of which constitutes the pygofer of Keber and other authors. In Aconophora ten may be counted, whilst in Umbonia, perhaps, there are eleven somites. The stomata or spiracles are ranged in a row on each side of the abdomen, but they are not easily seen, unless the insect is bleached and mounted in Canada balsam. They are not protected by pleural or lateral folds as in some other Homoptera like Aphides, which often show them guarded by the connexivum. The stomata in Membracis are six in number, but probably the normal abdominal number should be seven, in addition to three others on the thoracic portions. As a rule the abdominal parts of the males are flatter and smaller than those of the females. The females are robust and deeply ringed, the last segments being often the broadest, and developing the genital valves from the under side. c 18 MEMBEACID.E. Tlie Membracidpe are not cliaracterised by the noxious odours common to many bugs. Tlie orifices to their supposed stink glands have been confused with the true storaata, with which they have no connection. The demon-like forms of some Centrotidse might be thought to be sufficiently deterrent, without the adjunct of a vile odour. The Genitalia. — It has been pointed out that what are called secondary characters (that is, those less important to an animal's economy) are those the least likely to undergo change when the animal is persistently forced into new conditions of life. Tliey keep their functions, but they may be modified in form. What may be called the plastic organs arc those obviously the most liable to be affected, and thus it happens that tliey do not readily lend themselves to generic classifications. So it is that wing-neuration often breaks down where most it is wanted, and sexual characters which might seem well suited for separating genera, fail us from their wonderful adaptability to altered conditions. An insect may be winged or ajjterous without losing otherwise its general distinctions; or this character ma}' affect only one sex. This is true also of the external sexual organs of insects. Modifications are produced which do not impair the primary functions. Ovipositors, stings, and piercing saws in the females may be answered by elaborate chispers, styles, and long intromittent appendages in the males. The diversity of form and tlie aptitude for variation appear in these organs to be an embarrassment rather than an assistance in classification. Authors have more or less successfully described and figured the sex-organs, but up to the present time much is left to be done, before genera can be founded, or based on the singular forms assumed by these parts in species. The external genitalia of the Membracida3 do not however greatly differ in form from the allied Jassidte and Cercopidoe, but perhaps they are less complex. The female parts are represented by six pieces — W2>., two valves, two inner rasps or sheaths, and two sword-like blades, but slightly serrated, and without any marked ovipositor. We may infer from what is known of Tenthredo tliat there is some alternating action in these saws, and that grooves are cut in bark or rind into which the female inserts her eggs. The field naturalist here might help us in showing this part of the life economy of these insects.* The males in many species have the lower parts of the ninth abdominal segment produced into a pointed process, whilst the upper part develops two lobes, which fall one on each side, as in most other males of Homoptera. * An interesting account of the habits and the oviposition of Ceresa bubalus, by C. L. Marfatt, may be founrl in N-. ], vol. vii. of " Insect Life," Washington, 1804. The subject will be discussed when that .species is described later on in this monograph. MEMBRACID^E. 19> Besides tliese parts, there are often stales supenidclcd and used for tentative or retaining hooks. (PI. B, Figs. 1 to G.) The females are furnished with more or less developed lateral valves, which enclose the ahove-nientioncd cutting hlades, and these most plaiidy distinguish the sex of the insect. A good deal of interest i.s connected with the peculiar attitudes taken by insects during their courtship. The antics of spiders and ants have been well described, but no biologist has yet told us how the apparently inconvenient pronotal horns and thorns of the Membracidai (mostly confined to the male sex) are arranged during the union of the sexes. In insects, as a general rule, the male during nuptial flight is carried by the female. There are, however, examples in which the contrary action obtains, and oucli i'eats may prove to be impossible in cases where the thorny backs and the branching serrated processes of both male and female must make the position untenable. The clasping apparatus of the last ventral ring leads to the supposition that the smaller but more brilliant partner is trailed ignominiously in the rear. Subsequently the female looks out for a suitable nidus for her eggs, which appears to be an absorbing occupation. The male organs of the Centrotidie are somewhat more complex and modified than those of the Membracidie. I append (Plate B) some details typified by Centi-ottiti IcucamuH of India. Other details will be found on the diflferent plates which represent other perfect insects. In Centrotus and other genera the penultimate somite develops a hinged horny sheath, which contains one (or two?) delicate styles which may act as irritators. The ultimate somite furnishes also two hatchet-shaped ciliated claspers, the hooks of which jioint upwards. Within the ring is the penis (not here shown, but repre- sented in Stictopelta.) Above the ring, and in a line with the dorsum, in some species a small two-jointed caudal process appears, such as is often found in Tettigonia, Typhlocyba, and amongst the Jassidee, and it is seen also in the Cercopidte. In Sliclojjelta bip/dicfata this tail or caudal process assumes tlie I'orm of a rounded knob. The lower sheath is double-jointed, the claspers broad and hooked, the penis ciliated and exserted, with an additional style below it. (PI. A, Fig. 15.) The genitalia of the Ilomoptera are so aberrant from any known accepted type, that at present they can only be formulated for sijecific jiurposes. There is here much to be done, but the subject is not a little intricate. The number of ova capable of extrusion must be great, if we may gather I'rom the specimen of TJiuhonin orozimbo I have dissected, after maceration in water. From tlie abdomen three or four dozen eggs were extracted, and the limit of the ovaries was not tiien reached. In default of a more exact examination being possible, we may infer that if a 20 MEMBRACID/E. specimen of one of the MembvacidiB shows the presence of ventral valvular scales below the abdomen, it is of the female sex. The Leffs. — As in other insects, we have the three principal divisions of femur, tibia, and tarsus ; the femur being separated from the thorax by the coxa and the trochanter. Starting from the body of the insect, the first coxfe are joined to the prothorax (prosternum) ; the second to the mesothorax ; and the third pair of coxse to the nieta- thorax. The first pair of legs is attached so near to the head that the knees of the femora sometimes project before it, and might suggest that the legs were prehensile in function. The first coxfe are sometimes long and rather broad, as mny be seen in Mcmbracis mexicana, &c. The femora are stout and not remarkable as to form, except in the curious genus Xerophyllum, when we see them expanded into notched and foliated plates, under which the tibise are doubled back and concealed, whilst the insects are squatting and at rest. The tibire are articulated to the femora by a more or less conspicuous joint. These tibise take various forms and they are then characteristic of genera. In Membracis the first and second pairs are laterally and broadly flattened into a spatulate or foliated shape. These plates are developed on the front surfaces of the tibiae, they are carinated at their margins, and their surfaces are often pilose, like the pollen-collecting baskets of the hind legs of the honey-bee. It is to be remarked that these spatulate tibire are seen in a modified form in some of the Centrotidae. Such a fact seems to reduce the value of spatulate tibiae when used for generic purposes. In some species the extremities have small crowns of sharp spurs developed at the insertions of the tarsal joints. The hind tibia3 are usually the longest ; sometimes they are finely serrated on one edge, doubtless to assist the insect in its leaping flights. Sometimes prismatic in form, they have their sides channelled or excavated. Examples of foliated tibire may be seen in other insects besides the Membracidje. A remarkable instance may be given in the South American genus Diacton (Coreidfe) and another in the Australian heteropterous insect Flilocnemus siduicus. The 'Tarsi. — The character dependent on the number of these small joints of the feet of insects may seem to be trivial, but they exemplify the fact, already noted as to wing neuration, that comparatively unimportant organs undergo little change from their surroundings, and they may thus furnish good, steady points for classificatory purposes. MEMBRACID^. 21 Three tarsal joints are most commonly found in the Homoptera, but sometimes the first and second joints are so united that only two can be seen, even with a microscope. The division into monomerous, dimerous and trimerous groups seems nevertheless to follow very natural lines, and we accept the correctness of these divisions both morphologically and biologically, in the families of Homoptera, such as Cicadidre, Aphididaj and Coccidfe, &c. Unvarying rules cannot be framed to meet all cases in our classifications. The exceptions puzzle us. Insects with different numbers of tarsi on the fore and the hind legs are familiar amongst beetles and other insects. The division Heteromera amongst tlic Coleoptera is significant of incompleteness in our schemes. It is not difficult to state the normal number of digits in man and birds, but in microscopic insects the number of foot-joints often is not so obvious. The third tarsal joint is usually the longest, but the length varies with the genus, and there is much difference in length as we compare separate pairs of legs. As a generalisation, it may be taken that if there be a divergence in the number of tarsal joints of the Membracida;, the hind pair of legs in Membracis proper is trimerous, whilst the first and second pairs are dimerous or trimerous. The tarsi of the hind legs are often very weak and small. The trimerous tarsi are well seen in Umbonia and in Centrotus aud its allies, in all their legs. Tlie second tarsal joint is the smallest, and forms a hollow conical articulation, which is united to the first joint by its apex, and to the third by its base. An elastic membrane connects these joints, and gives free motion to the whole foot. The tliird joint ends with two hooked claws. In some species these claws are protected between two rounded pads, and then the foot seems to be terminated by pulvilli instead of claws. Where necessary, details of the legs of species will be found on the plates representing the entire insects. Before concluding this sketch of the external anatomy of the imaginal forms of Membracidae, we may call to remembrance the fact, that no system based alone on morphology can be regarded as perfect. Mr. W. F. Kirby remarks to the author that " Nature is believed to have grown up into the form in which we now see it, from infinitesimal beginnings, by the effect of gradual changes acting and reacting on each other in the course of countless ages." We are apt to ignore the fact that affinities often exist between groups and species, which in our necessary schemes we separate widelj' or ignore. Tlie Immature Forms of Membracidce. — Where so little has been written about the 22 MEMBEAGID^. perfect insect, we need not consider it strange, that the early stages have received little attention. The metamorphosis of Membracidte is of the character styled incomplete, that is the pupal or nymph stage is in a measure locomotive. Probably there is a short season of rest before the final exuviation takes place. The process and time taken in the growth of the pronotum will prove an interesting subject for future observation. Few things are more difficult to realise than the fact, that some insects undergo even twenty nioultings in five or six days.* Time is relative. We can have no adequate conception of the multitude of phenomema concerned in bringing about a simple chemi- cal change in a decomposition. Biological changes must be still more complex. The Pupa. — Histolysis consists in the apparent solution of previously existing organs, and formation of a kind of magma, out of which, through Histogenesis, new organs are built up. These portions of former existing tissues are believed to act as centres, from which new conditions arise. Members of the body and points of sensation are altered, perhaps in shape, in position, and even modified in function. Viallanes looks on this breaking-up of parts as a kind of inflammation, wherein only the pristine germs or imaginal discs survive destruction. But however this may prove to be true, a reconstruction of parts markedly takes place during the period of pupa- tion, and more particularly in those cases where metamorphosis is said to be complete. But though the pupte of Membracidse are active, and move from place to place at will, tiie two processes of solution and reconstruction are going on simultaneouslj'. During the years between 1783 and 1794, H. J. Scheller prepared drawings and descriptions of three species of Merabracidse, which he observed living on certain trees or low shrubs in Surinam, The names of these shrubs he unfortunately omits to give us, but as observations on the spot, in connection with life-history, are important, I make no apology for giving through the kindness of a friend, the substance of the Dutch paper read in 18G8 before the Ent. Soc. of the Netherlands, which treats of the metamorphoses of these insects. It may be said that up to this date nothing definite of these larval conditions has been published, and even now all trustworthy contributions will he acceptable, though they be meagre. f I venture therefore to reproduce enlarged drawings of these metamorphic forms, since the original life-sized figures are too small for general use. Like the editors of the above-named paper, I put forward no information as original in what follows. * See Bunneister ; D. Sharp on Ivsecta, (Jamb. Univ. Press, pait i. p. IGG. t See footnote, p. IS. MEMBRACID.E. 23 Membracisfoliata, M. hinata, and Enchcnopa laiiceolata, appear, as to the first and second species, to congregate either " in tliousands or by twenties or more on the upper boughs of trees." In a general way, night seems to be the usual time for disclosure from tlie e^^g, when they appear white, and soft in consistence, but speedily (within an hour) they harden. They hatch in Surinam early in January or February, and arc covered with a wliite powder, whicli is easily rubbed off in the more mature insects. In all tlie above ca.ses the larvas have every ring of the abdomen, except tlie last, furuished with a pair of reddish bristle-like processes, which, afterwards, in the pup;B, start from black spots. Scheller counted seven double rows in these larvte, representing the abdominal rings. The pupae are drawn with prominent wing-cases, and tliese are also sliovvn in the figures of the larvre; but doubts may be expressed here as to tlie accuracy of the draughtsman employed by Scheller in thus showing them. The descriptions of tlie imagos are virtually those given of specimens in the Iiijks' museum at Amsterdam. These three species of Membracid£T3 are described as being very active in their movements, both springing and flying from their bushes, on the approach of an observer. This active habit is also testified by Dr. Micklejohn to the present author who often observed the flight of Bocijdium davutmn in Brazil. Though this insect is curiously weighted on the head by large balls, he did not notice that its progress through the air was clumsy, or even confined to a mere floating suspension. The larvse and nymphs are stationary in habit, or they move slowl^^ from place to place. When the complete insect emerges, it leaves a perfectly formed slough behind it which Scheller describes in one of his figures (c), "as the skin out of which 'the full grown jumper' has crept."* When the winged insects emerge from their exuviae they appear almost colourless) but the brown and black banding within three days appears, and the horny pronotal crest consolidates rapidly. A few ants were found in attendance on the larvaj of Endienopa lanceolata, and these ants were thought to be in quest of sweet drops secreted from pores — a juice similar to the honeydew of Aphides, and shed by some Cercopidae and Psyllidae. Nymph. — A distinction should be made between the pupa which strictly should be quiescent, and the locomotive "stadium" or stage of development, designated by the term Nymph. This last condition is represented in the Cicadidoe, Fulgorida3, and * See Tijdschrift voor Entom.di Nederlandsche, 1868-1809, pp. 217-220. 24 MEMBRACID^. Membracidos. Tlie slougli or skin which is vacated by the imago sometimes has processes which cannot be seen in either the imago or the larval conditions. As yet the number of stadia indicated by the moults of Membracidie has not been determined ; indeed there are only a few insects in which the number lias been definitely ascertained. 77ie Larva. — This stage in development appears to vary much in form according to the species. The larva of Membracis continua is furnished on each abdominal segment, to the number of six, with a distinct laminar plate, finely spinose at the edges. These leaves are ranged in a semi-circle like the points of a crown. The plates on tlie head and region of the pronotum are the most developed. The insect I figure was labelled by Westwood, and is ochreous brown in colour. It forms part of the Hope Collection at Oxford. The larva of Membracis exjian.^a I also draw (PI. I., Fig. 4a). It is grouped Avith the perfect insects in the national collection, llobust, infhited, and of a pale greenish grey, plentifully covered with white tomentose matter, its general appearance recalls that of the larva of one of the Cercopidfe. The corresponding nymph or pupa shows two kidney-sliaped lobes over the head, Avhich seem to indicate the two laminae which afterwards unite to form the crest of the imago. The rings corresponding to the pro- and mesonotum are clearly seen. Behind each of these six segments a pair of long curly bristles or spines is emitted. At the sides, tlie wing-cases show the rudiments of the future tegmina. These examples are in accordance with the figures and descriptions given by Sclieller before alluded to, representing the nymphs oi Membracis hi nata, M.foUafa, and EnchenojKi lanceolata. The Centrotidse also have nymphs of uncouth form. Strong spines appear on the backs, which only partly foreshadow tlie thorny processes of the imagos. LReeve & C°lim*Loiiao GB.B. del. ad Tiat "West.Newmaji iinf . MEMBRACID^E. DESCRIPTION OP PLATE A. Fig. J. Tlie head of Enchenopa cruenkila — (r) The eye; (o) ocellus; fVons and (/) clypeus below ; (/) spatulose legs with the tarsus ; {pr) Ibre-edge of the jjronotuin. Fig. 2. Front view of the head of Aconophora nir/rissiina — {e) The elongated eye, covered by the transparent cornea ; (o) ocellus ; (;•) rostral two-jointed sheath, with the proboscis below, furnished with bristles [s) or extruded setie. Fig. 3. Profile view of the head of Membrucis mexicana—{e) Protninent eye set in its socket; (o) ocellus; (r) I'ostral sheatli. Fig. 4. Head and {oyq ^axts o'l Membrack faaciata — {lab) Labruni above the rostral sheath ; (/) clypeus covered with fine hairs. The frons above shows the two ocelli between the true eyes ; (/) insertions of the tegmina or upper wings ; {tb) first and second tibi:e with their tarsal joints, the first two pairs are spatulose, the foliacious plate by the front view, conceals only half the tibia ; {pr) the front part of the pronotuni overhangs the head. Fig. 5. Part of the pronotum and body of Cenirotiis leucaspis — {h) shows the aperture in the pronotum through which the head protrudes ; {pr) pronotum ; {sjj) the supra-humeral processes or horns. Sometimes these excrescenses are large and branching, but in some species they are wholly absent ; (■?) scutellum seen in part below the pronotum ; often this part of the thorax is quite hidden. Fig. 6. The body of Umbonia spinosa divested of the whole sheath of the pronotum, thus showing {vi) the bulla3 of the raeso- and the meta-notum which are concealed by the pronotum. It will be seen that the insect with its legs and wings is almost complete without the extraordinary adjunct of the pronotum ; {r) the somites or rings of the abdomen. The representative of the scutellum may be seen above the somites of the abdomen ; (jy) the last abdominal ring of the female, with the pygofer which carries the genital valves ; {I) femur of the hind leg. Fig 7. Head of Umbonia sjnnosa, by front view — {at) Antennae placed just below the ocelli (o). The stout rostral sheath with bristles at the tip ; (e) the com- pound eye. Fig. 8. An example o£ Membracis mexicana which has been bleached and made trans- parent by Canada balsam. It thus shows the meso- and meta-notum through the {pr) pronotum ; {sp) the spiracles ranged on the sides of the abdominal rings. The genital plate with its saws is seen below. Fig. 9. Ilostral sheath of Umbonia orozimbo, showing the three long setae proceeding from it. The action of these long bristles probably consists in lacerating the D 26 MEMBRACID.E. soft tissues of the bark of vegetables, and thus a larger flow of sap to the parts pierced is produced, [at) Antennae of the same. Fig. 10. Dorsal view of upper half of Membracis alta with the pronotum removed — {ai) Process of attachment for the pronotum ; {tg') tegmina ; {1)) bulla; or tubercles of the meso- and the meta-notum. The abdominal rings are seen below. Fig. 11. Similar parts seen in profile of Umbonia oro~imbo — [pr) Pronotal attach- ment; {b) large meta-notal tubercle ; {tg) tegmen. Fig. 12. Similar parts of Umbonin orozimbo — (hc) The scutcUuni. As the presence of this part of the notum is used in the grouping and classification of the genera of Membracida3, its indications below the pronotum are important for study. Fig. 13. The pronotum, in its entirety, removed from the body of Ilemipti/cha jJunctata —The upper part is studded with clear transparent dots. The large supra- humeral horns are hollow ; {ap) the aperture which embraces what may be con- sidered as the neck, just behind the head of the insect ; (s) a septum or fine horny division which divides tlie posterior space and encloses the abdomen and part of the wings. Fig. 14. Part of the valves of the female of Umbonia spinosa as seen expanded under gentle pressure — (v) The valves or scales enveloping the central rasp (?) and the two cutting plates or saws (?) which here do not appear to be serrated. Fig. 15. The male organs of StictopeUa bijntndata — {a) One of the hooked styles or claspers ; [b) the basal plate composed of two joints ; (c) The caudal process ; (/i) the penis. Fig. 16. The last abdominal ring of the female of Umbonia spinosa seen from underneath. The parts shown in Fig. 14 may be dissected out of the cleft situate within the outer valves. They have not been shown in this outline. Fig. 17. Part of the front leg oi Membracis mexicana, showing the complex form of the tarsus. The foot ends with two flaps which enclose the minute claws. There is a gland at the extremity of the tibia, the significance of which is not obvious. Fig. 18. The last tarsal joints of the middle leg of Membracis mexicana. They are very pilose, and difiicult to separate into their true articulations. The two claws here are obvious. Fig. 19. The complete middle leg of Membracis favcola — (c) The flattened coxa; {tr) trochanter ; (/) femur ; {tb) tibia and {() tarsus. The flattened part is an expansion of the sides of the tibia. Fig. 20. The first, second and third legs of Hemi2)tycha punctata, showing under the same amplification the tarsal joints, which increase in length and development G.B.B- del. adnat. LFieeve & C" Lira^Londoa. WestJJ ewman imp MEMBRACIBJE. 27 from the first to the third pairs. Tlie hind tibiiB are long, channelled, and show minute spurs at their extremities. DESCRIPTION OF PLATE B. Fig. 1. Diagrammatic view of the male parts of a Hemipterous iusect, the general form and character of which may be traced in the genitalia of the Membracidie. Variations however are very common— (c/«) The lateral processes ; {hh) infra- lateral plates ; {ss) styles or claspers. Fig. 2. Profile but inverted diagrammatic view of the male parts — {(ip) Anal aperture at the end of the process ; (b) infra-lateral plates. The styles are retracted into the pygofer. Fig. 3. Underside of the pronotum of the female of Umhonia sjiinosa — (u) The vulva at the extremity of the abdomen, which is within the cavity and covered by the pronotum ; {a) the anal opening ; {p) the posterior apex of the pronotum. Fig. 4. The male sexual organs of Centrotus leucaspis — {cp) small caudal process composed of two joints, situated at the upper edge of the last abdominal ring ; {ss) the hatchet-shaped styles with finely serrated backs ; (/) the theca or sheath, called post-penis by Pieber. Fig. 5. One of the same styles more magnified. Fig. G. The theca more magnified, showing ducts in the concave part, probably connected with the penis. Fig. 7. Tegmen of Membracis Jlaveola, showing (c) the costal nervure or first radial nervure ; {cb) the cubitus or second radial nervure ; (r3) the third radial ; (r4) the fourth radial; (s) the sutural nervure ; (l) (2) (3) (4) the apical cells ; (/) the limbus; (C)(D)(E) discoidal areas; (A) subcubital; (B) supra-marginal area; (F) costal area. Fig. 8. Wing oi ]\Iembracis Jiaveola — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, apical areas ; (/) limbus. Fig. 9. Tegmen and wing of Poli/c/lijpia — (D) Basal area ; although in other species this area might be called discoidal. The apical cells are difficult strictly to decide as to their homologues with other genera. They are here marked 1, 3, 3. Fig. 10. Tegmen and wing of Umbonia spinosa — The lettering of the figure refers to similar nervures and areas as are marked in Figure 7 of this plate. Fig. 11. Tegmen of Ileteronolt/s — (A) Subcubital area; 1 to 5, apical area ;(*) suture. Fig. 12. Tegmen of Cyphonia — (A) Subcubital, with the apical areas following in order ; an indistinct vein divides some of the areas, but it seems to be super- numerary. 28 MEMBBACID^. Fig. 13. Tegmen o{ L^coderes—{A) Subcubital ; (D) discoidal : (B) supra-marglual area. Fig. 14. Tegmen of Ceresa — The neuration here is very broad, and encroaches on the areal membrane. The correct nomenclature here may be subject to opinion. The limbus is wide, crinkled or indented. Fig. 15. Pupa of Membracis liinata — Enlarged from the figure given by Dr. H. J. Scheller, though described by him in hih memoir as a larva. Fig. 16. Pupa of Membracis foliata, copied from the same memoir — The long spines or bristles on the abdominal rings entirely disappear from the imago or perfect insect. Fig. 17. The pupa of Enchemjia lanccolata. also furnished with bristles. The process at the back of the head here projects backwards. The sheaths of both the growing tegmen and the wing are prominent. All these three figures are adapted from those of Dr. H. J. Scheller. Fig. 18. Pupa of a small Hoploj^hora (species unknown), but possibly allied to Hoplojihora sangxdnosa. MEMBRACIDiE. Sul)-lamily : ME^fBRA CTNyE. Cicada foliala of Linnajus, afterwards Membracis foliatu of Fabrinus is the general type of these insects, but this species lias not always been placed at the head of the sub-family. I prefer, however, to take the genus Membracis in priority, as Canon Fowler and some others have done, excepting only the genus Xerophi/Iliim, whicli as being as far as is known apterous, and showing peculiar characteristics in the femora and tarsi, appear to be sufficient reasons to justify this order. Genus: XEROPHYLLUM,* Fairm. Dr. M. Leon Fairmaire commences his valuable "Kevue de la Tribu des Membracides " f with the genus Xeroj)Iij/lltim, of whicli he gives outline figures. He does not appear to have known more than one species, and apparently at that time to have seen only one example. One great chai*acteristic is that the genus appears to be apterous, and that the singular m.imiciug resemblance to dry vegetation is carried out in the leaf-like expansion of the legs and part of the face. M. Fairmaire heads his synopsis with this genus, and then takes in order Membracis, which now forms the type raised by Linna3us. Prof. Weslwood, however, pointed out in 1839 its nearer approach to the Order Orthoptera, in which modern entomologists now place the genus. The foliaceous, rotund, and elevated pronotum which covers the body and elytra, if they be present, suggest the genus Membracis ; but on the other hand the leaf-like expansions of the i'emora, the form of the face, and the absence of a pi'oboscis would show its truer position to be where Prof Bolivar places it— viz., amongst the Cladonotte, a section of the Tettigidie (not of the Cicadinae). On account of the above noted affinities with the Membracidse, I figure for com- parison three species of Xerophyllum, which have come under my own observation. * Xeropbylluin, i.e., dry leaf. t " Annalesde la Soci^td Entomologique de Fiance," Ser. 2, iv. p. 235 et set/. : Plates 3 to 7 (1846). E 30 MEMBBACIDyF.. All the species hitherto known have their hahitats in the Old World. As specimens are rare, and seldom to be seen in collections, small apology will be needed for their appearance in my first plate — a position originally indicated by Dr. Fairmaire in his treatise and classification. His description is shortly, "Oniuino nigro fulvum, nigroque punctatum." Prof.* Bolivar gives " Femoribus anticis compressis vix duplo longioribus quam latioribus. Pronoto magno, valde compresso, foliaceo radiatim venoso. Elytris oblongis vel nullis, alis nuUis." He describes four species — viz.: .V. faxruiii (Bolivar), Sierra-Lconc ; X. plali/rort/.v (Westwood), Afrique ; X. simile (Bolivar), Angola; A', scrvillci (Fairmaire), Africjue. ]'rof. Bolivar asks, in common with other naturalists, what can be the signifi- cance of these greatly developed pronota, formed of membranaceous plates and furnished with numerous veins and recurrent nervures which give the appearance of vegetable leaves. Probably the insects live amongst the c/cfjris of decaying wood and dry foliage, and they assume their brown tobacco-like colours for concealment, and for escape from their insect enemies. The forms of the pronota in the Membracida? are also interestingly reproduced in some of the Acridians, and Prof Bolivar figures examples of: XeropIii/JIinn siiiiilr, Cladonotus Jt umber tianus, with its curious dorsal horn, and Misjjllnis laminatiis, all recalling the forms of certain Membracidse. XEROPHYLLUM SERVILLEI. (Plate I. figs. 1 to le.) Xero2)hijllum. serviUei, F.airm., Ann. de la Societe de France, 1 840-1 84G, plate iv. figs. 10, 11, 12. X. servillei, Bolivar, Essay sur les Acridiens. Head small. Frons foliaceous. Carinated between the eyes and bifurcated below. Antennse obvious. Ocelli below, seated in pits. Prothorax semi-circular in outline, overhanging the head, foliaceous, more or less flattened, much reticulated, and veined like a brown and dry leaf. Abdomen pointed and ringed. Legs remarkable from the femora and the fore-tibise being both notched and foliated. The middle and second tibise folded and concealed under the thighs. Tarsi very weak in the fore legs, long and curiously spurred on the hind legs. Tegmina mere scales. Wings obsolete. Size, 13 X 8 mm. Habitat. — Old Calabar. Figured from own cabinet. * Ign. Bolivar, Essai sur les Acridiens, Ann. de la Soc. Ent. Belgique. Gand (1887). MEMBRACIDjE. 31 XEllOPIIYLLUM COKTIOES, n.s. (Plate I. fig. 2.) Much larger than A', scrcillci. The pronotuin more arcuate, with a browner outer edge, and on the rim furnished with minute spines. IIind-l'enu)ra hirge, with small reddish tarsi. Siiie, 19 X 11 mm. lluhital. — Two specimens from Rio Nigro, Ogruga, West Africa, G° 5' lat. N. (5° 42' long. E. XEROPHYLLUM MINOR, n.s. (Plate T. fig. :'..) Much smaller than X. sernllci. Colour almost all concolourous umber brown. Pronotum with the dorsal edge provided with a distinct carina. Lower margin sinuous. Fore part of the pronotum redder, surl'ace rough and corrugated and without punctures. Femora foliated and notched, tibiai hirsute. Eyes large and prominent. Size, 7 X 5 mm. lIulAlat.—K\o Nigro, Ogruga, West Africa, 6° 5' N., (i" 42' E. O Genus: MEMBKACIS, Fab. Eyes prominent. Ocelli two, and placed m a line which passes through the eyes. Pronotum membranaceous, tectiform, the dorsal ridge cycloidal and overhanging the head. Tegmiua free, with two or three discoidal areas. Tibi;e, at least the fore ones, spatulate. Larvte saltatorial, feeding on various plants (Ketniia braziliensis). According to Merian they disclose the imagos at Surinam in March. •^MEMBRACIS ELAVEOLA. (Plate I. figs. 4 to 4e, and Plate II. figs. 2 to 2b.) Memhi-acis Jlaveola, Oliv., Germ. Cicada Jlaveola, Germ. (Stoll, plate i. fig. 2; Merian, tab. v.). Membracisjlaveolu, Oliv., Germ. ^Me.mhracis foliata, Fabr., Fairm.'^ Memhracis e.cpansa, Walk. Memhracis fojiata, Oliv. Cicada fpliata, Linn. By Mr. Kirby's permission I am able to add the remark that doubts rest on identification of this species. The first part of Walker's description, which should be typical, seems to refer to ^/. arcuata, but it also seems to me to lefer to a species like M. C. album, but without the first white stripe^' The second part of the description refers to M. C. album, and the figures quoted to M. llavaola. Size, 18 X 15 mm. J lab it at.- -Cayenne, Amazons, Para, Surinam. 32 MEMBBACIDjE. Imago (Plate I. fig. 4, unci Plate 11. fig. 2). — Pronotum almost semi- circular or fbliaceous iu outline, projecting over the head, pointed behind, flat, formed of two laminae rising from the shoulders and then ending sharply at the dorsal ridges. Colour, pale yellow or orange, with a broad brown bar rising vertically from the head, succeeded by a large, ov;il brown spot behind, which does not reach the apex or the lower margin. Tegmina dense brown; neurations obscure, but can be made out if placed in balsam. Wings hyaline. Limbal border obvious. Amongst the adult insects in my collection 1 have some smaller examples (Plate 11. fig. 2) which measure only 10 x 8 mm., whilst the larger measures 18 X 15. The first are the males. The sex is determined by the form of the last segment of the abdomen as seen in Plate II. fig. 26. This species is not included in Fairmaire's list nor in the " Biologia Cen. Amer." Habitat. — Para, Amazons. Bates Coll. Mr. W. F. Kirby thinks this insect is only a variety of flaveola of Germar. It certainly is very constant, but variable in size. The national collection contains five specimens, from one of which I figure ; and the Hope collection at Oxford has seven ; and several similar larger insects are in my own cabinet. The insects from Surinam are much brighter orange, and their bodies are blacker. The male figured is more stramineous, and the body is dusky rufus. Details are given of the immature form drawn from a specimen in the British Museum (Plate T. fig. 4b). Pupa. — The immature forms of these insects are very unlike those of the perfect flies. Body almost colourless and dingy white, more or less covered with patches or tufts of a white tonientose matter, particularly located about the head and back. The pronotum appears in the form of two reiiiforrn lobes, vvhich do not project far over the back, which is therefore uncovered, exposing the mesonotum. The lobes are united in front ; abdomen with seven or eight marked somites, each provided with two pointed tubercles ending in long black curved bristles or fine spines ; legs stout and furnished with two jointed tarsi, proving thus the immaturity of the insect. The British Museum contains two specimens of unequal size, taken by Mr. C. W. Clarke of Trinidad. Each shows the incipient form of the pronotum and also the long bristles sprouting from the abdominal rings. The wing-cases are obvious, and the strong legs show that in this stage of metamorphosis the insect has free locomotion. MEMBRACIDA]. 3.S Tlie larger one (ii<,^ 4a) is defeotive, and probably is only the slouf>li of a larva. The other is more perfect, and my above description applies to it only. Attention may be directed to the pupa of JA continiia, wliicli I have ligured (Plate II. lig. 4a). The two anterior large leaves or plates may represent the lubes seen in the pupa ul M. Jidveola. Size, 8 X 7 to 7 X 5 mm. C'MEMHRACIS FUSCA. , (Phite I. fig. 5.) •i . O Meinhrucis J'uaca, rairinaire, Ann. Soc. Ent. ilo France, p. rill. 8tfil, Cicada foUala, Do Uoer, t. 32, lig. 14. ^^FolicUa alrata, Fab. Sys. Rliyn. 8, 10. ■ Foliata ftisca, Oliv. Fairmaire's description is simply " Tota fusco-nigra immaculata." Briefly I add • pronotum deej) brown; ^josterior apex recurved; tegmiua dense brown; wings hyaline, with strong dark nervures ; body large, and warm sienna brown in colour. The example 1 figure is from the national collection in the Britisli Museum. It is remarkable from the very large valves which cover the male genitalia. Size, S mm. llabltitl. — Cayenne, Central America. DMEMBRACIS CARINATA, Fnb., Germ. Fairm. plate iv. tig. 20, p. 211. Brown with two white spots. Habitat. — South America. Omembracis foliata. (Plate II. figs. 1 and 3.) '^Cicada foliata, Linn. Menibracis foliaUv, Fab. Syst. Ent. p. (;75. Wembmcis C. album, Fairm. Ann. iSoc. Ent. Fr. p. 244. St^l. C. album. Fowler, B.U.A. p. 5. ^'Wembracis lunata, Fairm. p. 244 ; Stol. t. 5, fig, 24. Pronotum semi-circular at the run, which is black. The flat disc is marked by one anterior, upright, white stripe, followed by two others, which, if they united before they reached the lower margin of the pronotum, would form a conspicuous white C If they do not so unite, they take the form of the variety M. Iiiiuda (fig. 3), in which the white stripes are separated. The rest of the body and the tegmina are dark sooty -black. The tibiaj are broadly spatulate, and the hind legs are slightly serrated. Tarsi small and more or less ferruginous. There appears to be some confusion in the labelling of this species in the three chief collections known in England — viz., the British Museum, the Hope collection at Oxford, and that of Messrs. Codman and Salvin, and described iu the B.C. A. 34 MEMBRACIDyE. Canon Fowler is doubtless right in placing M. C. alljiiin, M. hniafa (Fairni.), and M. arcuaia amongst the synonyms oi M. foliatn (Fab.). Insects from different localities differ in marking and size, but not sufficiently so, to make them separate species. I believe that the insects marked M. Iinuila in Plate II. (fig. 3) — drawn from a specimen in the national collection — should be taken as M. *olia(a of Fairmaire ; and so they appear to be ranged in tlie Hope cabinet. CMUlMliHACnS LUNATA, I'^il)., (lorin., StolJ. (I'l.toJI.Iig, ;!.) Membracis luvala, Fiilj. I.e. (II) ; .Stoll. I.e. (Y), t. f>, fig. '2 1 ; I'aiim. I.e. (1), p. 214 ; Walker I.e. (Z) Mcmhracis liniata, F;iinn. p. 2 I -J. Fairmaire remarks that Fabricius confounded tins species with 3[. (J. alfjinii, but that he could not see the passage between one to the other. StoU's figure in " Les Cigallcs" more nearly represents^ ^1/. C. album than '^M. hinala. . 0 MEMBRACIS FLEXA, Walk., Stoll? () Membracis lunata, Germ, nee Fab. / A single example in the B.M. collection differs from M. hinala by the curved form of the middle stripe. '^MEMBRACIS CONTINUA. (Plate II. figs. 4 and 4a.) Membracis continua, Walk. I.e. (Z) .suiip. 128. Imago (fig. 4). — Pronotum with anterior much recurved over the head; sooty- black, with lower half creamy-white except over the encephalon ; tegmina sooty-black ; legs strongly spatulate; body black. Size, 12 X 9 mm. Habitat. — Egan, Amazons. Hope Coll. (Bates). Grouped with this sjjecies is a curious larval form (fig. 4a) labelled from the Hope collection, which I figure on the same plate. Possibly this species may be dimorphic, for its appearance is not that oV^I. Jtaveola already described. Larva. — Warm sienna brown in colour; body with nine segments, each of which bears a broad, pointed, ciliated lamina or flat blade, increasing in length towards the head end. The whole appears as if the crest of the adult insect had been split into separate parts. The inner j^latings seem in the specimen to mark the somites of the larva. MEMBRAfJID^E. 35 The front is truncated and broader than the rest. Legs small ; tarsi wealc ; eyes minute. Size, 12x8 mm. Drawn from the larva i)f J/, vontinua (so hibelled) in tlie Westvvood collection at Oxford, now incorporated in the Hope collection. Canon Fowler notes that tlie larvse of this genus are very curious, being much of tlie same shape as the perfect insect, but formed of separate upright narrow plates of different heights. Vuh' B.C. A. ^ He figures si.x perfect insects oftlio genus Membracis. taking M.JhIiala oC Fab. as the type. ^MEMBRACIS MEXICANA. / , ■ (Plate II. figs. 5 and fi.) y . _ / Memlmwis mea:icana, Gu6r. Ic. Reg. Anim. Membracis viexiacwi, Fairm. Ann. Ent. p. 218. ^Memfmtcis stolkla, Fairm. Ann. Ent. p. 248. Membracis sexmaculuta, Walk. Homop. supp. p. 5i). ■^2femhracis mexicuna. Fowler, B.C. A., Tab. i. figs. 4, fi. Pronotum slightly raised ; colour fine, or sometimes, sordid yellow, with brown spots above the eyes, one behind each shoulder, and two or more spots on the dorsum, also a large one touching both the superior and the inferior borders (.w^^ fig. 6); tegmina and legs blackish. This is a species abundant throughout all Central America. It appears very variable as to size and marking, ranging from fi to 10 mm. Fowler considers that JlL HioVula represents the larger forms and .secvuiacitlata the smaller. Size is probably connected with locality. Hahitaf. — Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama. I figure two varieties. In the B.M. catalogue this insect is included in Stal's sub-division P/ijjllofropis. ^MEMBRACIS ARCUATA. (Plate II. figs. 7 and 7a.) "^Membracis arcucUa, OHv., Geim. Cicada arcuata, De Geer, t. x.x.xii. fig. 10. Membracis dorsata Pab. S. Rb. ii. 2G. '^'Membracis perispheria, Fairm. plate iv. fig. 15. ''Membracis arcuata, Fairm. plate iv. fig. 25, p. 247. Fairmaire simply desci-ibes this species as black, often interrupted by a white longitudinal fascia. The figure I give well agrees witli the outline figure in Fairmaire as above quoted. Size, 12 X 7 mm. Habitat. — Brazil. MEMBEAGID^. (^MEMBRACIS NEBULOSA? n.s. (Plate II. fig. 8.) Large. Pronotiiin with dorsal ridge irregularly sinuate and arcuate. Marginal edge notched above the eyes, then nearly straight to the apex. Colour fine orange clouded with yellow above the teginina, with a black dorsal edge irregularly encroaching broadly on the lower yellow band. Kcst of the insect brown. 'rogniiiKi dense and broad; lihibus corrugated. The two front-tibite spatulale. This somewhat striking insect may be distinguished by the angular form of its lower pronotal edge. Size, 14 X 8 mm. Kindl}' lent and figured from Mr. Eippon's collection. Ilahital. — Costa Eica. ^EMBRACLS CELSA, Walk. isa., W Ilahital.— ^x-AzxX (B.M. Coll.) Mcvihracis celsa, Walk. I.e. (Z.) Memhracis rectangulaia, G'es. •^lEMBRACIS CURVILINEA, Walk. This may prove to be a variety of M. arcuata. There is a single example in th B.M. collection. C IIEMBRACIS FUSIFERA, Walk. A single specimen in the B.M. collection. Habifaf. — Para. The Amazons. • MEMBRACIS ROSEA, Fairm. plate iv. fig. 24. There is a single insect in the B.M. collection from Brazil, thus labelled. Fairmaire says it is Wke'^fasciata. Pronotum elevated, black, with a broad angular band and with a reddish spot before the apex. OMEMBRACIS CINGULATA, Germ., Fairm. Fairmaire gives a very short and insufficient description (p. 248, I.e.) There is a species thus named in the B.M. from the Amazons. //«^/7«/.— Brazil. MEMBRACIDJi. fig. 23. Fairmaire's description is tar from explicit ; but nevertheless he says it may be easily distinguished by an anterior band which reaches from the head to the shoulders, with a resemblance to^.l/. arciiata (p. 247). One specimen in B.M. llali'dnl. — liio Janeiro. ^ RIEMBRACIS EPHIPPIATA, Stai. Memhracia arcuala, Fairm. nee Oliv. One specimen in B.M. Habital. — Brazil. <^MEMBKAC1S 8UKGEN.S, Walk. I.e. (Z), p. 47f). Hahilat.—Bviv/A]. There is a specimen thus named in the B.M. which is certainly not this species, as it wants the first pale spot which appears in Fairmaire's figure and description (p. 249.) Habilaf.—{:\\\\\. ^ MEMBRACIS INTERMEDIA, Faiim. p. 240. O Fairmaire says this insect little differs from M. pcnivifuia. Habitat. — Brazil. ^MEMBRACIS (?) MARGINALIS, Walk. I.e. (Z), p. 479. A very aberrant species. Two B.M. specimens. Habitat. — Para. MEMBRACIS TRICOLOR, Fairm. p. 241). Fairmaire says, "Nigra, fascia antica longitudinal! albida, macula postica flava." There are two specimens of J/, sinc/idata in the B.M. which may be referred to this species ; from Para and St. Paul's (Amazons). They may be also compared with m. curviiinea. Habitat. — Colombia, Brazil. V 38 MEMBRACIDyS. OMEJIBRACIS ALBOLIMBATA, Fowler. Fowler, Tab. I., figs. 2, 2a, p. 5. I have not had an opportunity of seeing tliis insect, wliicii seems to have been described from one female specimen. Canon Fowler remarks that it may prove to be an extreme variety ofil/. foliacca. He describes it as entirely black, with a clear white border extending from above the head, occupying about one-third of the circum- ference ; 25iinctured ; legs fuscous. Size, 10x9 mm. Habitat. — Central America. O Genus: PHYLLOTROPIS, Stal. This genus has much in common with the genus Memiiracis. A chief character may be seen in the varied proclivity of the Metopidium. <^ PHYLLOTROPIS SUFFUSA, n.s. ? (Plate III., fig. 1 and la.) In gencj'al appearances not unlike M. iiiexicaiia, but larger, and the brown mark- ings broader, particularly on the posterior part of the pronotum. Figured from a specimen labelled by Wollaston with the habitat Java. This Asiatic species does not answer to the Indian M. fuscata, Fabr., noted by E. T. Atkinson (Notes on Indian Rhyncliota, 1885, p. 79). Size, 10x5 mm. This insect does not appear in the ]3.M. collection and it is not noted in the B.M. catalogue. OPHYLLOTEOPLS FASCIATA, Stfil. (Plate III., fig. 2.) Membracis fasciata, Fab. Germ. ' Memhracis cuccidlata, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. sur le,s Hemip. 534, part 9, fig. 2. Pronotum sub-arcuate, obtusely pointed in front, with a black patch on the summit followed by a broad bright orange space. Tlie posterior part black with a white globular spot near the apex. Tegmina sooty-black. Abdomen paler. The first two pairs of legs small, the hind pair long and ciliated, or finely serrated. This is a handsome and showy insect. MEMBRACIDJi:. 39 Hadifa/.—Ciiyenne, Surinam, Amazons, Wollaston's and Bates Col!. Size, 12 X 8. This is the type insect of Stal's sub-family. It certainly is not to be confused with EnchophyJIum cniculatuiii. '^'PIIYLLOTROPIS OUOULLATA, Am. aiul Sori O Memlmcis ciicuUata, Am. and Ser\ JJa/jita/.— Brazil.— Brit. Mus. Coll. O PHYLLOTROPIS FUSOATA. <^'ihmhracisfHscala, Fal.. Sy.st. Rhyng. p. 9, 1803; Fairmaire, Ami. Soc. Ent. Fr. (2 ser.) iv. p. 247 (18-lG); E. T. Atkinson, Indian lihynchota, p. 79 (1885). Thora.K foliaceous, rounded, fuscous; streak before the anterior margin and posterior band, white. Atkinson includes this in his Indian Notes, but does not seem to have seen the insect. Habitat. — E. Indies. "PHYLLOTROPIS TECTIGERA. (Plate III. fig. 3.) ^Metnbracia tectiyera, Oliv. StoU. I.e. plate xiv. fig. 71. Membracis elevata, Fab. Germ. Mevihracis tectige)-a, Fairm. I.e. p. 246; Walk, list Homop. B.M. p. 477. Pronotum much elevated ; wholly sooty-black, except a spot varying in size near the apex, vvliich is ochreous wliite ; tegmina and legs concolourous. This species is one of the most plentiful of the genus : there are more than twenty-two examples in tlie Hope collection at Oxford. Fairmaire includes M.fnscata, East Indies, amongst the synonyms, but says he had not seen it for purposes of comparison. There is a great resemblance between this and the two following species; but until we know h'omething of their life-history it will be safe to think them distinct. It is doubtful whether ihe^lMcitibracis tecti(jera of Fowler is the same as the insect I figure. Mr. Kirby suspects that this species is only M.fiiscatu with a wrong locality. Figured from the Miers and the Birchell collections, Oxford. Size, 13 X 7 mm. Habitat. — Venezuela, Rio de la Plata, Brazil. 40 3IEMBEACII)JE. ^PHYLLOTROPIS ALTA. (Plate III. fig. 4.) Membracis alta, Walk. I.e. p. 17G. Pronotum rising high and perpendicuUxrly from the head, then turning with a rounded slojie to the apex. Front edge broadly buff-yellow ; the rest brown till near the apex, where it is also buff-coloured. Legs and tegniina brown, and rather long ; tarsi brown. Size, 12 X 7 mm. Habitat. — Venezuela; Chimbo, at 1000 feet elevation. <^^ PHYLLOTROPIS NIGRA, OHv. ^, '^ Membracis nigra, Oliv. ; Stoll, Cic. t. xvii. fig. 92 ; F.air. I.e. p. 247. Stul. Membi-acis compressa Fab., Germ. Black; white spot before the apex; see Fairmaire's description. Habitat. — Brazil and Cayenne. OpHYLLOTROPIS DORSATA, Fabr. <^ Uembracis dorsata, Fabr., StSl. Stett. Ent. Zeit xxv. (1864). Tliere are several specimens in the British Museum Collection. Habitat. — Central America. <^ PHYLLOTROPIS MALLEONOTATA. 3[embracis malleonolata, Fairm. I.e. p. 247, Walk, list Homop. p. 479. Habitat.— Brazil '^ PHYLLOTROPIS TRI-FASCIATA. Membracis tri-fasciata, Stal. Membracis humilis, Fowler, 15.0. A. (Tab. I. figs. 6, (ia.) Possibly this is only a variety of the above-mentioned P. malleonotata. Habitat. — Mexico and New Granada ; Atoryac, in Vera Cruz. '■' PHYLLOTROPIS DIVISA, Walk. I.e. Suppt. p. 12;!. Membracis divisa, Stfil. //fl^27«/.— Sartarem?-B.M. Bates Coll. '■■' PHYLLOTROPIS TRISIGNATA, StSl. ^' Membracis trisignata, Stl,l. Habitat.— Boo:otsi.—B.M. M EM UK AC 11). E. 41 (^IIYLLOTllOPIS ZONATA, l-'ainn. <^Meiiil>racis zonuta, Fainn. plato iv. figs. 16, 11), p. 248; Walk. I.e. p. .17H. Habifaf.—BYx\?\\.—\lM. ^ PHYLLOTIU^PIS MEXrUANA, Gucr., Fainn. (Plato II. figs. 5 and 0.) Tliis species has been already described and figured as 71^v///;/y«7'.v nicvicniia. CJPIIYLLOTROPLS STOLLIDA. <^Mevihruck stollida, Fairm. p. 218; Walk. l.u. p. IT^. Fairmaire refers to a specimen in Westwood's collection, now incorporated in the Hope collection, Oxford. Probably a variety of the last, //^//y//^//.— Mexico.— B.M. '-^PIIYLLOTROPIS SEXMACULATA, Walk. Probably a pale variety of /'. mexicana. It may be compared witli M. (imbiyiia. Habitat. — Honduras.— B.M. "■ PHYLLOTROPIS AMBIGUA, Fairm. ^Meiahracis amhigua, Fairm. p. 24 D. Though it has some reference to P. mexicana the species has abnormal charac- teristics. See the B.M. specimen. Habitat. — Cayenne. '^>IIYLLOTROPIS CONFINIS, n.s. (Platelll. fig.s. 5 and 5a.) Metopidium perpendicular, then almost semi-circular in outline ; colour brown- black, with a pale yellowish band on the procephalic edge, a large reniform pale space above the shoulder, and a pale band before the apex, which last point is black ; tegmina dense brown ; wings hyaline, with fine black nervures ; legs black, with ferruginous tar.i(/ulata, Wa]k. I.e. p. (11. 0 A'ncheiwpa excelsior. Walk. ^Enchenopa humilis, Walk. J'Jnchenopa curvicorne, Walk. '^ Enchenopa quadricolm; Fowler, B.C. A. Tab. I. figs. l(i and 17, p. 11. This species gives a good example of the variability of the genw^. Thus tlie characteristic pronotal horn may or may not be present and the colours are also variable. The red colour on the fore part of the pronotum as given in my ligure may be bright or even suppressed, but the white punctured patches seem to be persistent. The eyes, the tarsi, and sometimes the femora arc bright red. The hind femora serrated. Size, 7x4 mm. Ild/jilal. — Mexico, Vera Cruz, Venezuela. ^ Genus: CKTPTONOTUS,* n.g. This genus may be best described by the almost unique type specimens, assisted by the diagnosis below, and the figures on the plate. <^ CRYPTONOTUS MILITARIS, n.s. (Plate III. figs. 8, 8a.) Large, with the ridge of the pronotum sinuous-convex ; anterior part overhanging the head, and ending at the posterior part with a black point ; a semicircular broad whitish band over the region of the shoulders, and a continuous orange-red circular patch over the tail end ; the rest of the pronotum is jet black ; tegmina dark blackish- grey, with black neuration ; first and second pair of legs black, and broadly spatulate. This showy insect is not represented in the British Museum, but there are two specimens in the Hope collection, one obtained by Bircliell from Sao Paulo, Brazil, the other by Bates from the Amazons. Size, 15 X 9 mm. * N.B. kfihVTot, crooked. 44 MEMURACIDjE. O Genus: ENCHOPHYLLUM. Amyot et Serville, Stal., Fowler, B.C.A. p. 7. Pronotal horn variable in Icngtli, but more or less pointed forwards. Stal sub- divides this genus into Phyllotropis, Enclienopa, and Tropidocera. The species are represented in North, Central, and South America. The Biologia Cen. Amer. figures three of these, but the type E. rniriildlinn is not included in the descriptive list of that work. ... ^ The chief difference between this and the next genus, Enclienopa, appears to consist in the absence in the hitter, of a carina behind the pronotal horn. Nevertheless, this horn, curved downwards, with a carina of variable length, is also seen in some species of Enclienopa. I must leave it for the present for others to decide whether these characters are sufficiently important to make them generic. I think it now best in this respect to follow Canon Fowler's lead. (Plate IV. figs. 5 and 5a.) KnclwphiiUnm. crmntalunn, Germ. Silb. Rev. Ent. iii. 22fi ; Am. Serv. Ilemip. W?A (Plate ix. fig. ?,). Ol'hyllotropls, Stfd. Vet. Akad. Handl. (2) 8 (I), p. 02 ; Fowler, B.C.A. p. 7. Pronotal crest much as in Memhracis fasciata, but furnished in front with a strong black curved horn carinated at the sides. Colour bright crimson-red, with the horn springing from a black patch. This is succeeded by a broad black dorsal band, which is carried above the shoulders. The apex is red, with a black point. Body, legs and tegmina dense black. The last with a broad corrugated liinbus. First and second tibiaj spatulate ; the last pair simple and finely serrated. Size, 14 to 12 mm. from tip of horn to end of tegmina. Habitat. — Kio de la Plata, Brazil. Figured from an example in the British Museum. 0 ENCHOPHYLLUM MELALEUCUM. (Plate IV". figs. 5 to 5c.) Knclwphyllxmi melaleucuin, Fowler, Tab. I. figs. 7 to 7b, p. 7. ^Enclienopa melanoleuca, Walk., I.e. Ins. Sand. p. 51) ; Fowler, plate ii. fig. 7. ^Tropidocera meUdeuca, Stal. Sooty-black, with a white spot on the metopidiurn and two others on the dorsum. The carina behind the horn is well marked. This insect has a great resemblance to E. notata, but it is larger. MEMBEACID.l':. 45 There are llirce specimens thus niiirked in the Hope Collection, fiom one of which my figure is taken (Mier's Coll.). Size, i;3 X () mm. Jlri/jifal. — Guatemala and South America. •^ENUUOPIIYLLUM MACUJ.ATUiM. (Plato IV. fig. 7.) ^ A'lichenopa mucaliUu, Walk. Smaller than I'Jiic/iujj/ii/llinii iiiacii/aliiM and far less crim.=on in coloin-. 'I'lie two principle sijots are orange yellow, that near the eye and that near the posterior point of the pronotum whiter; legs black; tegmina rather greyer. Size, 8x5 mm. Mier's Coll. in Hope Museum. Jfahitdt. — South America. Canon Fowler describes and figures two new species, viz., Vi*. al/jidinii, Tab. T. fig. 8, and X dnblum, Tab. I. fig. 9, both grey in colour. He figures also'!/i. mchilciinun of Walker, and w.oie.^'E. trimacidatiim, of Sti"il, as belonging to Tropidocera. Fairmaire unites Enchophyllum and Enchenopa to the comprehensive genus, ^Membracis, notwithstanding their different aspects. Gknus: enchenopa. <^NCIIENOPA, Am. et Scrville. Walker, Fowler, Goding. Pronotum carinated in the middle of the back, and furnished with a compressed horn anteriorly set at an angle. Lateral carinte abbreviated. Fairmaire merges this genus into jMembracis and he follows Burmeister, by placing it without generic rank in the second section Ensatce. It is difficult to see that. the presence or absence of the above cephalic process should have so little import. Stal, on the other Land, cuts up the genus into three, viz., Enchenopa, Campy- lenchia and Tritropidia. But the genus is so closely united with %nchophyllum that one may hesitate to split it off into more subdivisions. I commence with Amyot's type. C7E^'0HEN0PA LANCEOLATA. (Plate IV. fig.s. 8 to 8a, and Plate V. fig. 1.) '^ KnchenoiM lanceolala, Fowler, B.C. A. p. 9. Fab. Jfemhracis lanceolata. Fairin. I.e. p. 251 'Enchenopa lanceolata, Walk. List of Ilomopt. Ins. p. 481. OKncliophyllum {'J'rojudoccra) lanceolatum, Stal. Vet. Akad. Handl. (2) 8, (1) p. i;2 (LSUll). Pronotum produced anteriorly into a straight, blunt, short horn, having four or 4fi MEMBRACID.'E. more carinre, the posterior part ending in a sharp point, slightly projecting beyond the abdomen ; abdomen free from the pronotum, robust and ringed ; colour slate- grey or black ; hind-legs stout with coarse serratures ; bi'own. ' Pronotum much punctured, black, with a conspicuous ochreous spot, succeeded by a smaller one, near the apex, which last is sharp and black. Tegmina black or dark slate-colour, each having a broad corrugated limbus ; wings more transparent. The frontal portion of the pronotum is straight, and falls perpendicularly to the eyes. 'J'cgmina witli four open apical areas. Although this insect appears to be typical. Canon Fowler expresses much difficulty in its identification. Tie says it is much mixed in collections, and even thinks it probable that it is a variation of^. h'motata to be described afterwards. Size, 16 X 9 mm. llahUat. — Columbia. Figure drawn from a specimen in the B.M. Collection. ■^ENCHENOPA MONOOEROS. (Plate IV. figs. 9 to 91).) m. et Serv. p. 5.30. Memh Pronotum conical in front ; perpendicular from the head ; concolorous cinnamon- brown, except near the apices of the tegmina, where it is paler. Sometimes also a yellowish patch occurs before the hinder end of the pronotum. Tarsi ochreous- brown. This description only in part agrees with that given by Fairmaire, but it is the average often or more specimens in the Hope and the B.M. Collections. OE. moiioccros forms the type insect for Enclicnopa of Am. et Serv. Size, 9x5 mm. Hahifaf. — llio, Brazil. ^ENCHOPHYLLUM DUBIUM, Fowler. (Plate V. fig. 2.) Enclwphylluvx dubium, Fowler, Tab. I. figs. 9, 9a, 9b, p. 8. There is a proximity in this insect to the genus E/ic/ienojja, and it seems to be particularly close to E. alhodorsmi, which, however, is differently coloured. My drawing is from an example kindly lent to me by Canon Fowler. Size, 8x5 mm. Ilahitdt. — Vera Paz. MEMBUACIl).!^. 4,7 ^ENOHENOPA iilNOTATA, Say. (Plate V. ligs. ;!, ;!u. $ and J .) EnchenojM binolata. ^lemliracis Unotatu, Say. Snc/wphi/llma binotaCiim, \Ve.-,t ; Fowler, U.C.A. Tub. 1. figs. lOa, 10b. This species varies in the sexes both in colour and size. Tlie male is dark shining slate-gre}', with two white or pale ochreous spots on the dorsal ridge of the pronotiun ; there is a pale patch behind the eye in both tiie sexes ; the female (Fig. 3a) is larger than the male, and the pronotal horn is larger, more curved, and more elevated from the back; the colour of the female is a warm ferruginous brown. This insect is fairly abundant from Quebec, New York, to Panama. Harris says it is injurious to vegetation (pp. 22i-2J4). There are three specimens labelled E//c/iOjj/ij/////M binotulum in Ihe Hope Collection : these are labelled by Westwood and by Asa Fitch as t and %. They, doubtless, both belong to Enchenopa. Sizes, G X 5 and 8 x G mm. QsNCHENOPA FULICA, Germ. (Plate V. tig. \.) Enchinopa fidica^ Germ, plate iv. fig. 28, Rev. Silb. iii. 225. J3rown, with two whitish dorsal spots : pronotal horns I'alcate and compressed ; flattened on each side ; slightly curved ; tegmiua warm brown, with paler neurations ; tibia; grey ; hind pair serrated. llubllat. — Amazons (Wollaston Collection). Size, 7x4 mm. My specimen is defective as to the pronotal horn. O ENCHENOPA NUTANS, (ierm. (Plate V. fig. 5.) /, . O ^ Encheiiopu nutans, Germ , Fowl. Tab. 1. fig. 18, p. 12. Meiubracia mitans, Germ. Gam2»jlenchia nutans, StSl. Robust, stout, shining ochreous, with a greyish tint above the pronotum, which has the dorsal ridge nearly straight from the procephalic horn to the posterior apex ; two first pair of legs pale, with reddish tarsi; the third pair with brown dots and serrated ; tegmina shining, with a broad limbus and reddish nervures. Stal, in subdividing Enc/icnojja, describes this insect under his genus Cuiiijjj/lcHc/iia. which appeal's to be an unnecessary complication. Size, 10 X 4 mm. From the Hope Collection. llahitcd. — Panama. 48 MEMBILWIDJ'^. (Plate V. figs. 0, Ca.) Large; general colour warm drab-brown. Proiiotum produced in front to a porrect blunt process, and carried posteriorly to a sliarp brown point ; tlie dorsal ridge nearly straight, with a conspicuous oblong saddle-like bi'ight yellow patch ; tlie female is much larger than the male, and has stouter legs; tegniina ratlier pointed, particularly in the male: each tegmen has a frilled or corrugated limbus at tlie circumference; the legs of the $ are longer, and tlie hind pair lias more strongly serrated tibito than the ?. Figured from broken specimens fixed on the same pin in the Hope Collection (Miers). This insect recalls to mind 7i'. hiiicco/ala. Size, ¥10x4;^8x3 mm. <^ENU1IEN0PA GLADIUS. (Plate V. figs. 7, 7a,) Eiichaiopa ijladiiis, Fab. Jlemhracis ijkuUits, Fab. Enchenopa ijladius, Stil., I.e. Vet. Ak. llaudl (!') 8, (1) p. 12. Fowler, p. 10, Tab. I. fig. 15. Pronotum, at the back, of a dusky-red, but with a fine copper-like lustre in a strong light; the procephalic horn long, flat, thin, and scooped when seen from the front: carinations five or more in number ; the horn projects forwards and is very erect ; bind legs serrated ; tarsi small and yellow ; tegmina dark brown. There is only one example in the Hope Collection, captured by Bates on the Amazons, and only one apparently, seen by Canon Fowler, whose figure fairly agrees with that I give ; but my specimen is rather larger. The thin porrect horn distinguishes this species from niost others of the genus. Size, 12x4 mm. Ilubital. — Amazons (Bates Coll.). ^ ENGHENOPA SERICEA, Walk. (Plate V. fig. 8, and Plate VI. fig. tl.) Walk. Ilomop. Ins. ii. p. 493 ; Fowler, Tab. I. fig. 13, p. 10. General colour warm ferruginous, with a violet glance ; whole insect sparsely covered with delicate white silky . hairs ; hind-femora slightly serrated ; recalls ^ E. iessclala. Size, from tip of pronotum to tip of tegniina 10 x 4, mm. llabiUd. — Cbilpaneingo, Pueraro, at 4000 feet ; Panama, Venezuela. MEMlillACIDJC. '19 (^^KNCllKNOPA SEllUATIPKS, n.s. (Plato V. fig. 9.) Pronotum bright I'eiTiigiuouij-recl, witli a dark curved proccphalic process having a brown carina and a wliitish dorsal streak, which ends in a black point ; tegmina dark olive-green or brown ; legs reddish, except the tibiie, which are greyish, with the hind pair strongly serrated. Size, 9x4 mm. Collected by Bates from the Amazons; llgurcd from an example in the Hope Coll. (Plate V. figs. 10 to 10b.) Walk. I.e. Horn. In. p. 181) (18il). General colour ferruginous-yellow, paler towards the tips of the tegmina; eyes and legs redder. Cephalic horn nearly straight from the dorsum, with two carinatious on each side; tip and base of the horn greyer; ends of the tegmina semi-transparent; hind tibiiR serrated and obscurely spotted. Veining raised above the membranes ; limbus broad and corrugated. My figure is rather greyer than usual. There are four examples in the 13.M. Collection. The insects somewhat recall J^. ijio/wceros, but the cephalic process is longer and more prone. Size, 9x4 mm. llabUul. — Venezuela. ^ENUIIENOPA TESSILATA, n.s. (Plate VI. fig. 1.) Very like E. luinaiiicn, afterwards dc-^cribed, but smaller and of a dirty brick-red colour, almost concolorous ; hind-tibiaj finely serrated ; pronotum not powdered with grey stellate dots like E. minaiiiai. There are several specimens, all with broken horns, in the Hope Collection from Rio, and Mexico, and also there are specimens collected by Miers in South America. Size, 8 X ;i mm. (^ENCIIENOPA LATIPES, Say. (Plate VI. figs. 2, 2a.) '^ Membiucis lalipes, Say., Germar, Fairmaire, [>. 252. Walk. I.e. p. 482. There are two specimens in the Hope Collection from New York, hilielled b}'^ oO MEMUUACrD.li. J , /, . ,, Westwood, one as E. reclidursKin, the other us i^'. Udipcu. There appears to be little difFerence between them. Notwithstanding the rather straighter dorsal ridge of the former, I conclude them both to be of the same species, and represented by my figure, which was made from an example in the British Museum Collection. The Hojje insects are marked "Asa Fitch." The horn is shortest in the male insect. Pronotal horn stout, and projecting horizontally, far beyond the head, rather recurved, with a marked carina, extending much beyond the wing insertion ; tcgmina with stout and rather coarse ncuration ; posterior apex of the prouotum rcachiug nearly to the extremity of the tegmina ; tibiiu of first and second pair of legs rather spatulate or dilated ; hind-legs the longest ; whole insect fulvous-brown, darker on the under-side ; frons squarish. Size, 0x4 mm, Figured from a specimen in the B.M. llabifat. — Pennsylvania. / There is another insect in the Hope Collection labelled E. latipcs. It is of a bright cinnamon-red, and may be distinct. This last insect was taken by Bates from the Amazons. •^ENCHENOPA AUROPICTA, n.s. (Plate VI. figs. 3, 3a, 3b.) Pronotura dark brown, with a bright orange-yellow oval patch on the dorsal edge, which patch is complete to the posterior extremity ; frons with an orange-yellow squarish stain, and also an irregular one of the same colour on the shoulders and round the insertions of the tegmina ; procephalic horn erect and slightly curved forwards ; thin as seen from the dorsal aspect, stouter from the profile ; tegmina dark greyish black ; hind-legs stout and slightly serrated. Several specimens of this marked insect are in the Hope Collection at Oxford. The hind pair of legs alone are visible from the dorsal view, and of course the eyes are hidden by the pronotum. Size, 10 X 5 mm. ; tegmina expanded = 14 x 7 mm. Hahital. — St. Vincenti. SiNOHENOPA IGNIDORSUM, Walk. (Plate VI. fig. 4.) Walk. I.e. Suppl. p. 124. '^[emhracis sellata, Stfil. I.e. p. 07. /'Jnclienopa ignidwsum. Fowler, Tab I. figs. 12, 12a, p. 10. O Smaller than i/'. anropicta. Entirely jet-black except the dorsum, which is covered MEM11HA0ID.E. 51 with a bright yellow patch, spotted ; frons without any yellow patches ; tegniina black ; nietopiclimn with three conspicuous keels. Size, 7x3 inni. Ildhitat. — Volcan dc Chiriqui, elovation '2000 to 3500 feet. ^^ ENCIIENOPA PORRECTA, n.s. (Pliifce VI. figs. 5, 5a, .'■)b.) Small, robust ; proceplialic horn stout, obtuse, blunt, curved forwards ; the first and second tibiui dilated, the hinder legs serrated ; tarsi fulvous ; pronotum in general colour red-ochreous, with a pale ochreous patch on the dorsum, interrupted in the middle by a dark spot; tegmina dense reddish-brown, the hind border dark brown ; procephalon densely punctured, as also is (he frons ; the abdomen of the female furnished with two valves including the saws. E.\treme length and breadth 8x4 mm. Habitat. — New York. d ENCIIENOPA SERICEA. (Plate VI. fig. fi.) Walk. List Homopt. Ins. ii. p. 41^!. Fowlor, B.C.A. Tab. I. fig. 1;^ Colour ferruginous red. Pronotum with a porrect horn, compressed. Insect clothed with yellow pubescence. Minutely punctured. The horn has three carinte in each side. Hind-tibire with stout spines; fore- tibiae spatulate. Underside black. Tegmina fuscous. Expanse of wings, 14 m.m. Jfabitaf. — Cuernavaca, Mexico, Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui, Venezuela. Figured, by permission, from the plate, as above described, in the J3.C.A. <9eNCHEN0PA MINAMEN, n.s. (Plate VI. figs. 7 to 7c.) Concolorous dark reddish brown, powdered with small grey stellate dots ; pronotum conical, ending anteriorly with a short truncated porrect process ; this pronotal portion is easily detached from the rest of the body of the insect ; dorsal ridge nearly straight, and much short of reaching the tips of the tegmina ; tegmina somewhat pointed and obscurely traversed by curved nervures ; legs weak, sordid ochreous, and only slightly spatulate. The neuration of the figured tegmina is abnormal, and leads to some doubt as to its genus being rightly assigned as above. Additional examples are desirable. Size, 9x3 ram. Habitat. — Cachabe, Ecuador; "low elevation" (Roscnburg, Nov. and Dec). 52 MEMBUACID.E. ^JNCHENOPA ANTONINA, Walk. Walk. I.e. p. 488. Tlii.s insect lias much the appearance or^. ^crnif/iiirn, and it may prove to be the female of that species. It is almost entirely ferruginous in colour, with red tibiic, but it has a black ringed body, the apex of which shows the usual female valvular opening which contains the saw apparatus. The cephalic process exhibits from above the carinations at the sides, very promi- ncntl3\ ''' ENCHENOPA NUTANS, Germ. Cumji'jhnchia nulans, Still. Enchenopa nutans, Fowl. Tab. I. figs, 18, 18a. Fowler remarks that this insect is allied to E. curvata. Stal makes ^'. ci/rrala synonymous witli^. anioninapE. venosa,^. densa and'^,^'. f)i(/ula, all of which are noted in Walker's List of Homop. Ins. ii., pp. 488-491. ^CavipyJcncltut is made by Stal a sub-genus of Encliciiopn. The following additional species are described or figured in the Biologia C.A. by Canon Fowler : EvchenojM mirtans, Fowl. Tab. I. figs. 11, Ua, jj. 9. j\[emhracis minans, Fairni. I.e. Plate IV. fig. ?>2. i>Enchn7io])a riigosa, Fowl. Tab. I. figs. 14, 14a, p. \0. Evchenopa mvUicarinata, Yov,'\- p. 11. ^Enchenopa africalis, Stal, p. 1 2. Vet. Ak. Handl. Band. viii. 18G0. A genus with small species WkQ^Unc/ienopa, with a rounded anterior pronotum, which is not furnished with a porrect horn ; dorsum usually furnished with three carinations ; discoidal areas three ; limbal border of tegmeii broad, corrugated, and often hyaline. I have not seen Mcnifjiricis torva, Germ., which is typical of the genus. %ROPIDOCYTA SALLyEI, Fowler. (Plate VII. fig. 1.) Trojndocyta sallai, Fowler, Tab. I. iig.s, 19, 10a, p. 1". ''^Bolhonoia sallai (Vienna Museum?). Short ; fusco-ferruginous ; apical portion of the tegniina abruptly hyaline ; central and two side carinse strongly marked ; legs ferruginous. Figured from a specimen in Canon Fowler's Collection. Size, 5x3 mm. llahUfit. — Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Caldern ; 1200 feet elevation. MEMBRACID.E. 53 <^'ROPIDOUYTA SUUUEDANII, ii.s. (Plate A"II. figs. ■> to 2c.) Pronotiun rounded in front ; sub-perpendicular to the frons ; dorsal ridge straight and horizontal to the apex ; obscure amber-colour, punctured ; pronotum with one central keel or carina and a shorter one on each side ; metopidium with two small depressions above each eye ; hind-tibi;u serrated ; tegmina obscurely grey ; the apex of pronotum reaches much short of the tegmina. Size, G X 8 mm. Miers Coll. ; Hope Museum. llahitut. — -S. America. <^TROriJ)OCYTA MINOR, n.s. (Plate VII. figs. ;!, Ha.) Small ; metopidium, rising at first perpendicularly to the back, and then sloping without protuberances to the posterior apex ; pronotum as long as the abdomen ; colour sordid-ochreous, with a brown patch at the dorsum, followed by a smaller patch and a still smaller one before the black point ; tegmina quite hyaline, with strong yellow neuration, and a broad limbus at the edges of the four apical areas ; legs 3'ellowish ; the second femora spatulatc. Size. 4 X ;l mm. lldhUal. — S. America (Miers Coll.). OTROPIDOCYTA GUYANENSIS, n.s. (Plate VII. figs. 4 to 4c.) Allied to T. minor, but has the tegmina dense instead of sub-hj'aline and with a ferruginous apical part, and limbus ; the basal part black ; the pronotum has only a single broad ochreous fascia, and the frons between the eyes is undulate or wavy instead of plane. The neuration is much less distinct than in'-^. minor. The three specimens in the Hope Collection rather vary in colour. Size, G X 4 mm. Ildhitcif. — Guana and Amazons (Bates). 0 TROPIDOCY^TA PUNCTIPES, n.s. (Plate VII. figs. 5, ub.) Eather large ; fore part of the pronotum roundly acute ; dorsum straight ; general colour bright yellow, tinged with red and greenish-grey; abdomen and lower parts fuscous ; tegmina sub-acute at the apices, Avith broad borders ; hind II 54. MEMBRACIBJE. tibire long, ochreous, with a double row of black spots. Viewed from the back the prouotum shows one central and two side carinre. Size, 8x4 mm. Hope Coll. (Miers). Sub-divisions of genera may be carried too far, particularly in cases where characters run one into another. They often require individual arbitration to settle even the species. Stal unfortunately is often obscure in the definitions of his new genera, and mostly he fails in stating the species he takes for his typo. As to Tropidocera he says: "Thorax minus elevatus, dorso minus late foliaceous, iinterices angulum, apice, rotundatam," &c. &c. Vet. Akad. Handl. (2) viii. p. 41 (18G9). Undue multiplication of genera much harasses the student, and it leads to an involved synonymy. Tropidocera is not included in Canon Fowler's "Monograph of Membracidte," and it is not to be confounded with the previous Genus Tropidocyta. Genus :^LEI0CYTA, Fowler. This genus has Ijeen separated from Tropidocyta by Canon Fowler, chiefly from the number of the carina; on the pronotum, and more characteristically from the iegmina showing two instead of three discoidal cells. I have not found these last areas easy to distinguish. About twelve species of Tropidocyta have been noted from America, and of these as examples of Leiocyta, Fowler o^xxoifiiPL. pallidijjcinu-'i (Stal), L. roniittuhi (Stal), and ^L. miida, all of which are figured in the J3.C.A. No venation is there drawn which would help much in their diagnosis. ^ LEIOCYTA CORNUTULA, Stfil. (Plate VII. figs. G, Ca, (lb.) '^ Ldoojia cormdvla, Fowler, Tab. I. fig. 22, 22a, p. II. Tropidocyla coniufula, 8t:il. The peculiarity of this species is the very short porrect horn on the prouotum. It is not certain whether this adjunct is simply a sexual character. Jj. puUkli- jjonnh may prove to be the i sex of L. coniiiliila (•>■«' Fowler, p. 14.) Copied by permission from the B.C. A. Leiocyta shows only two discoidal areas {j-'idc Plate VII. tig. Gb.) Size, G X 3 mm. Jlabilal. — jMexico. MEMBlLWID.-a. 55 O Genus: TYLOPELTA, Fowler. B.C.A., p. 15. Small insects distinguished by the \v;ivy and uneven outline ol' the pronota, which, instead of being- nearly straight, are cut out in the middle and bel'ore tlie apex. Tegniiua with three discoidal areas and live sub-oblong apical. Tiiis genus has a close alliance with Tropidocyta on the one hand, and Bolbonota on the other. '^ TYLOPELTA GIBBERA, Stal. (Plate VII. lig. 7.) T>jlo}>ella yibbera. Fowler, Tab. II. figs. 1, la, p. 15. Trojndocyla yibhera, StSl Small ; general colour pale mottled umber-brown ; dorsal ridge very sinuous and rugged ; tegmina short and round at the apices, with two clear hyaline spots at the upper and the lower outer margins. Size, 4x3 mm. Several habUals are given in the B.C. A : as Te.xas, Mexico, Vera Cruz, Guatemala, Panama. Imagoes occur in January. ^TYLOPELTA EXUSTA, n.s. (Plate VII. figs. 8 to Sd.) Small, irregularly globose ; dorsal ridge very sinuous, rough, and sulcated, hirsute ; pronotum warm brown, concolorous with the tegmina, which last seem to be almost ■conterminous with it ; wjngs very small ; body black, robust, and ringed ; middle tibiie broadly spatulate and pubescent ; hind-tibiie slender and strongly serrated ; frons with the ocelli on a line above the level of the eyes ; antenna.- obvious. Like T. (jibbcr. II. fig. 15a-lj. [i. L'.j 11. iilf/rrrima, n.s. Tab. II. iig. 14 1 -la, p. 25.^//. ojialiiia, n,s. Tal). II. fig. I (J p. 2G, aud^//. ronHia/a, Fab. Sysi. lUiyncii. Fowl. Tab. II. lig. 17a b. The type ibrms of /Echmophora, Stal, should be referred to'^I'hylia, but Fowler thinks that'wrr/i. coronuht should range under Hypsopi'ora. 0 lIYPSOPliOllA INSIGNIH, n.s. (riatcVIII. fig«. C, Oa.) Colour ochreous-yellow ; pronotum finely punctured with fuscous spots, particularly' on i'n' dorsal and the frontal ridges; procephalon erect, flattened when seen in prolile, and furnished with side-carinic ; dorsum with a slight rising in the middle, procephalon not serrated like II. coroiiala, but terminated abruptly downwards ; not acute ; tegmina broad and rounded at the tips ; neuration obscure ; first and second tibia3 slightly spatulate and ochreous ; the apex of the procephalon not laterally expanded into a hsh-tail outline. Size, 7 X G mm. Collected by Bates in the Amazons ; Hope Museum. ^ HYPSOPRORA CORONATA. (Plate VIII. fig.s, 7, 7a.) / O 0, . Jlijlisopwra ciiroiittla, Ih)w1. Tali. II. figs. 17, 17a, 1 71-), p. -'<>. J^fcmhmcia coroiiala, Fab. I'lenjijia coronata, Stal. "J'^chinophora coronata, Stfil. '•''rierij(jia vuria, Walk. Upper portion ochreous-yellow ; head and body fuscous ; the procephalon erect, flattened, and expanded at the tip when seen in front into a triangular plate like a fish-tail, but in profile seen as a broad blade, serrated at the hinder-edge ; tegmina yellow ; fore front-tibire broadly spatulate and spotted ; a tubercle or hump between the shoulders ; dorsum spinose. Size, 4x3 mm. Hope Collection. 60 MEMURACID.E. 'IIYPSOPRORA ANATINA, Fowler. (Plate IX. figs. l,ln.) lli/psopromanalina, Fowler; I.e. Talj. II. fig.s. Ill, Ida. rronuiuin willi a Iiiyli and erect ceplialic liorn, wliicli is murli dilated in tlic middle, and has a strong central carina ; dorsum sinuous, but with no marked pro- tuberance ; edge finely setose from the apex to the summit. Colour fusco-ferruginous, obscurel}^ blotched with a whitish secretion. Tegmina obscure!}' punctured ; rufous, spotted with dark grey; eyes large, and seated in circular rims; froiis long ; tibia grc}', with rufous spots. Size, 4x4 or G x 4 mm. JJa/ji/al.—VAVVAWV.x, ]]ugaba ; 3000 feet (Champion). Figured from Canon Fowler's private Collection. HYPSOPRORA CASSIS,* n.s. (Plate IX. fig. 2 6 ■) I'ronotum and the general colour dark brown ; frons hirsute and separated from the procephalon (mclopidium ?) by an arched suture ; legs dark brown, but pilose, and rufous in some lights ; tibia rather ilattcned. The figure is drawn from a specimen collected by Wollaston. I conclude it to be a male, as it wants the large valves, drawn in the [ilate repre- senting the female insect. lluhitat. — North Australia. If this locality be rightly given, the occurrence of the species so far removed from America is interesting. Size, G X 5 mm. ^ HYPSOPRORA CASSIS, n.s. ? . (Plate IX. figs. :•,, .".a.) Concolorons, ochreous yellow ; procephalon Hat, and shaped like that of II. iiifihjnix, but the apex is broadly expanded laterally, like a fish tail, when seen in front view ; the dorsum has a pointed protuberance between the shoulders, and the pronotum is tinged with yellow, and extended to the tail ; legs fulvous and sub- spatulate ; tegmina as in //. iiisif/iiis. This insect, collected by Wollaston, is a female. In one aspect the pronotum has the form of an ancient helmet, whence the above specific name is suggested. Size, 7 X 5 mm. /Az/y//^//.— North Australia. * Fiom Cassis, a helmet. MEMIULiCUhK. t. Vincent. Drawn from a sinyle specimen in the Hope Coll. The following- species are named by Fairmairc ov by iStal, but I have iu)t seen thoin for drawing purposes. Mv. Kirby thinks they may be referred to the present genus llypsoprova. J[ijpsoprora pileuta, Fairm. I.e. p. 2(;G, Tab. VII. fig. 28, Colombia; Ifypsoprura cijlindricorniti, I.e. Still, J). 277, Bogota; Jfi/psoprvra ttiherosu, I.e. I''aiitn. j). 2(1(!, Coiientes ; ' J/ijpsoproi-a capUiita, I.e. Fairm. p. 2(!7, Colombia; Jli/psopiwa hijida. I.e. Faiim. p. 207, Cayenne. N.B. — ]I. Iii/jcrosa of Slal, I.e. p. 27, of Bogota, does not seem to be /-*. InhiTOHU of Fuirmaire, who puts these two insects iuto his genus Pterij(jia. Genus : "BOLBONOTA. (Am. ot Serv. I.e. p. ^)ol .) OMembnicis, Gmu. Uarm. S-'CeiilJolus, Vii])i: i^'Tclmplali/s, \\'n]k. I.e. ii. p. .'.lO; Jlolljuiwla, HUi]. ; Fair- maire. I.e. p. 2.")7 ; Fowler IxC.A. p. l.'i. Tills genus is in form very unlike all those which have been ]M-eviously described, yet gradations between the comprised species are so gentle, that their connection with the Membracidas cannot be well doubted. The species consist of small globose insects. When at rest their legs are quite concealed under their bodies, but when moving they appear like brown or black creeping corrugated seeds. Their dense colours make it dillicult to draw them satisfactorily, even with the help of a strong reflected light. 62 MEMBRACID.^. Sufficient material is not. yet available, but wlien such is otlevecl a pii+'ont revision of the group will suggest a subdivision more or less natural in character than that here given. Dr. Goding* has already separated it thus: TuuEitcuxoTA. — Pi .steiior process of the iirouotum fuii]i>lie(l with a hiyh or a more or less coiiipressed spine or tubercle. BoLBONOTA. — Prothorax rugose and carinated, not foliaceoiis ; body globular, tegmina ^vitll short irregular cells; dorsum slightly bisiiuiate. The general characters may be stated thus : Pronotum sub-acuminate posteriorly, with the sides sinuous ; surface rough, corrugated and sometimes carinated ; tegmina rounded at their tips with irregular rhomboidal areas, and occasionally variegated with yellow or whitish spots ; general colour of the insects sombre brown or black; front tibia sometimes spatulate ; the hind legs often prismatic. Canon Fowler figures five species of Bolbonota in the B.C.A., and notes that the species known are confined to Central and Tropical America, except J), ((uroxcricca, which occurs in North Auicrica. Tentatively I here group Bolbonota: 1. Tegmina scmi-membranaceous. '^B. ^ylicaia,' B. qnadripuuclala, 11. insi'jnis. 2. Tegmina wholly membranaceous. '7». trimalis, B. diyesla. 3. Tegmina densely coriaceous. ^B. aiomaria,'B. qiiitique-lineata. i. Tejrmina semi-coriaceous. ^7?. luzonica'. B. grisea. '^BOLBONOTA INSIGNIS, Fowler. (Plate IX. fig. 5, 5a.) (Fowler, B.C.A. Tab. II. fig. 2, 2a, 3 var. p. 17.) Broad and shining; head comparatively smooth; pronotum convex, almost arcuate ; remotely punctured, and furnished with transverse carintu ; lower margin of dorsum nearly straight ; abdomen greyer black, and much ringed ; tegmina clouded with brown at the bases and tips ; neuration brown, with a brown spot in the centre of each cellule. Difference of locality may explain the comparative small- ncss of my insect. Size, 4x3 mm. Hahiial. — Vera Cruz (Miers). Differs somewhat in colouring and in size from the figure given by Fowlei-. * See "Synopsis of American Membracida'," Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, vol. xix. p. 258. MKMBIlACWyE. 63 BOLBONOTA PLIOATA, n.s. (Phito IX. figs. G, (Ki.)* Small, robust ; general colour grey-black or slate-grey ; pronotum thrown into I'okls, the midclle portion plicatetl and notched ; the posterior end blunt, and reaching over about two-thirds tiie abdomen ; legs black, with small yellow spots ; tibiiu ol' the second and third pair strongly serrated, but not spatulate ; abdomen stout, and distinctly ringed; tegmina short, rounded at the tips, with a corrugated limbus ; apical areas four or five, and in colour grey, the rest of the membrane brownish, with six or seven yellow spots, which give the disc a brocaded appearance ; wings rounded at the tips and with fine veining enclosing four apical areas. Size, :i X 2 mm. JIa/jilaf. — Cachabe, Ecuador. B0LJ50N0TA FLAVOPUNCTA, n.s. Very like the preceding, but the pronotal carinic could not be clearly seen in the specimen examined ; tips of the tegmina pale ochreous, with five fulvous spots in the middle of the disc, and four others nearer the base ; the rest of the membrane rich brown ; tibia) of the hind legs serrated ; no tibi;u are spatulate ; eyes large ; rostrum as long as the body ; tegmina without limbi. Size, 4x2 mm. From the Hope Coll. (Miers). lla/jilal (?) ^BOLBONOTA GRISEA, n.s. (Plate IX. fig. 7.) Smaller than B. luzoiiica, the next species to be described ; colour ashy-grey ; pronotum without dorsal carinations ; tegmina one-third pale from the tips, the other two-thirds dark brown ; abdomen with the segments edged with white. The legs both of this and of B. hizonica show but little of the spatulate character seen in the ordinary species of Bolbonota. Size in expanse of the wings, 6x3 mm. Hahitat. — Philippines, H. Cuming (Hope Coll.). * The different iijipearance and the non-spatu late tibiiu of this and the following species may- suggest a new genus, called provisionally, XanthosticUi. On account of the facies of this insect, it is here ranged wndev^ llolbonota, but see Plerijyia Jlavopimcta, footnote, page 75, where a similar example is figured, and more fully desciibcd. 64 MEMBBAGIDJ!:. '"'BOLBONOTA LUZONICA, Westw. ( S ) (Plate IX. fig. 8.) Head wide with prominent eyes; pronotum with :i sliarp pointed apex; the dorsal part witli three rough carinjo separated hy deep furrows or sulci ; tegnilna roundish, orange-hrown with whitisli tips followed by brownish stains near tlie apices ; one-tliird near the basis dark brown ; wings delicate and hyaline, with four radials and no limbus. E.xpanse, 7x3 mm. Taken by II. Cuming, Escj., in the Pliilippine Islands. It is named by Westwood, in tlie Hope Coll. 0 BOLBONOTA TRIVIALIS, n.s. (Plate X. fig. 1.) Pronotum without carinations ; metopidium and part of the dorsum ochrcous ; teginina dark brown witli coarse but obscure neuration ; the wings ample and hyaline. In the figure tliese wings are seen spread outside the tegmina; legs scarcely, if at all, spatulate. This somewliat obscure insect is figured as being an example taken in the Philippine Islands of a genus usually thought to be exclusivcl}' American. Size, ."^ X 2 mm. Taken by IT. Cuming (Hope rjoll). Hahilat. — Luzon. ^BOLBONOTA DIGESTA, n.s. (Plate X. fig. 2.) Globose; pronotum with a nearly straight dorsal ridge and straight lower margin ; apex projects a little short of the rounded and ringed abdomen. Colour grey black; tegmina smokj^-brown, witli darker cloudings; second jjair of tibity broad and spatulate ; the third tibia3 longest and coarsely serrated ; tarsi yellow and very weak. Size, 4 X .3 mm. Mier's Coll. : in the Hope Museum. llahildl. — llio Janeiro. MEMBRACIDyE. -^BOLBONOTA QUADRIPUNCTATA, n.s. (Plate X. tig. 3 to Se.) General colour grey-black, punctured ; pronotura with six obscure indentations, forming deep ridgos on the dorsum ; apex truncated; tegmina dark purplish-browu) with paler 3'ellowish neuration, and having two conspicuous white spots on each disc ; nervures fringed with golden hairs ; antennje obvious. Ilind-tibiio prismatic and strong!}' toothed ; forc-tibitu spatulatc with yellow tarsi. Size of body 3x2 mm. PIopc Coll. (Miers). Ilahitaf. — Brazil. Except from tlieir minuteness, some of these Eolbonotio might recall the forms of the Bombi or humble-bees. ^ BOLBONOTA QUINQUE-LINEATA, n.s. (Plate X. fig. \) Globose ; small and uniformly umber-brown ; pronotum very rugose, with one central and two lateral ridges or carinjc on each side near the anterior part of the pronotum. The dorsal outline shows one small rounded protuberance near the pointed apex of the posterior end, and a smaller one before the same. Tegmina short, brownish-red, obscurely veined and with rounded apices ; second tibia3 large and spatulate. Size 4x3 mm. Miers Coll. Hope Mu.s. BOLBONOTA ATOMARIA, Walk. (Plate X. fig. 5, 5a, 5b.) Small, coal-black, shining; finely punctured ; very rugose ; pronotal apex sharp, but not reaching to the tips of the tegmina ; the wings are inconspicuous, and lie very closely to the abdomen ; first and second tibiie spatulate ; hind tibite simple, but serrated; metopidium with five cariu;e ; tarsi ferruginous. Size 4x3 mm. Pascoe Coll. in the B.M. Ilabital. — llio Janeiro, S. America. K 66 MEMBRACIBM. •^"feOLBONOTA TETER, n.s. (Plate X. fig. 6, Ga.) Large, almost uniformly shining black ; much punctured ; dorsum with a small round tubercle rising above and between the shoulders, and another larger tubercle in the middle of the dorsum ; posterior apex rather blunt, and reaching nearly to the tegminal tips ; tegmina black, with dusky brown and sub-hyaline tips ; metopidium perpendicular; eyes small. This species lias allinities with llypsoprora, and from its comparatively large size possibly it might be thought to be better there placed. Size 8x4 mm. Hcpe Museum (JNliers Coll.). Habitat. — Brazil. / BOLBONOTA OUNEATA, Fowler. (Plate X. fig. 7.) Fowler, B.O.A. I.e. Tab. II. figs. 4, 4a, 4b. Small, black and shining ; coarsely punctured ; pronotum cuneiform ; tegmina black, with the central part more hyaline ; apical margin almost unicolorous. Has some affinity wWXGB. imipiis. Copied by permission from the B.C. A. Size 3x3 mm. Habitat. — Buguba, British Honduras; Costa llica, Panama. •^OLBONOTA CORRUGATA, Fowler. (Plate X. fig. S.) Fowler, I.e. Tab. II. fig. fi, Oa, p. ID. Not unlike B. in>ii BOLBONOTA RUBRITABSA, n.s. Tegmina with large costal horny patches, approaching here to tlie characters of a true Hemipteron ; the membrane stained yellow and brown, each wing having a MEMBIIACID^E. 67 broad limbus ; abdomen deeply ringed ; pronotiun strongly carinuted; second tibito dilated, with red tarsi; Iiind legs long and coarsely serrated. Hope Mnscuin (Miers). Habitat. — 8. America. Tlie following species are described by anthors, but I have had no opportunity for studying their identification. Their names have been kindly given to me by Mr. W. F. Kirljy. O Bolhonola (jlobosa, Fairm. I.e. p. 2^1, Colombia. O „ pusilla, Fairm. I.e. p. 258, Colombia. Q „ melfina, Germ. I.e. iii. p. 22fl ; Fairm. I.e. p. 2.'')8, Brazil. O „ aurosericeti, StSI, I.e. p. 24, Rio Janeiro. jj „ jlavicans, Fairm. I.e. p. 258, Brazil. ^ „ nisus, Germ. I.e. p. 22'J ; Fairm. I.e. p. 250, pi. iv. fig. 8. , „ pictipennis, Fairm. I.e. 258; Fowler, I.e. p. 18, Moxieo. , „ kevior, var.. Fowler, I.e. p. 18. ^ „ iimmispicua, Fowler, tab. ii. fig. 5, p. 1 7. Q „ cm'ruyuta, var. minor, Fowler, tab. ii. fig. I!, p. 18. ^ „ in(i'cji((dis, Fowler, tab. ii. fig. 17, p. I 'J. <^Genus: BOLBONOTODES, Fowler. Allied to Bolbonotii, but larger; upper surface very rough and carinate; the tegmina have five apical and ibur discoidal areas ; the wings have five apical areas. In Bolbonota the tegmina have five apical and two discoidals ; the wings also have only four apicals. <^ BOLBONOTODES GANGLBAUERI, Fowl. (Plate X. fig. 9, 9a, 91).) Fowler, Tab. II. fig. 8, 8a, isb, p. 21 ». "A distinct and extraordinary insect, difficult to describe." My figures are copied from the B.C. A., kindly permitted by the authors. Size G X 4 mm. Ualntat. — Orizaba, Mexico. 68 MEMBEACIDyE. J PTERYGIA. Notwithstcinding all that has been written, the doctrine that every organ of an animal has some connection with its beneficial economy must be put aside. A com- petent authority remarks, that not one of the higher animals can be named which does not show, in some part of its body, a rudimentary condition.* Yet the interest- ing fact remains, that even when an organ is prejudicial to the welfare of an animal, it is not necessarily suppressed. Apparently useless organs, like the mammjc of the male, still persist through ages of possible modification. From the law of Causation we must infer that all eff"ect is the result of purpose, unless wo adopt the illogical and inefficient doctrine of Necessity. Intelligence, we may think, should not produce what we may conceive to be effete organs. Do we not thus argue from imperfect premises? Unfortunately, as to the development of the Membracida?, we are without any testimony of their existence in the rocks ; for they seem to contain no fossil remains, either adult or larval, to show us the processes of either evolution or degeneration. Yet there would appear to be no adequate reason why such forms should not figure in the great insect deposits of America, and particularly in those districts where the living insects are now so plentifully scattered. It has been said that no animal form which has once become extinct can again arise: this may be rather a hazardous statement to make.t The insect productions of East Africa, at one time supposed to be unique and peculiar to the island of Madagascar, can now be met with on the coast round about Natal and Zanzibar. To meet this and similar facts, Darwin explains that species that were once widely distributed, sometimes have sufi"ered much extinction in their struggles fur existence. Isolated species and genera, it is suggested, may thus be the sole existing remnants of a once numerous group. The extraordinary structural additions to the pronota of Pterygia and other genera are not confined to a few Membracidse developed in sporadic centres. They occur over wide areas, separated by deserts, seas, and mountain ranges. ^Genus: PTERYGIA, Laporte. Ann. Soc. Fr.ance, i. p. 221 (18.^2); Fairm. I.e. p. 2C,?,; Stfil, Ofv. Vet. Akad. p. 27fi ; Fowler, B.C. A. p. 23 ; W.nlk. List. Iloniop. ii. p. 409, Siippt. p. 127 ; Notocera. Amyot. ot Scrv. I.e. Hemip. p. 530. Head sloped (echancrce) on each side and scooped ; eyes large ; ocelli placed close to the eyes, and near the prothorax ; pronotum rugose, tuberculate and generall}- * "Descent of M.an,"' vol. i. p. 17. t See this subject discussed by W. F. Kirby, "Evolution .and Natur.al Theology," p. 11 fi (1883). MEMBRA CIBJE. (!0 spinous; snpralmineral processes of variable lono-tlis; dorsum witli two or else tliree tubercles, blunt at their summits, and unequal in size. The known species of the genus hitherto described arc all inhabitants of America. Fairmaire divides the genus into three sections : A. Cornea luiiiKSrales, tr6s saillantes. 15. C'orne.s ti'6s courtes ou riidimcntaiics. (J. Prothoni.Y renfl(S au-dessus de la tcte. Walker notes twenty-three species represented in the British Museum Collection. Stal divides the group into four genera, viz. : 1. Notocera ; 2. Pterygia; 3. Jlypso- prora; 4. i'Echmophora : whicli last probably is the same as Philya, and should be separated from Pterygia of Fairmaire. Canon Fowler adds and desci-ibes P. bUuho-cidala and /-*. cerolccjjn as new species, p. 24. It may be noted that Pterygia may or may not have humeral processes, but the encephalon always has two suprahumeral horns which may be either branched, cleft, clavate or truncate. The tendency to develop budding horns below the suprahumeral processes is well shown in Pterygia. The angular prominences which might be called the humeral points are markedly seen in P. ceroicejjs and in P. anelina. The suprahumerals in reality belong more to the characters of the encephalon, which will be better seen in the later genera Cyphonia and Bocydium. 0 PTERYGIA ARIETINA, Fairm. (Plate XI. fig. 1.) Gcrmar, Oxyrhacbis Rev. Silb. III. p. 308 ; Fairm. P. arielma, I.e. p. I'fi;!. Pronotum with two short truncated suprahumeral processes ; metopidium per- pendicular, rough, with minute spines; dorsum spinous, with a single conical protuberance; tibia- spatulate, but not broadly so ; hind tibi;c fimbriated; colour sooty-black, with white fnr-like patches powdered with black dots ; tegmina warm reddish-brown, likewise flecked with white; abdomen krge. Size 5 X 4 mm. From the B.M. Coll. Unblldl. — llio Janeiro, Brazil. ^1 PTERYGIA CERVICEPS, Fowler. (Plate XL fig. 2.) Fov.ler I.e. Tab. II. figs, li', 12n, p. 21. General colour sordid brown, sparsely patched with white pilose matter, with interspersed dots; supraliumeral processes longer tliau those shown in the insect 70 MEMBBACIBJE. marked P. sn/ajias of the E.M. Collection ; thickest at their apices, and slightly cleft; dorsum with three tubercles slightly spinose; the central tubercle the largest; tegmina reddish-brown and unspotted ; tibite greyish-fuscous. Size 6x5 mm. Habit at. — Panama, Bugaba, Caldera ; 1200 feet elevation. rPTEllYGIA llISrihA, Fainn. (riatexi. fig. ;;.) Fairm. I.e. i^p. if^'s-1 . Brown, covered more or less with a greyish coat; suprahumerals truncated. Pronotum prolonged into three elevations, the first of which is placed as a small point at the base of the humeral processes. Size 5 mm. Hope Coll. : Westwood. Uabiiat. — Colombia, Colorado, Celebes (Gory). , PTERYGIA POSTICA, cJ.n.s. (Plate XI. fig.s. 5, oa.) Small ; metopidium convex, with two rather short suprahumeral processes, flat, curved, notched at their tips, and spinous ; the pronotum rises into a small spinous hump, and then is carried backwards at an angle, where a larger protuberance is developed, the surface of which is reticulated like that of a small fir-cone ; this part of the pronotum rises clear from the dorsum, as is often seen in Centrotus ; abdomen cut into rings, and ending with an obtuse apex; tegmina obscure brown, with a faint neuration ; wings hyaline ; tibise flattened, bat not markedly so. The female is larger, and has orange spots on the abdomen. Sizes respectively 4x5 and 5x5 mm. PTERYGIA POSTICA, n.s. ? (?) (Plate XI. figs. 4, 4a.) Body furnished with numerous small yellowish spinules ; pronotum black, with two erect suprahumeral processes, bluntly truncated at the tips ; the dorsum spinous, with a large rounded posterior hump, which is broadly honeycombed on the surface, and rises almost over the region of the tail ; abdomen black, witii obscure yellow MEMBRACID^. 71 Spots ; legs large, robust, with the tibiio slightly spatulale ; tegmina brown ; wings hyaline. Size 5x5 mm. Hope Coll. : Westwood. y/r//;//r//._Maiiila, Philippine Ishmds. PTERYGIA ILEMONFACA, ii.s. (Plato Xr. fig. 0.) Uniformly black ; very spinose ; pronotum diUited between the suprahumerals, which are flattened, scooped out, and truncated at the tips ; the dorsum with an erect blunt tubercle, much si)ined ; head large ; clypeus foliaceous and more fuscous in colour ; fore and middle tibiae only slightly spatulate ; hind-legs prismatic ; tegmina short and obtuse at the tips. Viewed from the side this insect has a spiteful appearance, whence the specific name above given. Size 7x6 mm. From the Wollaston Coll. Habitat. — A m azon s. PTERYGIA SATANAS, Fairm. (Plate XII. figs. 1, la.) Fairm. I.e. p. '26i ; Truijopa saianas, Les.son, 111. Zool. pi. LVI., fig. -'. Whole insect densely black, variegated with dead-white furry patches, punctured with black; frons leaf-like, longer than broad; suprahumerals flat, expanded at tlie tips, and serrated at the edges ; dorsum spinous, inflated above the head, and raised at tlie back into a hump, which is continued to the apex just beyond the length of the tegmina ; tegmina black, with ochreous tips ; abdomen stout and mealy ; tibite spatulate, densely white, and dotted; tarsi brown. The insect has a curious piebald appearance. The figure is from that of a female similarly labelled from the B.M. Collection. In the Hope Collection at O.xford there is an insect marked' F. /jitttdcrc/data, Fowler, which appears to me to be identical with the species marked 'P. satanas, Fairm., in the B.M. Collection. This species has certain similarities io'^Ptcri/r/ia cmssicornis, but it has only one dorsal process. I have no doubt that my insect from Brazil is identical with that figured in the B.C. A. as P. tntiibercidala from San Juan, Vera Paz. I have examined a fine specimen kindly lent me by Canon Fowler, which more closely approaches my drawing tiian that figured by liim in the B.C. A., which is represented by the artist mueli too white. ^2 MEMBRACIt).E. ' PTERYGIA. RUBICUNDA, n.s. (Plate XII. fig. 2.) ■ Obscure ferruginous red ; pronotum with two dorsal spinous humps, the anterior process the smallest ; suprahumerals erect, rather short, and blunt at their tips ; body sparsely spotted with white ; tegmina ferruginous, with a ftiint white bar across the middle ; nietopidium convex and finely spinose ; first and second tibite spatulate, greyish and spotted ; third tibia long and rather slender. Size 5x4 nini. From the Micrs Collection. IlahiUd.—V.xvc/W. , The insect recalls /-*. xphmhi from the Philippine Islands. ' PTERYGIA UROPIGII, n.s. (Plate XII. fig. 3.) Black ; pronotum finely spined, with two suprahumeral horns, broadly expanded at their tips ; a white streak proceeds from each shoulder to the apex of the pronotum, which is remarkable from the large development of the caudal end into a naked horn, set at right angles. There is also a smaller spined tubercle, placed more over the doi'sum. The streaks are dotted with black points. Another broad white patch commences under the shoulders, and is continued below the tegmina, which are ver)- weak ; so much so as to lead almost to the belief that this insect was in the pupal stage. The presence, however, of small ocelli renders this immaturity unlikely. Eyes ochreous ; legs black, the first pair powdered with white. The chief character of this insect is the process or hump at the posterior extremity, and the small development of the wings, &c. The dorsum and the anterior processes are all clothed with small black spines. Size 6x5 mm. Hope Collection (Bates). Habitat. — Amazons. r PTERYGIA SPINULA, n.s. (Plate XII. fig. -1.) Pronotum carinated and densely tuberculate, studded more or less with short black spines, interspersed with small ochreous papillre ; the anterior part furnished with two Jlattish processes, which rise above the shoulders, truncated and spreading MEMBRACIDAi. T.\ at the tips ; the dorsum has a small spinous tubercle followed by a larger one over the tail ; the pronotum extends to the apex of the abdomen, and has a sinuous edge ; eyes large and hemispherical ; legs ochreous or rufous ; the second tibito flattened and spatulate, the third rather less so ; tarsi very small ; tegmina sienna- brown in colour, mottled, with a greyish or nearly white patch on the disc ; the rest of the insect is umber brown , abdomen very dark. General character spinose, interspersed with siiuill ochreous points or prickles. Size 5x4 mm. Habitat. — Luzon, Philippine Islands. Allied to P. ccrvice/js. PTERYGIA HORRIiaCA, Westwood. (Plate XII. fig. 5.) VVostw, (Centvotus), Walk. I.e. p. .00(1. Small ; brown, with ferruginous tegmina and legs ; the suprahuraerals are clubbed and notched at the apices ; the whole insect more or less spinose, with the dorsum showing one largo hump at the caudal end, and a smaller one between it and the suprahumeral horns. Size 5x5 mm. The Philippine Islands seem to share with South America in having this and several other species of this genus, originally thought to be peculiar or special to the New World. ' PTERYGIA CONCOLOR, n.s. (Plate XII. figs. G, Ga.) Small; colour ochreous-brown ; suprahumerals short, blunt, and not cleft; pronotum with two moderate-sized tubercles, one of which is dorsal ; finely setose ; tegmina finely pilose, with two large ochreous patches on the disc, and smaller ones on the costa and the apex. Approximates to J', cvatlala (Walk.). Size 4x3 mm. y/r/////a/.— Brazil (P). Hope Collection (Miers). PTERYGIA NOX, n.s. (Plate XII. figs. «, 8a.) External appearance not unlike a Tropidocyta, but perhaps it more recalls Pterygia arietina. Viewed from the front, this insect shows two short horns con- vergent at the tips, but there are no white mealy patches on the tegmina and pronotum. The dorsum has two prominent rounded tubercles. The whole insect is jet black, finely spined, and stippled with dark depressions. L MEMBILlCrDyE. Size 5x4 mm. //ri/ji/a/.—^ha/.W (f). Hope Collection (Miors). (Plate XJIT. lig. 1, In.) L^uini. I.e. 1.. 2(U; Walk. I.e. p. I'.IO; Huppl. 127. llnH'oniily l)l;K'k, with (livcri:;'cnt iuitlcr-likc lionis, wliicli arc spooii-sliiipcd mid dilated at the tips; dorsum with a central protuberance, succeeded posteriorly hy a smaller one ; whole pronotum covered with' small spines ; sundry white llaniicl-like spots are dispersed over the body and the tegmina; these last organs are reddish in colour and spotted ; tibia; flattened. Bates obtained several examples from Ega on the Amazons. These specimens are browner in colour, but in general particuhirs they agree with the other insects in the Hope Collection. This insect is not P. crris.vconiis of Brazil, yet neither this nor F. qifcidrirlcii-s are descrilied as being powdered or blotched with white. Size 7x5 mm. Ifabitah. — Cayenne, Ega and St. Pauls, Amazons. PTERYGIA TENUICORNLS, n.s. (Plate XIII. fig. '1) 0 in general form not unlike P. fripndi//, but the colour is bright ferruginous, and the whole body is roughl}^ honeycombed by depressions. The tegmina are grey, and the neuration is indistinct; the tibiae large, broad, and spatulate; tarsi very small. It is possible that this insect may prove to be the female of P. tripodiu. Size 7x5 mm. Habilaf. — Amazons. Bates (Hope Collection). PTERYGIA TRIPODIA, Fainii. (Plate XIII. tig. :!, :!:i.) Kairni. i.e. plate vii. tig. ;iO, p. 2(1:; ; Walk. Pterijgia trepida {I misprinted for Iripodiu), I.e. p. 191). Black ; pronotal horns slender, straight, or ncarl}' so ; tips slightly clavate ; body covered with fine spines; the dorsal aspect of the pronotum shows one small pointed process, and a square-headed process over the posterior end; legs black, with mkmp.jractd.t:. 75 the second and third pair of tibiic spatulate; tlic tegniiua dark, and wlicn viewed at an anijle feebly iridescent. Fit,nired from llic Hope Colleetion. Hales' (Collection in Hie I'.M. j^ivcs tlic //,,/,//,,/._Villa N.wa. Size ('> X I null. 0 rTERYfUA FLAVOPUNCTATA, n.s." (Plate XIII. fi-;. 4, l;i.) There is a small unlabelled insect in the Hope Collection which does not agree well with either the genus Pterygia or Bolbonota. One of its characteristics consists in all the tibife being non-spatnlate, and the hind-legs spinose. In colon r and marking it shows some alliance \\\i\\'^ Bol/jonala lii::oinv(i (PI. JX. fig. 8). From a few examples I hesitate to make a new genus. Femora bright ochreous ; tarsi black ; tegmina with tips ochreous and the rest brown, spotted with yellow. Probably this insect is identical \s\k\\' IhillmiKild lldvapniu'lald, though it is Iiere placed under a different genus. ilabilnt. — S. America. Hope Collection (Miers). •■^PTEllYGIA INCOGNITA, n.s. General colour reddish-brown, without any mealy white spots; second dorsal hump inconspicuous ; supra-humerals short and thick, with clavate tips which are rather pointed at their extremities ; metopidium greyish ; dorsal pronotal ridge finely spinous, the surface punctate or finely tuberculose ; general form like that of °P. saianas. Habitat. — Amazons. Bates Collection at the Museum, Oxford. The following species of the genus Pterygia are contained in the cabinets of the British Museum but are not figured in this monograph : '^Pterygia macquartii, Lap. Ann. Soc. Eiit. Fr. p. 221 ; Fairm. I.e. p. 2G."i ; pi. C, fig. C, Brazil. --Tterygia exaltata, Walk. I.e. p. 502. ^Pterygia brachycera, Fairm. I.e. p. 2G5, Brazil. ^Ptei-ygia maculosa, Walk. Ins. Saund. p. G5, Amazons. '''Pterygia jmnctuosa, Walk. I.e. p. 05. Probably thi.s last insei-t is a variety of /'. maculosa. * I have before sugge.sted that a new genus Xanthosti(;ta may be formed to infhule these anomalous species. It might compvhe Tlolhmiotaflaiwpimctata, llolbonola plicalapPollinKo/a grkai. ami U Uolhoiinla hi-.onica. ' 76 MEMBBACID^. SPHONaOPITOEUS. In the genus Spliongopliorus we seem to arrive at the height of speciali- sation of the pronotum as regards form. The contortions assumed are most varied in character, but their significance or advantage to the insects is not obvious. Nevertlieless, we cannot well doubt that the assumption of bark-like and liclien-tinted characters are for protective purposes. The appearances of the insects arc very deceptive to our ryes. If we could certainly prove that birds or parasitic insects are natural enemies to Membracida?, they might thus be cheated of their natural prey. Bates' assertion that " variation in animals may be sudden, discontinuous, and considerable," appears to stand on the secure ground of fact. Violent " sports " certainly do here occur in unexpected directions. ^Gf.nus : SPHONGOPHORUS.* Fairm.'^ire, I.e. p. 2f!0 ; lltipsavchcma, Germ. Am. anil Sei'ville ; "Cetilrotns, Kirby, Westwood, 1820. Head trilobed ; ocelli placed in a line passing through the middle of the eyes ; pronotum very variable in form ; sometimes arcuate, sometimes blown up into bladder- like processes, or erect and recurved into clavate protuberances ; tegmina elongated ; anterior tibiaj dilated or spatulate ; hind tibire prismatic ; scutellum covered. The old-world genus Hypsauchenia has a considerable resemblance outwardly to the above genus, but the tibiaj are not spatulate, and the scutellum is uncovered. There are differences also in the neuration of the wings, so that Hypsauchenia must be grouped nearer to the Centrotidaj. Sphongophorus, perhaps, shows the most extreme departures from the ordinary forms of the pronota of insects. Many species, as before stated, look like moving pieces of the gnarled bark of trees or pieces of detached fungus. The twisted masses are often grotesque, and we may think them extravagant^ We do not yet know what are the natural foes of the Membracidte, and therefore we are left to conjecture how these disguises, for such they appear to us, operate as protective. The masking can hardly be doubted, notwithstanding our difficulties in explaining the correlation of insect vision with tliat of mammals. Although the genus Sphongophorus is in itself so varied in form, and one sub- genus may pass almost insensibly into another, it may be conveniently divided into sections, as Stal and Fowler have done ; with certain additions. * From irfoyyo?, n. .sponge. MEMBRACIDyE. SYNOPSIS OF SPHONGOPnORUS. Antekiok PnocESs. POSTEIUOR I'ftOCESS. 1. SpuuNaopiiouiis Long, flat, slender, curved back- Simple, generally long, curved to \vard. meet the anterior process, so as nearly to complete a circle. :.'. Cr.ADONoTA, StSl Ldiij,', sinuous, dilated in middle, With two (or three) globular knobs. apex sometimes cleft, (sexual ?) rising from the dorsum, hind apex straight and free. :!. LoUOCLADISCA, Stfll . Stout, erect, recurved, clavato with Long or longer than the anterior a tubercle on the inner edge. process, fungoid or tubercular, globo.se. ■I. ACAS'TIIOXOTA, N.G. liong, fusiform, spatulate, with an Ijong, sharp, not tuberculate, pos- inner thorn. terior a[)ex truncate. fl. LECVTIHFEltA, Fowlcv Recurved, apex tuberculate. Dorsum much infhitcd, fungoid and punctate. SPIIONOOPIIORUS (LEGYTIIIFERA) OHAIMPIONI, Fowler. (Plate XIII. fig. 5.) Fowler, 15.C.A. Tab. III. %. 1, la, p. 2«. Allied to S. ballista. Pronotal cephalic process slender and curved behind, widened at the ape.\; into a subtriangular swelling or club ; the posterior end terminated in a short thiciv reflexed process, set at right angles to the pronotuni itself; between this and the pronotal horn a thick somewhat hammer-shaped protuberance, coarsely punctured, points backwards; tegmina black, but fuscous towards the apices; a testaceous band or strip occurs near the eye ; legs fusco-testaceous. Size, 6 X G mm. llahltat. — Guatemala, El Eeposo, 800 feet. Copied by permission from the B.C. A. SPHONGOPHORUS (LEOYTHIFERA) ROBUSTULDS, Fowler. (Plate XIII. fig. C, Oa.) Fowler, B.G.A. Tab. III. fig. 0, p. I'O. Small, rugose, brown in colour ; metopidum lighter ; procephalic process curved backwards and ending in a bilobed club in the male insect, but hardly thus dilated in the female ; dorsum furnished with a sliort thick stalk, which carries a large round 78 MEMRRACTDyE. ;ind punctured (ubercle ; the posterior end terminates in a small triangular process ; tegmina brown and unicolorous. Size, 5x5 inm. Ihihildl. — Duenas (Clianipion) ; Aceitumo (Salvin). Copied by permission from tlic JIC.A. •'SP]ION(!0PIIORUS BALLISTA, Am. Serv. (Plate XIV. fig. 1, la.) j IfiipKdKelicitia haUhta, Coini. I.e. p. 2."1. SphoiKjophoviin hriUiifla, Walk. I.e. j). I!)7. Sphoniiophorns hiiUisla, Fowler, I.e. T.-il). II. (ig. 1H, 19, \\ 21. '^S'p/ioni/op/wrns duviijcr, Stal. p. CH. Sphongophoriis apicaHf:, fStiil. I.e. p. 27;!. Pronotam produced forwards and then backwards into a long flat thin horn rising above the shoulders, which nearly meets a shorter erect horn on the posterior extremity of the pronotum, and this almost completes a circle ; colour brownisli-grey, punctured ; tegmina long and narrow ; the apical portion sienna-brown, with a broad limbus; two small pale patclies are sometimes seen at the insertions; legs ochreous ; first and second tibia3 at least, spatulate. Fowler notes that the B.C. A. Collection is very large, and comprises more than one hundred examples. They greatly vary in the shape of the processes of the jironotum ; as a rule, in those forms which represent the males the apices arc knobbed, whilst in the females they are cleft. There is also much variation in the posterior processes, some of which are porrect, as in my figure of a male taken from the Hope Collection. Size, 12 X 10 mm. IlahUnl. — Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Bogota, Demerara. ^SPHONGOPIIORUS CLAVIGEll (var?), Stfil. ^ (Plate XIV. fig. 2, 2a.) SphoiniopJwrus claviger, Stal. I.e. Stett. ent. Zeit. (1«(U). p. G8. This insect differs in several particulars from that immediately preceding, but after what Canon Fowler has noted, hesitation may arise as to deciding its real specific value. The insect is smaller, and wants the process at the pronotal posterior apex ; the procephalic horn is also clavate as well as cleft, and here it approaches one of the characteristics of the Old World genus Hypsauchenia ; there are besides conspicuous grey patches on the shoulders and below the wing insertions. The figure above is drawn from one of several named B.M. examples, but it does not well agree with that given in tlie B.C. A. monograph. Size, 8x12 mm. llahitdl. — Mexico. MJ'JMJinACinyl'J. 79 7) '^.SPHONGOPUORUS (CLADONOTA) PAP.ADOXA, (Jennai-. (I'lato XIV. tig. 3, ;!a, ;;l., ill'.) (i.Tii). I.e. L'C, t. J. lij,'. 1. Fairni. l.i'. p. lMW. lU-dWii ; the proccplKilou is (.n-ect, recurved, iind lony, (liliited in the middle, and iiKirlicd with a strong central carina; the apex in tlic male is clet't like a lish-tail, but in the female the apex is simple. There is considerable variation in the curve of iliis horn, it being more siunous in sonie examples than in otliers ; the dorsal process is constricted into two globose knobs, with a smaller apical one, which suggests the form of the safety-valve apparatus on a locomotive engine ; surface as well as the tegmina finely punctured ; the last membranes are corrugated, sienna-brown, and greyish at their bases ; the males have three faint greyish spots at tlieir apices ; first and second tibiie pilose and spatulatc. My figures arc Irom specimens in the 11. M. Collection. Size, 8x11 mm. llttbilul. — Constancia, Brazil. January. ' SPIIONGOPIIOEUS (CLADONOTA) NODOSUS, n.s. (Plate XIV. fig. 4, la, 4b.) Concolorous shining black, except the tegmina, which are warm sienna-brown, witli a greyish tint at their bases, for about one-third ; venation strong and darker ; the procephalic horn is gnarled, rugose, and twisted into tubercles over the back, and stands erect; a globose tubercle, surmounted by a smaller one, is on the dorsum, the posterior apex of which does not reach to the tips of the tegmina. This curiou.s insect has much the appearance of a piece of gnarled bark, and it must conceal itself very eflectively. 1 cannot identify it with any described species. It does not agree with either H. rldivtilios or ^. Indicni^ of Walker. Size, 10x8 mm. llubitul .—\}vik.\\o\sw. B.M. Collection. ^SPHONGOPHORUS (LOBOCLAOLSOA) BI-CLAVATUS, Westw. (Plate XIV. fig. .-..) Fail 111. ).<•. p. I'llL', I'l. iv. iig. 4. Fowlei-, H.C.A. Tab. 111. Hgs. 4-4a. The anterior horn varies much as to its upward projection. My figure shows it globular at the tip witli a smaller hinder tooth ; the dorsal horn is fungoid in shape ; 80 MEMBRACID.^. its colour is more ochreoiis in shade than that sliown in Fowler's plate. It is figured by Westwood as a Centrotus in Duncan's "Nat. Lib. Entoni.," i. t. 25, fig. 3. Size, 8x9 mm. Habitat. — Bugaba. From Hope Collection. '^SPHONGOPIIORUS (LOJBOCLADISC'A) DORSALIS, n.s. (Plato XIV. fig. (1, Ca.) This species has the posterior dor.sal horn much longer than the anterior ; the colour ochreous, very rugose, and studded with small spines ; the tegmina fulvous- brown, with a short white bar across the disc; pronoial apex cleft. This species recalls to mind /S'. //iicriiri of Fairmaire, but nevertheless it seems to be distinct. The allied species vary so much, that some would perhaps erect new genera out of them. Size, 8x9 mm. JIatjitaf. — Bolivia. The example of A', tj/n'iijii given in the B.C. A., taken on January 7, shows the anterior horn nearly straight, and it omits the white fascia on the tegmina ; the whole insect is also much paler. (Plate XV. fig. 1.) General colour pale ochreous ; procephalon rising convexly i'rom the irons, and curved backwards at about one-third from the apex, which ends in a bulb ; a small pedunculated tubercle on the hind side of tlie procephalic horn ; a considerable bulb, surmounted l;y a smaller one, occurs about the middle of the dorsum ; the posterior end of pronotum truncate and cleft ; legs reddish, the two first tibia3 dilated ; the whole pronotum very hirsute and fulvous ; tegmina pale and faintly corrugated. This is a small species. My figure is from the Hope Collection (Bates), 1861. Size, 5x6 mm. Habitat. — Amazons. '^SPHONGOPHORUS INTERMEDIUS, n.a. (Pkte XV. fig. •>, 2a.) General colour dark sienna-brown, with a violet glance or sheen over the whole; pronotum with a long, erect, unclubbed procephalic horn, which is cleft at the tip and has an inner tooth; dorsal process rugose, pointed, but notbulbose; pronotal MEMBRACID^E. 81 extremity truncated and reaching neurl}' to the tips of the tegmina; these Last are eorrugated and ferruginous-brown ; by the front aspect two blunt supra-humeral processes are seen, which show an approximation to simihir eminences in the Hoplophoridie. Size, 7x1) mm. Ha/jital.—^i. Vincc>nt, West Indies. Drawn from a single sjiecimen in the Hope Collection at Oxford. (Plate XV. fig. ;).) General colour light sordid ochreous. Procephalon erect, broad, flat, fusiform, and punctate, furnished with a finger-liice process on the hinder edge; dorsal horn acute, similar in form, and as long as the anterior process ; whole insect very hirsute; tegmina ochreous ; legs the same colour and punctate ; hind pair not spatuhite ; abdomen grey. The peculiar form of the ))ronotum furnishes, if not a generic separation, at least certain characters suitable for a sub-genus. Size, 8x8 mm. Habitat. — Amazons. Hope Collection (Bates). 6 SPHONGOPIIORUS (LECYTHIFERA) INFLATUS, Fowler. (Plate XV. figs. 4, 4a, 4b.) OLecythifera in flatus, Fowler, Tab. III. fig. 5 to 5e, p. 30. Eenuirkable from the large inflated process on the dorsal part of the pronotum ; brownish-black, with the anterior process recurved and clavate ; both this and the inflated bladderlike process are sculptured and coarsely reticulated, the interstices being more or less hexagonal in form ; the dorsal process is slightly sessile ; the pronotal apex projects ; tegmina long and brown, with a testaceous mark; legs ferruginous. Fowler says the sexes of this species do not differ in any marked degree. Size, 11x9 mm. Ilahitat. — Guatemala. Figured from Canon Fowler's Collection, hy permission. c) SPHONGOPHORUS (CLADONOTA) LATIFRONS, StSl. (Plate XV. fig. 5.) ^ Cladonota latifrons, Stal. Ofv. Kongl. Vet. Akad. Fowl. I.e. Tab. III. fig. G, p. 30. Foi-b. xxvi. p. 274. The males of this species differ from the females as to the forms of the pronotal horns. My figure is taken from a s])ecimen kindly lent by Canon Fowler. Warm M 82 MEMBRACIDJE. oclireous and coarsely blotclied with fulvous punctures; the procephalon is hardly longer than the dorsal process behind it, and appears as if truncate ; tegmina brown, Avith strong venation ; front legs ochreous, and barred witli red. Size, 9x8 mm. Habitat. — Mexico, Acapulco, Guatemala. 0 SPIIONGOPHORUS INELEGANS, n.s. (Plate XV. fig. 0.) Large, robust, gre3^-black, rugose, not shining, with abroad erect stout procophalic horn, and an upright dorsal process on the dorsal part of the pronotum, slightly dilated at ihe top ; tegmina obscure sienna-brown ; tibi;c, particularly the first and second pairs, broadly spatulate, somewhat hairy, and ochreous-brown ; head broad with black eyes ; part of the tegmina warm ochreous. This uncouth-looking insect has some resemblance to that last described. The figure is drawn from a single example in tlie Hope Collection. It has much tlie appearance of a fragment of l)ark. Size, 10 X 10 mm. Jfa/ji tat. —Mexico. " Geale." Tlie following species have not come under the author's observation : ^Genus: LOBOOLADISCA, Stdl. (jfv. Vet. Akad. 2G, p. 275. "^ Zobocladisca clavaria, Fairm. c^Sptwnc/ojjhorrts clavaria, Fairm. I.e. p. 201. Brazil. ^ Lohocladisca hennetii, Kirby. •■ Centrotus hennetii, Mag. Nat. Hist. p. 20, fig. 5. ') Sp/iongojjtiorus hennetii, Fairm. I.e. plate iv. fig. 7. Colombia. ' Lobocladisca guerinii, Fairm. CiSpJiongopJiorus yuerinii, Fairm. I.e. p. 2G2, plate iv. fig. 1. Panama, Brazil. ' ,SphongopJionis spatulatus, Fairm. I.e. p. 202, plate iv. fig. 3. Province des Mines, Brazil. I Lohocladisca hivexillifer, Costn, Ann. Mus. Nap. ii. p. 150, t. 1, fig. 11 (1805). . Lohocladisca rigidus, Stal. I.e. p. 275. Bogota. .Lohocladisca lohulaius, Stal. I.e. p. 275. Bogota. ,y,ohocladisca vexillifera, Coding, Canad. Ent. 25, p. 83 (1893). St. Vincent, West Ind. • CLADONOTA, Stal. ^Cla'lonota ridicidus, Walk. Ins. Saiind. p. 04. Amazons. •jyiadonola mirahilis, Fairm. I.e. p. 201, plate iv. fig. 5. Brazil. UCladonoia undulatus. Walk. I.e. p. 408. iJJladonota acetus, Walk. I.e. p. 04. Para. MEMBRACID^E. 83 GCladoiwta/alletii, Stitl. I.e. iii. p. 24. Rio Janeiro. O Cladonota alhofasciata, Goding, Canad. Ent. 25, p. 51 (•) Cladonota liidicnis, Walk. I.e. p. G3. Para. II.— HOPLOPHORIN/E. The foro2'nqueira, Fairm., 12 species. I :Polnia, Stai., 5 species. E7ichotijpe, Stal., 5 species. Platycolis, Stfil., 10 species. ijLophopeha, StSl., 3 species. C'Jloplophara, Germar, 15 species. ^ Microschema, Stal., 5 species. (' Orthoplophora, Fowl., 1 species. ciAconojihai-oides, Fowl., 1 species. 0 Ochropepla, StSl., 6 species. ^Genl's: umbonia. Burm. Fairm. Fowler. Burm. H.andl. Ent. II. p. 138 (1835). 3f Hoplophora, but modified ; abdomen, sometimes extending to the tips of the tegmina; dorsum with a sharp and Characters like those of Hoplophora, but modified ; pronotum as long as the 84 MEMBKACID.E. more or less recurved horn ; which is in some males clavate or truncate at the tip ; supra-humeral processes obvious, but less acute and shorter than in Triquetra ; the sides not so tectifbrm ; tegmina witli three (Fowler says four) apical areas. The characters of this and the next genus are mixed and difficult to diagnose. The wing-venation is obscure. The pronotal appendages appear to be more acute in some species than in others, and some male insects have the procephalon so modified that Arayot and Serville, Walker, and Griffini, have described them under the genus Physoplia. Fairmairc practically divides Umbonia into throe sections : 1. Horn compressed perpendicularly. '^ U. ffladii/s, U. liinild. 2. Horn turned backwards, almost horizontally. U. rrr/inala. 3. Horn not compressed, almost straight. ^ U. sjji/iosa, U. oi-i::iiiibo, U. pijrain'uhdis, ^ U. amazing U. signoreti, U, aialiba. 6 UMBONIA NIGRATA, Amyot. (Pl.ite XVI. fig. 1.) PhyHoiiUa nhjrala, Am. et Serv. I.e. p. 543 (ISto). Fairin. I.e. p. 27.">, plate vi. fig. 0. Umbonia orozimho, $ . Small ; general colour dark brown, almost black, with a buff punctured triangular patch rising from the lower margin of the pronotum and continued to the carina at the side of the pronotal process ; this horn is knobbed and reflected backwards. Another buff patcli is seen nearer the posterior end ; tegmina black with shining radial nervures ; legs slender and brownish ; abdomen ringed with ferruginous. This specimen from the Fowler Collection is a male, and it is drawn as the reputed male of U. oruziiiibn, and under the same amplification as U. crassiconiis, which also is a male. N.B. — The red streak is here wanting, though usually present as noted by Fairmairc. Size without the horn, 13x5 mm. JlahUaf. — Mexico, Brazil. 0 UMBONIA CRASSICOllNIS, Am. et Serv. (Plate XVI. fig. 2.) Amyot, I.e. p. .j4o, t. 10. Fairm. I.e. p. 27.5, male of U. orozimho. Plu/soplia crassicornis, Amy. .and iSer. Umbonia orozim.bo, Fowl. Fowler considers this insect and that named by Amyot U. i/l//ral(i are simply variable forms of the males of U. oroz'ni/bo ; and certainly if the forms of the pronota be ignored, it will be difficult to avoid this conclusion, which has been arrived at, he says, by the comparison of more than 400 specimens. A rule may be proved, it is said, by its exceptions, and this insect would appear to exampled by it. The form of MEMBRACIDjE. 85 the pronotum is one of the chief characteristics of the Membracidac ; yet, here, as in other cases, tlie extraordinary development of the dorsal process makes this rule nugatory. The variations of U. orozimbo are chiefly restricted to the male insects. The figure given is a male from the British National Collection, and is reported from ^Mexico. Expanse, l'8 mm. Size, 9 mm. Height, 15 mm. O UM130NIA MEDIA, Walk. (Plate XVI. figs. ;!, ;Ja.) Walker, I'hysoplia media. I.e. p. 51G. Colour green or yellowish-green ; pronotal horn very broad, flat on the top, and cut off at an angle ; a red stripe extends from the hinder point of the horn to the dorsum. Pronotal surface punctured ; legs reddish ; tegmina with pale neuration in high relief of the membrane. According to Sttil this insect is the male of U. orozimbo. Size, 12 X 14 mm. Habitat. — Mexico. B.M. Collection. OUMBONIA OROZIMBO, Fairm. Fuirm. I.e. p. 277, plate vi. fig. 2. Fowler, B.C.A. p. 30, Tab. III. iigs. 15 to 20a. Canon Fowler remarks that this is an extraordinary variable species, and that a right idea can be formed of it only after a careful examination of a long series. The females vary in size, in colour, and in the form of the great dorsal horn, but these variations are much more pronounced in the males of the species. The contrast between the sexes are such as led Amyot and Serville to represent the dark males with their greatly developed dorsal horns as members of a new genus, Physoplia. Fowler examined numerous examples, and in every case these enormous horns pi-oved to be the developments of male insects. Thus Physoplia no longer should exist as a genus of j\Iembracida\ But the males also differ amongst themselves as to size. Those inhabiting El Peposo and Tole in Panama are small, and show but little difference of form from the females of that locality, whilst Physoplia n'u/rata (Amj'ot) and F. ci-amconiis of Florida and Brazil are large, and have a totally different aspect from the females represented by U. orozimbo. These latter insects are common in North and Central America. 86 MEMBRACIDjE. d ^ Stal identifies P. intermedia of Walker a^ the male of U. orozimho, and here he remarks, " I have never seen the females of the insects grouped under Physoplia." Mr. W. F. Kirby, who has rendered to me much valuable assistance in arranging the synonomy of the fomily Membracidse, is inclined to unite several insects, generally considered to be distinct species, under the single species U. orozimho. He treats the rest as varieties. Thus we have^ U. picta, U. dccorata, '" U. pcraccce, U. cmiicraid treated as varieties, whilst P. nir/rata, P. crasdcornis,' P. intermedia are considered, on good grounds, to be the males h^ U. orozimho. Observations of these insects, made in their living conditions, perhaps can only truly arrange and group the sexes of each species. It can scarcely bo satisfactorily done by a review of a series, however large, which has been formed from localities widely apart, and under different climatal surroundings. ^UMBONIA OROZIMBO. (Plate XVI. figs. 1 to 4, and 4a.) Supra-laterals very blunt, or none; generally a red streak runs down the centre of the dorsal horn, and another red streak from the frons rises up the anterior edge of the same ; the horn is very variable in shape, sometimes being much developed and truncated at the apex, as in the males, instead of sharp, as usually seen in the females. The colours vary from bright green to testaceous or fuscous ; commonly the dorsal horn i? variegated with red or else brown streaks; the tegmina have long apical cellules, and the membranes are more or less transparent in texture. The cause of the above remarkable and special development of the males of Umbonia is most obscure. It has been argued that they have become more ornate than the females, because such modifications suit the assthetic tastes of the latter. Yet sometimes the females of insects are the most ornate, in which cases the males usually are found to be plain and uniform in colour. Here the disputants would seem to belong to two camps, and their arguments tend to destroy each other. This is not the opportunity for discussing the elements of beauty in insect appreciation, but we may doubt if the vera causa has yet been found in this direction. ^ UMBONIA PICTA, Walk, (Plate XVI. figs. 5, 5a, 5b.) Walk. List. Homop. insect, Suppl. p. 130. U. orozimho is so variable in form that opinion may vary as to the specific values of certain examples. I include the above, on Walker's authority, although the insect here figured only nearly approaches his type now preserved in the National Collection. Pronotum briglit green, roughly punctured; dorsal horn erect, acute, and slightly MEMBRACIDM. 87 recurved ; one central and three orange-coloured streaks on each side ; pronotal posterior apex extendhig to the tips of the tegmina ; tegmina greenish-grey, witli lighter neuration ; legs brownish grey ; snpra-humerals short. Size, 14 X 13 mm. llah'dat. — Mexico. * UMIJONIA SPINOSA, Fabr. (Plate XVI. fig. G.) OMeiiibmcis spinosa Sy.st. Knt. p. 075, '2, 4. Sulz. Gesch. Ins. t. 9, fig. G (177G). "^loplophom, Germ. I.e. p. '2i'd (1835). Uiahoniu spinoaal Fowler, I.e. p. 35. La cigale urmee, Stoll. p. 83, t. 21, fig. lie. Stai. Vet. Akad. ILindl. (2), 8, (1), p. 35 (1809). '=^Iemh-Mis armata, Oliv. Ent. ]MOtli. vii. p. C(i>>. ^Vinhoida spinosa, Walk. I.e. p. 519. 1.Imhonia spinosa, Fainn. I.e. p. 277. Tliis line insect does not seem to be common in Central America. Colour fine ochreous yellow, punctured, with one or more pronounced red streaks from the top of the dorsal horn to the procephalon ; the base of this sharp thornlike pronotal horn extends beyond the tips of the tegmina. Though the abdomen of the female is robust, it is covered by the pronotum ; the tegmina are subhyaline, with a fine neuration dividing the membranes into elongated cellules ; supra-humerals are more conspicuous from the dorsal than from the frontal aspect ; legs stout ; hind tarsi short; tibiro often with a red longitudinal streak. There is much variation in the intensity of the red streaks. In the National Collection there is a specimen with dark tips to the wings, Expanse, 33 mm. Size, 15x12 mm. JlahUal. — From Guatemala to Brazil. <^ UMBONIA JAVANENSIS, n.s. (Plate XVII. fig. 1.) This insect at first sight might be thought to be a large example of U. spinosa, but apart from its greater size, it has several other differences. The pronotum is deeply punctured, and also striated all over its surface ; its colour is more rufous and glaucous, with the point of the dorsal recurved process black ; the tegmina are shining and much darker tJian in U. spinosa ; the abdomen is large, and slaty grey. As in other species of this genus, the hind tarsi are very sliort ; the first and second pairs of legs are the longest. OU. orozimho also is different, and is an American species. Size, 17 X 11 mm. Habitat. — Java. Wollaston Collection. 88 MEMBRACID^E. ■ C>UMBONIA RECLINATA, Germ. (Plate XVII. fig. 2.) Germ. Iloplophora reclinata Silb. Rev. Ent. iii. p. 213 (1835). Umhonia reclinata, Fairm. I.e. p. 27G, t. I, fig. 3. Fowler, I.e. p. 34, Tab. III. fig.s. 12, 12a, 12b. Wa.\k?Umboma multiformis, I.e. Suppl. p. 12i). StrdPcrmboiiia/iinestra, Ofv. Vet. Akad. p. 249. Large ; general colour brick-red, with a yellow stripe proceeding from the humeral l^rocess to the apex of the dorsal horn ; another dusky yellow streak runs from the frons to the same apex, and also a central streak divided by a fine line; tcgmiua grey; legs dusky red, the front pair the smallest, rather flattened. This striking insect is variable in colour. The male, as figured in the B.C. A., is smaller, and green. Size, 15 X 10 mm. Habitat. — Chilpancingo, 4600 feet ; Costa Kica. o UMBONIA PYRAMIDALIS, Fairm. (Plate XVII. figs. 3, 3a, 3b.) Fairmaire, I.e. p. 277. Fowler, I.e. p. 35. The chief characteristics of this species are the robust and compact form of the pronotum, and the shortness of the abdomen ; the dorsal horn rises triangularly from the basal line of the pronotum ; it has five red streaks down the edges of each of the six carinations ; pronotum of a dirty green colour, deeply punctured, with two obscure yellowish bands or blotclies on each side ; suprahumerals moderately long, and best seen from the front aspect ; tegmina reddish-brown ; middle tibiaj each with a red stripe. Drawn from a female insect in the British Museum Collection, but not in good condition. Size, 14 X 12 mm. Habitat. — Mexico, Oaxaca, Brazil. ^UMBONIA SUBCLIVATA, n.s. (Plate XVII. fig. 4.) Large ; colour brick-red, coarsely blotched with brown ; dorsal horn moderately elevated, slightly recurved and acute ; tegmina long, obscure greyish -green ; legs ferruginous, with rather strong grey tarsal joints. Has some resemblance io^U. reclinata, and as the figure is that of a female, it is possible that it may prove to belong to that species. .mkmjihaciiU'J. o. The cliii't' dilloivuces consist in /'. clar/dfi luivinj;- its pronotuni less eleviiled, uul the absence olall tlie characteristic yellow markings. Size, IG X 10 mm. B.M. Collection. ^UIMBONIA ATA LI HA, Kuinu O (I'lutoXVlI. iig.<. .-., iKX.) Kaiiiii. I.e. i>. L'7S, t. (I, li-;. I. I'Vuler, I.e. ]). ;:,"., t. ;'., fig.s. 1 I, I Im. \Vall;oi-, 7'7,i/;o/,/,( hilicilUt, 1... ii. ,,. r.-(). Kairniaire gives the description — 3'ello\v, with a medial and two red hands, one on each side; pronotal horn set rather behind the shonldcrs, the processes black; tegmina subhyaline "enfumees a rextrcmite." Two examples are in the Hope Collection, one of which 1 tigure. They recall ^ U. sjjiiiosa, which, however, is usually a much larger insect, and has the red streaks less marked. Size, 15 X 10 mm. lldhitat. — North America, South and Central America. <^ UJLBONIA GLADIUS, Fainu. (Plate XVII. fig. Ii.) Fiiirm. i.late vi. fig.s. 1 and u, p. 275. Fowler, B.C.A. Tab. III. fig. ];!, p. ;is. Pi-onotum with an erect, thin, flat and perpendicular dorsal horn ; colour ochreous, with coarse punctures ; the males show a red streak on each side of this horn, which is nearly obsolete in the females ; this process is carinated and tipped with black ; legs short and hirsute. The females appear to be more plentiful than the otlier sex, but examples are not common. The species recalls Platycotis or Enchenotype of StiVl ; but with reference to the former genus the horn is not directed forwards, and the space between the shoulders is wider. Size, 11x8 mm. lldbilai. — Valladolid, Yucatan, Campeachy. i'UMBONIA ARTICULARIA, n.s. (Plate XVII. figs. 7-8.) Colour dark ochreous, with a rosy tint, shining and finely punctured ; pronotal horn erect, sharp, and compressed ; immaculate ; tegmina hyaline, with yellow neuration, rather fuscous; legs short, stout " gouty legged"; females stouter than the males. N 90 MEMBRACIDyli. o This species recalls U. apicali-s of Walker, but it shows no spots on the meto- pidiuni or sides of the pronotum ; suprahumerals with black tips. Expanse, 22 mm. Size, 11x9 mm. Jlabildl . — JJcli/ce, ILonduras. Heine Collection. ^ UMBONIA RECTI8PJNA, 8tal. (')fv. Yet. Akfid. Till), xxvi. p. 2(;r. (ISCO); (vaiiely of IT. oro-.imho). Jbihildl. — Jjogota. UMBONIA ORIZAByE, Fowler. Fowler, I.e. p. 37, Tab. III. figs. 21, 2Ja, 22. Canon Fowler thinks that these insects possibly are a peculiar race of U. (iro~ii»bo, some of the small males of which last closely resemble it. It is a small species, with a similarity between the horns of botli se.xes ; these horns are short, sharp, and strongly recurved : colour olivaceous, with the Jront of the metopidium, the tip of horn, and the dorsal line, red. Hizc, 11 mm. Jldh'ilal . — Orizaba, Mexico. '^ UMBONIA SIGNORETI. Fairm. I.e. p. 278, plate vi. fig. d. Yellow ; posteriorly elongated, four lined. Size, 15 mm. Jfabi/af. — Colombiii. O U M JiON I A REDUUTA. Walk. I.e. ii. p. ri2(l. B.M. collection. 7/«/y//«/.— Para. Ihihllnl. — Colombia. ^TMBONIA TERRIBILIS. Walk. I.e. Ins. Saunil. Honiop. p. GO O UMBONIA AMAZILI. Fairm. I.e. p. 277. Size, 12 mm. Shining pale yellow, with a middle red line. Jlabifaf. — North America. <^ UMBONIA DECORATA. Walk. I.e. Suppl. p. l;;0; var. of U. orou MKMiniAClD.K. <^UMBOi\IA PKHA(!KA. Perhaps is tlio ^5 of V. onr.imhu. ^'/ti/soplia peracca, V.ihVuu, ]^. :',. Hull, dei INlus. c.]. Zool. eJ. Auat. do Toiino (ls;i:,). ProIja!)ly (l>is insect is one of the male i'onns of ('. oro.iiiu/jo. DUMBONIA OAMERANl. Griflini, I.e. j). :i (IS!).")). It may l)e noted that Fowler considors^Z/. ////,'^W« and H. until ifonuh (Walker) to be the same as U. rcclinala ; tliat°^. rcdifcia (Walker) \PlJ. pjiraniidach oi' Fairmaire, and that"6'^. pk-ht and U. drcorala are varieties of (J. (iro.vi/i/ljo. O Gi-.NUs: TrjQUETlf.V, Fairmaire. Ami. Soc. Ent. France, \>. -JT'J. KowKt, li.C.A, p. ■\2. The species of this genus are somewhat important. Tlicy mostly inhabit Bogota, Venezuela, and Brazil. They are often large insects, showing a tectiform pronotum, furnished with a large dorsal horn of more or less apical acuteness. The supra- humeral processes are more developed than in*n^Jmbonia, and the tegmina have at least four itjncai areas. LikeTJmbonia, they crowd round the stems of the plants they afl'ect, the colour of which they simulate, and doubtless irom their thorny aspects they can protect themselves from the rough treatment of foes. Living forms are brighter and greener than those found in our museums, but for the present their colours must be imitated from the dry materials at hand until the field naturalist will better instruct us. The aspect or lacies of the species diii'er, and Fairmaire's group may be bi-oken into what may be called sub-genera, such as Stal has done. ^Trhiiiclra //ro-ssn, T. rirc\c(uis, and T. cinjala may be regarded as typical species. T. l/irrila, T. oljscifra, and /'. n'r/iltt may be partially separated. '^J'. niprocarijiala, T. bos, and ^7'. obliim are all more or less tent- like on the dorsum, and may be relegated to the genus Microschema of Stal. <^TUIQUETRA tiROSSA, Faiini. p. I'so, I.e. (Plate XVHI. fig.s. 1, ■>, 2a.) Walk. I.e. p. .-.22. Large ; bright yellow, punctured with fulvous ; jjronotum with a strong thorn- like horn between the two sharp suprahumeral processes, which are perpendicularlv 92 MEMBIUCJD.E. compressed ; frons luscous ; tegniiiui hyaline, with yellow neiiratiou ; liiiid tarsi short. Size, 14 X D 11111). //r//^//«/.— Cerrozuuil, 5000 I'eet elevation ; Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Eica, Cliiriqui. Own Collection. OnUQUETRA SUBMACULATA, n..s (P1m(,o XVIII. (i-s, :;, ;!.■!, ;il).) Ochreous yellow, mucli punctured ; pronotum with an erect wide but compressed dorsal horn, with no black edge ; supraliuniorals rather blunt, and directed forwards and downwards; an obscure brown patch occurs above the metopidium, and two smaller brown stains on each side of the pronotum ; tegmina grey ; legs ochreous yellow. Size, 10 X 8 mm. llahital. — Ecuador. This species has some resemblance to T. apicalis of Walker, but his insect has the lateral spines very slender and black ; neither does it well agree with Fowler's description of T. apicoJi^s. (Plate XVIII. figs. J, 4a.) Fine yellow colour ; pronotum with a short but sharp dorsal horn, which is broadly black at the fore and hind edges, the black stripes being carried round the frons and nearly to the ape.x of the pronotum, which is as long as the tegmina. The pronotum is deeply grooved and punctured horizontally ; tegmina fuscous-yellow. Size, 9x5 mm. Habitat. — Quito. Rossenburg Collection. This insect, except from size and habitat, almost agrees with T. niffrocarinafa (Fairm.) of ]3ogota. <^ MIOROSOHEMA OBTUSA, n.s. (Plate XVIII. figs. 5, 5a.) <^rri'juetm lios I Fairm. I.e. p. 282. Slim ; pronotum punctured, rising direct, and slanting from the metopidium to the centre of the dorsal ridge, and thence falling straight to the posterior apex, thus forming an elevated tent-like angular hump ; tegmina long and hyaline ; supra- mf.mhhacivj:. os humerals brown, with distinct cariiUL' ; tips of the iiuriis sli^Mitly rucurvcd ; uu(UTsido fuscous ; frons wide and transvcrsoly narrow ; logs yellow. Size, II X f) nun. Ilahihil. — Roirota iq( o (X d (?M]t.!ia).SCIIEMA INEiailS, Fuiim. (Plate XVIir. (i-s. (I, Cm, Cb.) OTrU,HHm um-mh, I'aiu.i. I.e. p. I'Hd. Clear yellow, sparsely punctured ; pronotum without either a cephalic or dorsal Jiorn ; a strong- black streak down the centre ; edges of pronotum also dark ; tegmina with long radials, the areas of which are cut up by faint transverse nervures ; legs slender ; suprahumeral horns divergent and rather short ; often a dark spot occurs above the legs. Si/o, I:? X G mm. -^ lldhihil. — Bolivia. (^MIOROSCIIEMA BUS. OTrifjuelra hos, Fairm. j.c, p. 282. Large ; shining, much punctured ; colour ochreous-yellow, probably gieener in life. Pronotum raised perpendicularly from the frons and thence forming an obtuse angle on the dorsum and descending to the apex, rather short of the tips of the tegmina ; lower margin carinated ; supra-humerals by front view seen as two stout divergent horns ; there is no dorsal spine ; tegmina with yellow transverse nervures enclosing areas not cycloidal in form. This character separates the present genus fi'omCeresa, with which it might be confounded. Legs rather stout. Tegmina more or less crinkled, and catching the light in patches. Size, 13 X 7 ram. Habitat. — Bogota. Although my description is taken from a considerably larger insect than that given by Fairmaire, it will be well to mark this character of size only as a variation Irom the normal species. The collection in the British Museum may be consulted for the following species, vv^hich f.re not included in this Monograph : (^Trhjiielra virescens, Fnirm. I.e. p. 2K1. Venezuelii. oj'. iistvhUa, Fairm. I.e. p. 2S1. 07'. truiicaticornis, Germ. I.e. p. 214. Jha/.il. O'r. (jhsr.arn, Walk. (Uiiilioiiia) I.e. p. 517. 9'1. MEMlillACID^Ti. (?TRIQUETRA JNSIPIDA, n.s. (Plate XIX. fii;s. ], In.) Colour coiicolorous, dingy-brown with a reddish shade ; coarsely punctured and blotched with darker stains. Supra-humerals acute, divergent, and directed forwards. Metopidium perpendicular, with an obscure darker j^atch between the horns; dorsal horn erect, but the point directed rather forwards ; two small obscure brown spots occur just above the lower marginal edge of the pronotum ; tegmina with dark membranes and yellow [jromiuent nervurcs ; legs dusk3^ IMy figure is from an insect grouped with others in the Mope Collection which i.s labelled " very near'^7'. renila" yet it is doubtful if it really belongs to that species. Provisionally the aljove name is given to it. Size, 12x7 mm. 0 Genus : HOPLOPHOliA. Ocim. JJiinii. Ainyofc ot Serv ; Fairm. I.e. p. L^C'J (I84(;); Fowler, I.e. p. 3S (1K04). This genus comprises certain insects, furnished with short and broad pronota, which are scutiform ; that is, the sides are nearly parallel for a certain distance, and then narrow to a sharp point to the lower apex. This scarcel}' reaches to the end of the body. The supra-humeral processes are short and blunt, with no dorsal horn as seen iu Umhonia. Head narrow; the tegmina longer than the pronotum, and furnished with more or less oblong areas bounded by thick nervures ; the membranes are free and trans- parent ; legs prismatic ; the hind tarsi are much shorter than the others ; body some- times hairy. Those insects which were comprised in Fairmairc's genus Jloplophora, and are furnished with procephalic horns, arc now merged into Platycotis ;ind the allied genera. ^^lOPi.OPIIORA SANGUINOSA. (Plate XIX. fig.s. 3, oa.) Fairm. I.e. p. 270; Walk. I.e. p. OIL Pronotum viewed from the back flat and scutiform with a marginal carina Abdomen brown, large and ringed, with the last three segments ochreous-yellow ; the whole body and the legs finely hirsute; colour of the pronotum pinkish-red, with a black streak from the metopidium which runs backwards to the apex ; fore part oclircous. MHMnUACJD.E. !)5 Scutellum covered, tliougli tlie prouotum is fVoo and short ; leginiiia clouded ; hyaline and fulvous at their bases; neuration strong, brown at the apical parts; legs stout, pilose, and banded with brown ; eyes prominent. This handsome species remarkably resembles a small bumljle-boe in Coiin, which it might be thought to mimic. Though treated as a .synonym ol' the next species to be described, V/. sKiiijiiiiio-sa is ranged separately in the National Collection, and therefore 1 figure it with a caution. O ll()l'J,(jrJlC)UA ]M()N(J(;ilA.MiM\. (Plate XIX. fig,s. \, -);i, 11., le.) ^ H. x((itijitiiu,iiH, Fmvlor, 1 c, \i. ;1S; /f. hionof/f/ninnii, Foulor, l.o. p. ;hS ; '^J/. iiw/ini/raiiiiii((, (Jcn-iu. I.e. p. 21'2. Prouotum bright oclireous-rcd, shining, thickly punctured; wilh a single dark brown carina reaching from the base of the head to the middle of the dorsum ; prouotum seen from the back shield-shaped, with two snuill supi'a-hunieral angles ; eyes prominent; head rather broad; tegmina transparent aNby-grey, with marked brown neuration ; yellowish near the cosia, and wilh some dark spuls and staininL;s ; legs bright yellow ; second pair longer, banded with brown, liirsute, and wilii Nuig black tarsi ; third pair with smaller tarsi. Size, \2 X ,5 mm. //<'//;//«'//.— Mexico, Jiogota. Hope Collection. Canon Fowler remarks that this species is very variable both as to size and colour. It occurs under at least three forms — brown, yellow, and reddish, which, last he says is clearly that described by Fairmaire under the wMnc' >S(i/i(/iiiiiosa, and is marked by a black streak on the red prouotum. There are several specimens in the Hope collection labelled J[. )iioi>ot/r(iihiiia, Germ. They are larger and more dusky coloured than //. mnt/ii'uio-sa of my figure, but in general characters they otherwise agree with it. Expanse of wing, 20 x 8 mm. Sizj of body, 11x5 mm. This species and its varieties does not appear (o be rare. Habitat. — Mexico, Talasco. July. Schumann's Collection. Fig. 4c/ represents a form which may be called //. ajiijhnnis ww. The mari^innl edge of the pronotum is sinucas. The colour ochreous, covered v,itli reddish spots. 96 MEMP.]!A('IDyE. and witli a red streak following the margin thereof. Abdomen broad, concave below, deeply ringed above with pale grey edges. Tcgmina with three brown spots on the membrane. The smooth pronotum witliout keels distinguishes this insect from t) If. (lisparijK's. IIOPLOPHORA PUBESCENH, n.s. (Plate XIX. figs, f), oa.) Large ; general colour dark ferruginous ; deeply punctate. Pronotum with a red carinal border running from between the obtuse supra-humeral processes to the posterior point. Whole pronotum deeply ])itted with brown. Tegmina hyaline with roddish-yellow neuratiou. In some specimens like that figured there is con- siderable dill'erence in the development of the right and left alary organs. Tarsi longest in the first pair of legs, decreasing in length from the second to the third pair, which last are very small. Whole insect finely pilose, and particularly so on the underside. There arc numerous examples in the Hope Collection, all of which are concolorous. Size, 13 X G mm. Habitat. — Bogota. Hope Collection. '^lOPLOPHORA PERTUSA, (ieini. Ann. Serv.. (Plate XX. fig.s. ], la, lb.) Fairm. I.e. p. 271. Pronotum yellow, much punctured; on the anterior part two dark brown points. Dorsum gibbous ; side borders red ; dorsal edge but little developed ; tcgmina hyaline with reddish nervures ; supra-humerals mere rounded eminences ; abdominal rings uncovered, but the scutellum is concealed ; legs short with relatively large tarsi ; femora thick and marked by dusky bands, more or less hirsute. Size, 12 X .5 mm. Ilarjilal.-Wv.v/W. QloPLOPllORA PORO.SA. (Pinto XX. figs. 1'. I'a.) W.ilk. //. pornsa. I.e. p. '}]'■) ; 'v/. portusit vnr. ((). I have not been able to compare Fairmaire"s type specimens with others in the British Museum, but 1 ani much ol' the c)|)inion that Walker's //. ^;o/-o.$« is only a variety of If. pniiixa. MKMllllAVlD.i:. 97 One characteristic of purom is the liigh luul convex dorsal ridges and tlie comparatively short pronotum. The ligiirc ia added for comparison, and is drawn from one out of several examples in the National Collection. In the figure drawn the tegmina show hrown nervures instead of the niore correct nornial brick-red veins. ^ LAllVA AN1-) PUPA OF HOPLOPHORA PEllTUSA, (Plate XX. fig. 3; Pluto XIX. fig. (1.) Few naturalists can venture to predicate the I'orni that any species of a com- paratively unknown family of Arthropoda may assume in its early metamorphoses. The conditions are too varied and complex. As somewhat analogous examples, we may note how great is the divergence of form shown by the naupilius of the common labster, from the'animal in its adult or imaginal condition ; or as shown by the plutcus whilst developing into tlie echinus ; or again, more remotely by the tadpole passing into the newt. No one would, a priori, guess that the caterpillar foresliadowed the butterlly. Such unexpected facts may well caution us against hasty guesses in assign- ing some of the curious pupal and larval insects sometimes found in cabinets to particular species of Membracidje, though these immature forms clearly belong to tliis family of Homoptera. The metamorphic external changes of the Hemiptera Homoptera probably are not so remarkable as those to be noted in some other insect orders. Yet they show occasionally some interesting and unlooked-for peculiarities. We have before described some of these peculiarities in the genus Menvbracis. As the pupiu are not quiescent like the chrysalides of Lepidoptera, but are active in leaping from bush to bush, we do not, so far as observation now goes, remark great anomalies or departures from usual types. The larvtc of some of the Darninse will be discussed farther on, but iiere it will be convenient to notice the pupal forms of a species of Iloplophora closely allied to ■/ //. j)crliim, even if not afterwards proved to belong to that identical species. The larva is ochreous-yellow or greenish, spotted with brown, with the pronotum much less developed than in the pupa. It forms a kind of hood over the head, leaving the rudiments of the scutellum uncovered to view ; the sheaths of the incipient tegmina are small and brownish in colour, and the abdominal rings develop small flaps at their edges; the hind tarsi certainly are not shorter than the inter- mediate pair, as may be noted in the adult insect. Size, 7x5 mm, 9« MKMJmjrilKE. The Pui'A. (Plate XIX. iig. G.) ,^.\' The pronotuin is more developed than in the larval condition, and is carried farther over the scutellum, which exliibits two long spines. These are not to be found in the imago state ; the abdomen is more attenuated ; the tegminaare membra- naceous, weak, and partially elaborated ; legs stout and clumsy ; indeed, the whole form is somewhat uncoutli and grotesque. Size, 0x5 mm. / Thei-e an' ti-n specimens of tlicso pupa' in the Hope C'ollection, grouped witli '^ Jl. /icrhisii. Pi-osumal)ly tliey were captured in (Jiiyaua in company with tlie adult insects. OIIOPLOPIIOIIA OKiANTEA, V-.uvm. (Plate XX. figs. 4, 4a.) Fairm. I.e. p. 2(5!). Large; pronotum viewed from above long oval, witli the ape.K acute and reaching to the end of the abdomen ; punctured, dark brown, with a central carina and two otlier parallel carina; on each side, besides the marginal carina ; all of these arc bright brick-red ; abdomen large, black, and partially covered by the pronotum ; legs stout and black, the hind femora channelled and furnished with short weak tarsi ; tegmina dense olive-brown, with a coarse, raised red neuration ; marginal limbi broad ; apical areas four; wings delicate, witli olive-grey membranes; front of the nietopidium pubescent. The insects are variable in size and in markings. Size, 12 X 7 mm. llahifaf. — Bogota. Exjianse, 40 to 45 mm. OhOPLOPIIORA CINEREA. / (Plate XX. figs. 5, .")a. V/. cinerea, Faiiin. I.e. p. 272.; Fowl. I.e. Tab. III. fig. 24, p. P.O.) Pronotum broad, obtuse, with two auricular or eariike projections on the shoulders ; dorsum with a single projecting carina, with three sinuous and less conspicuous carina* on each side; colour ochreous-yellow ; tegmina short, hyaline and grey. This insect is in shape unlike those before described, and onl}'^ partly answer.^ to Fairmaire's description : "Cinerea, carinatis, luimeris auriculatis." — Andre. Canon Fovvlsr says that this species is very numerously represented in their collection, but it is apparently rare in other cabinets. There is but one example in the Hope Museum, whicli I figure, M EM nil AC 11), K. Size, 11x5 mm. Habitat.— Nqxx\ Crux, Guutcnial;!, CiipetfUo (Chanipioii). o IIOIM.OPIIOHA VICINA, Fainii. (I'lato XX. tis. C.) O O II. poro.s,(, Walk. I.e. p .. :>]■■<: ll.jimh, Kainn. I.e. p. l.'7(t, I'late \'I. li^-. HI; II. j,oro.s„, Walk. I.e. p. .-.I:;; ll.jlml,ri,U„, SUl. I.e. p. LT). Greyish-yellow, iincly punctured with brown dot.s; supra-hunierals acute, short, and set at riylit ant,'les to the fore part oC the prouotuni ; pronotum scutiforni ; abdomou black, and pilose at the tip; head small and triangular; legs black; membrane of tiie teguiina smoky, with dark brown wings. Tliis description, however, only partly accords with FairnKiire's description : "Flavescens, punctata, non callosa" (? soft-skinned). 'J'he figure on his plate agrees well with the above. Size, 13 X 5 mm. J/a/ji'taf. — Columbia. Wollaston Collection. OHOI'LOIMIORA DISPAUIPKS, F„\vlcr. (Pl.ite XX. fig. 7.) "^11. ilisj,arij>r.~!, Fowl. I.e. p. 1(1, Tal). III. fig, L'.".. Small ; colour cinereous or else dingy brown, with obscurely marked dark fuscous spots or long transverse bands; pronotum rather hirsute, with one central and three or four parallel yellowish carina3 ; tegmina gre}', shining, with corrugated membranes. Fowler calls attention to the comparative weakness of the hind legs and tarsi. Size, 7x5 mm. HaJiUat. — Geronimo, Ghiatemala. Figured from a specimen lent by Canon Fowler from his private collection. The following species have not come before my notice for tiguriiig, but may be added for reference : Oil. si(/noreti, Fowl. I.e. p. :>!), Tab. III. fig. 23. Mexico. ^//. unicolor, Fowl. Trans. Ent. Sec. Lond. p. 4G1). Colombia. Oil. semitecta, Walk. I.e. Suppt. p. 129. Venezuela. x^z\\. ^PLATYCOTIS BREVICORNIS. Fowler, I.e. (Potiiia), p. 40, Tab. IV. fig. 9. -PLATYCOTIS SAGITTATA, Germ. Fairm. I.e. p. 273. Other described species are as follows : P. vitiaiics, Fabr. Ventrotus vittatus. ^Hoplophora) viliata, Fairm. I.e. p. 271, op. (koplophora) rittala, Stfil. I.e. p. 37. "^rype of Platycotis (?) Oj', liitfiataiiloplophora,), Fairm. p. 270. C?P. humilis (Hoplophora), Walk. I.e. p. 514. ^P. concolor, Walk. I.e. p. 171. Columbia. OP. discreta, Fowl. I.e. p. 42, Tab. IV, fig. 4. Guatemala. U P. iiUjromacidutu. Vancouvei'.s Island. ^ The scheme drawn in the Biologia Centrali Americana, considers Stal's sub-genera Microschema and'^jophopelta, as comprised in the genns Platycotis. The distinctions made by Stal do not appear to be very marked. For the chief differences the student may be referred to page 41 of Fowler's Monograph in the B.C. A. The genus Lophopelta is represented hj^lati/cotis histrionica of Stal. The following species have been described by some authors, and may be added to the list of Hoplophorinae previously set forth in this Monograph. 102 MEMiniACID.E. i?GENUs : MICKOSCHEMA, Stal. Yfcb. Akad. Uandl. p. -,1, (i') f^ (1). t>M. strcmienicolor, I.e. p. 25 (2) III. (0) 1«G0. Type of the genus. ()il/. inermis, Fairm. l.c (Triqnetra), p. 280. (^1/. intermedia, Distant (Tiiquetrn), Ent. ]Mon. Mag. .xvii. p. 220. Qil/. niijrocarinata, Fairm. l.c. p. 280. {jM. recnrva, Stfil. l.c. (")fv. Vet. Akad. p. 2G0. bJ/. sprcla, CJoding (ri.afycotis). Bull. Illinois, Tab. III. p. ir.C. (ISO?.). Gknus? OCHROPEPLA, Stal. ( )fv. Vet. Ak. Forh. xxvi. p. 208 ; Fowler, l.c. p. 4:1. This genus differs from Platycotis partly in the neuration of the tegrnina, which show only four apical areas (the upper one often is very minute), and also in the smaller dimensions of the insects. There is some variation likewise in the length ot the pronotum, which reaches considerably short of the tips of the wings. 0 OCHROPEPLA PALLENS, Stfd. (Plate XXI. fig. 4.) Fowler, l.c. p. 44. Ochreous-grey, supra-humerals blunt ; pronotum much punctured witli a distinct central carina; tegrnina ochreous-grey, with yellow neuration. The specimen I draw has five apical areas, but the normal number appears to be four. It is much smaller, but does not greatly differ otherwise from Ocliropepla corrosa. (Plate XXII. figs. I, la, lb.) '^JTopIophora corrosa, Fairm. l.c. p. 272, Plate VI. fig. 11; 0. corrosa, Fowler, B.C. A., Tab. 0, fig. 0, p. 44 ■,^oplophora punctitm, F.airm. p. 272 ; 0. pnnctuni, 8tal, l.c. p. 208. Colour uniformly ochreous, with a greenish tinge, coarsely punctured ; metopidium vertical, then rounded, and the dorsal ridge continued backwards to the apical point ; supra-humerals blunt, with no other processes ; pronotum reaches to rather more than half the length of the tegrnina ; these last (U-gans are finely pilose, with obscure yellow nervures ; legs stout, hirsute, with short tarsi, the hind pair the shortest ; the pronotum, seen from the back, is trapezoidal. Size, G X 4 mm. IbihUal. — Colombia, Panama, Bogota. MEMBRACIB^E. 103 '^OOIIllOPEPLA IN.^QUALLS, StSl. (Pluto XXII. fig. -1.) Fowl. I.e. Tub. IV. fig. K, p. 11. Very small ; colour obscure ferrugiuous brown, more or less mottled with ochreous sains; the dorsal edge of pronotum rather sinuous; tegmina with brown neuration. Tiie insect I have figured is from the Hope Collection, but it rather diilbrs liom Fowler's figure. Probably it is one of the brown varieties he notes. Size, 4x2 mm. llahilut. — Chiricuii, Mexico, 4000 feet elevation. ...... 6 Disparity of size in examples of almost the same genus ; such as 0. (Usparipcn and ^ Hopluphora (j'ujante(i,ii\Q striking. Inequality cannot be explained by diflerences of food or its abundance, neither has climate or temperature any appreciable cU'ect in its production. The nature of the initiative force imparted to the germ of the ovtim is at present, and i)erhaps will always be, out of our ken. Examples of species not here figured are : 00. hches, Walk^(Tiiquetra), I.e. p. 525. Columbia. O O. duhUt, Fowl. I.e. p. 45, Tab. 7. Panama. P.ltI. Eat. Zeikclir. .\. p. ;;.S,S (l.Slili); Fowler, H.O.A. Iloiiio)). p. 15 (J8'.)J). Tills genus comprises a few small species which are principally characterised by the pronotum being produced into a porrect and more or less extended horn, somewhat like that ofT^lnchenopa, but showing a diflerent neuration of the tegmina and having the posterior tarsi short, as in all the IToplophorinse. Stal describes the tegmina as having four apical cells, but probably this number is not constant in all species of the genus. Enchotype of Stal has only three apical areas, and is nearly allied to*^otnia. POTNIA AFFINI«, n.s. (Plate XXI. fig. ;i 6, figs. :!a, iib, 3c 9 .) Colour of the male greyish brown, with a slight tendency to mealiness ; pronotum with a flat, obtusely pointed, porrect horn; dorsal ridge somewhat sinuous and ending in a point which reaches to about half the length of the tegmina ; tegmina with five distinct apical areas ; legs short, yellowish, with their tarsi nearly equal in length in all the pairs ; metopidium much punctured, swollen, and with two short stout suprahumeral processes. 104 MEMBRACIDyE. The female is ocliveous brown, with long hyaline tegmina veiuecl with yellow ; pronotum with a Hat horn more dilated at the tip than is seen in the male, and marked by three carinations ; surface punctured and rather mottled with brown ; Dorsum unarmed, and extending posteriorly nearly to the tips of the tegmina. These last organs are narrow, and show at least four apical cells. It is difficult exactly to decide on the neuration, as it seems to differ in the sexes. I figure the tegmina of both sexes. Though nearer to Potnia than any other genus, I somewhat doubtfully place this insect here. .Size, 1) X 5 mm. and 14x4 mm, llubiial. — Bogota. Hope Collection. •^POTNIA BREAaCORNIS, Fowler. (Plate XXI. fig.s. .3, 5a.) B.O.A. p. 4(5, Tab. IV. fig. 0. Very small ; pronotal process short and blunt as if truncated, tipped with brown ; colour ochreous, blotched with brown ; tegmina transparent and furnished with brown parallel nervures. Fowler remarks that this species is very near to Potnia asodalis of Dr. Goding, an insect which inhabits California. My figure is from the Hope Collection with the liahitat Volcan de Chiriqui up to 8000 feet elevation. Size, 5x3 mm. There is another insect in the Hope Collection from Bogota, which I cannot separate from that above described, except from its larger size, viz., 6x3 mm., and a little difference in the colour of the wing veining. The following insects have been described by others and may be placed under Potnia : ^ ''/'. venosa, Gerui. (Blembracis) 1821 ; Eiit. iv. ID, 10. Oi'mhonia venosa, Fainn. I.e. p. 278. Ol'. jaculus, Stal. Vet. Akad. Handl. Fab. I.e. (2) viii. p. 08. QjU. indicator, Fairrn. I.e. p. 270, Plate VI. fig. 15. (-4\ Jansoni, Fowl. Trans. Ent. Soc. (181)4), p. 418. C/". pcrobtusa, Fowl. I.e. (18II4). ^ Ol'. (jranadensis. Fowl. I.e. 45, Faifin. p. 273 (Hoplopliora), Genus : 't5eTH0PL0PH0EA. Fowler, I.e. p. 4G. This genus has been formed to receive the single species Or(Iioj)Io]j/i(»Yi Salviiii. It differs from Potnia, inasmuch as the tegmina show four apical areas; and from Enchotype, in having a broader head and differently shaped dorsum and horn. MEMBRACID^E. 105 ^ OllTKOPLOPHORA SALVINI. Fowl. Tab. IV. figs. 10. 10a. Colour greyish ochrcous ; proiiotiun unicoloroius, witli two broad black bands which extend about two-thirds of the distance between the suprahumeral processes and the pronotal apex. The straight dorsum and the black bands separate this species from both Platycotis and Aconophoroides. Size, 13 mm. llabUal. — Mexico, Vera Cruz. • O ACONOPHOROIDES, Fowler. Fowl. I.e. p. -17 (1804). In general form like Aconophora, but the few species yet described, more nearly approach Potnia and Hoplophora. They have small posterior tarsi, the liist and the second pairs being much the longest, and the pronota have strongly carlnatcd edges. The neuration, however, seems to be closely related to Aconophora, and shows four apical cells in the tegmina. ^ACONOPHOROIDES GLADIATOR, Walk. %idia jladiator, Walk. I.e. II. p. 5(57 ; Fowl. I.e. p. 48, Tab. IV. lig. 11 ; Aconophora lata, Walk. Ins. Saund. p. G',1. ^ Ferruginous ; head short ; eyes prominent ; procephalon porrect, ascending, red, with a black border on each side ; pronotum acute and recurved at the tip, with six yellow carinas ; tegmina ferruginous ; nervures very stout. Sub-genus: ENCHOTYPE, Stal. Stal Vet. Akad. Handl. {-2) 8 (1) p. y7 (KSGO). This sub-genus contains a few insects, in general form not unlike those included in Potnia, but the descriptions, according to Stal, give only three apical areas to the tegmina. Perhaps the insect I have figured on Plate XVII. rig. G as an Umbonia (in which particular I have followed Canon Fowler's lead) should be better referred to the above sub-genus. Accordingly, I place it below for further reference, viz., ^ENCHOTYPE GLADIUg, Faii-ni, Umbonia rjladius, Fairm. I.e. p. ^'75, Plate VI. fig. i ; U. yladius, Fowl. I.e. p. •i>^, t. ?>, fig. 13. The dorsal horn is large and erect, with a red streak on each of its sides. It is apparently a rare species. 106 MEMBHACID^. Tlie females are the most abundant, and are larger than the males, and they also have longer horns. The following list of species is here added : Ol. E. curvispina, Stal I.e. p. 38. ^2. Ji. ermanni. Griff. ^ o. E . fairmuirei. Type of genus. oJ. E. concinna, Fowl. Trans. Eut. Soc. (IS'Jl) p. (111). iixxh-[-^xm\y -I^JAItNIN/E. The biological student works at a disadvantage when he has only dry museum specimens to consult. The colours of Membracidte are much brighter in life than shown by the examples which are stored in cabinets ; and even these last appear somewhat different if viewed with lenses under concentrated light. The colours then appear to be more vivid, and some allowance must be made between small forms when viewed by the naked eye and the pictures they give when drawn under amplification, and the somewhat deceptive effects of perspective seen from different planes. It is well known also that certain insect colours, vivid in life, are very evanescent ; the bright and yellow greens of some Libelluke, the verdant tints of many Lepidop- tera, the brilliant hues of various caterpillars, all partaking more of the character of stains than of pigment, cannot be preserved indefinitely. The foregoing remarks will explain why many dry examples of the foregoing Hoplophorinse and of the DaruiniB next to be described, which observers tell us are brilliant green or golden yellow when fresh captured, assume sombre tints before they come before the artist for representation. There must be some compromise allowed between the drawings which attempt to represent the objects in their living forms and those which are treated more symmetri- cally, or " set" as the collector might wish to see them. For dry scientific classification possibly the last representations may be more exact, but at the expense of the interest which insects in apparent motion will surely elicit. The zoologist works also under greater disadvantage than the physicist, inasmuch as he can rarely resort to exact experiments to substantiate his hypotheses in classi- fication. On viewing an extensive series of genera or even species of Membracid:e, the inexperienced eye might doubt the correctness of certain homologues, and may ask can these things be correct? In botany, adepts have good reasons for stating that the banyan tree, the mulberry, fig, the hop, and the nettle have close affinities. MEMIUlACIDy?:. "107 notwithstanding the extreme divergences of their iVuits und llowcrs. Similarly we may wonder at the usual grouping into one family of the rose, the plum, the strawberry, and the almond tree. These remarks are introductory to the facts that great divergence ol' form in the insects of the family under consideration must be regarded as sports from accidental types, that is, tliat often such variations do not afford generic or even spcciiic characters of importance. Professor llu.vley said, " those wlio refuse to go beyond fact rarely get as far as fact." Ahnost every great step in science has been in anticipation of nature through the invention of hypothesis, even though, in the career of usefuhiess, such hvpothcsis may have proved to be erroneous. Hypothesis becomes more valuable in proportion to the number of facts it embodies. The evidence of evolution, the same thinker says, is inductively proved in accordance with the facts connected with the Eocene horse, exampled by the ]']ohippus of America. Phenomena which appeal to our senses ought to be thought out descriptively. ^Ve imagine hypotheses through the contemplation of similarities, but theories must be used principally as helps in search of truth, and as such, they must not pre- occupy the mind as if they were the laws themselves, or truths, which we can regard as absolutely conclusive. Modern research has largely expanded Fairmaire's original genus Darnis, in which he described twenty-three species. Stal and recent authors have grouped numerous insects together, under a third section or sub-family (Darnina)) as indicated above. The members of this group, however, are far from being homogeneous, and they hardly represent a natural classification. The materials available are yet too scanty to allow of such. Although about twenty genera are comprehended in the sub- family, some genera are represented by only three species, and others at present have only a single representative to give the characters for species which perhaps may be subsequently discovered. Attempts have been made, with more or less success, to ibund characters on the wing-veining, coupled with the number of the discoidal cells. Pat authors arc not agreed as to what should be the normal number of discoidal areas. Reall}-^ the group is difficult to diagnose, particularly as Canon Fowler has shown that such characters as the position and distances of the ocelli are too obscure for satisfactory use, as has been proposed by Stal and other writers. Fowler, in a measure, separates the curious genus Heterouotus from the rest, and places it last in the series, as having the tegmina twice as long as the wings, and as having the pronotum both spinose and nodose. It will be seen that the 1U8 MEMBBACIB^. tegmina of nearly all the genera have long parallel-sided areas. These, as well as the apical cellules, are never found to be petiolate. The genera may be approximately grouped as follows: ASPONA CUNEATA, Fowl. B.C.A. Tab. IV. iig.s. 14, 1 la, 14b. ILthiiaf. — Volcan di Chirique. 'kyayopa ciRppva of Walker is probably a small species of Aspona nearly allied to A. bull at a. ^Genus: alcmeone, stai. Stal. Ofv. Kongl. Vet. Ak. Foih. xxiv. \\ 5.^)S (1SG7), xxvi. p. 25(1 (IS(i;i). Eowler (B.C.A. p. 72) remarks that this is one of the most distinct of the genera formed by Sta.1 out of the old genus Hemiptych.i of German The species which are chiefly from Brazil, Cayenne, and Central America may be distinguished by their very broad pronota and the aculeate form of the posterior apices. Pronotum seen from above is inflated in front, and abruptly produced behind into a lanceolate point (Fowler). Tiie humeral angles are but slightly produced, but the shoulder horns are obvious. The areas of the tegmina are narrow and elongated. Alcmeone gentrotoides. (Plate XXIV. figs. C, fia, Ob.) llcmvptycha centroioides, Faiim. I.e. p. :117. Fairmairc! gives as a description : obscurely yellow, with the suprahumora horns horizontal, and tipped, like the posterior apex, with black. Sometimes a brown colour occupies the greater part of the dorsum, and the yellow portion forms two oblique bands. This insect is obviously liable to considerable variation in colour, and the figure I give above only partly agrees with Fairmaire's diagnosis in this respect. The MEMllRACIDJl 111 insect figured is drawn iVom ;i spcciineu kindly lent by Dr. Aurivilliiis IVoni the Stockholm Museum. (ieneral colour warm l)ro\vn, with a tendency to ochreous yellow on the meto- pidium, and more strongly at the tips of the tegmina ; pronotum broad and swollen between the pointed suprahumerals, which are divergent ; dorsum suddenly narrowing at about two-thirds of its length to a tapering sharp point; costal and discoidal parts of tlie tegmina rich brown; rest oi the membrane sub-hyaline, and obscurely veined ; legs fuscous; hind pair the longest; ocelli in deep depressions on the frons. Very like a Ccntrotus but the scutellum is covered. Size of female, 12 x G mm. lldhitat. — Rio Janeiro. (^ALCMEONE GODMANI, Fowl. I'-owki- H.O.A. Tab. V. figs. 24, 2-la, 24b, p. 72. A remarkable insect, and one of the most conspicuous amongst the Membracidio. IJroad and robust ; head and metopidium scarlet ; dorsal part of the pronotum shining black, with the front, sides, and space before the posterior apical process bright scarlet ; apical process long, pointed and black ; tegmina fuscous and darker towards the base; legs testaceous; there is a black line proceeding from the highest part of the pronotum to the suprahumeral edge. Length, 15 mm. ; width between the horns, 10 mm. lUtljildt. — Mexico, Jalisco. O Additions to Alcmeone (Type llcntiptijclia ce/ilroloidcs) may be noted. (^ALCMEONE CASEOSCALPRIS. liiitl. Gist. Ent. ii. p. 'iU, 2(5. IIa/jilal.—{?). J la/ji / a /.— Cay i •^ALOMEONE CURV^IC'ORNIS, Stal. (Efv. Vet. Ak. FiJrh. p. 250 (18(59). Genus: DARNIS. Fabricius, Syst. lUiyng. p. 25 : Burm. Fainn. Stdl, Butler, Walk. Fowler. Canon Fowler restricts this genus to three species in his B.C. A. He gives for characters by which the genus may be known, as having the greater part of the tegmina uncovered, and certain peculiarities of the neuration. This last chai-acter is marked by three veins, viz., "one radial and two ulnar" proceeding from the base; and two discoidals. 112 MEMBRACIBJE. The pronotum is marked by a 3'ellow band. The humeral angle is not, or is only slightly and bluntly produced ; dorsum convex and not carinated ; apex rather curved over the teginina. Fowler subdivides the old genus Daruis into Darnis, Hebetecoides, Stictopelta, and Tropidarnis. '^DARNIS PARTITA, Walk. (Plate XXir. fig.s. 4, 4a; Plate XXII. figs. 5, 5a, var.) Walk. In.sect. Saunder.sia.na, p. 15; Fowler, I.e. Tab. IV. figs. 15, 15b. rronotiim shining black or deep brown,, with three yellow curved transverse bands across the dorsum, united to a yellow band on the marginal border ; frons with a yellow spot ; tegmina as long as the pronotum, rich brown ; legs ochreous, with black femoral tips. The insect figured is from an example taken by Bates on the Amazons. Fowler remarks its similarity to Ochruluinid triciiiiin of Stal, which, however, wants the anterior band. Size, 8x4 mm. llab'dul. — J'anama, Bugaba, Chiriqui, the Amazons. (? DARNIS SUTURALIS, Genu. (Plate XXII. figs. G, Ca, Gb.) OUaniis trifasciata, Fairm. Ann. .Soc. Ent. 481. 'Very shining dark brown or pitchy black, with a broad central bright ochreous band down the centre of the dorsum, with another also on each lower margin of the pronotum ; another short interrupted stripe over each shoulder rising from the blunt inconspicuous suprahumerals ; frons with a largish orange spot in its centre and another spot on each inner margin of the eyes; the metopidium has also two spots, thus showing in front five spots in all ; seen unexpanded from the back, neither eyes, legs nor tegmina are visible ; legs ochreous, with black knees ; tarsi ferruginous. Size, 9x5 mm. Habitat. — Brazil. From B.M. Collection. 6 DARNIS LIMAX, n.,s. (Plato XXII. figs. 7, 7a, 7b.) Lung, pointed, .sluglike in its form and in its a])paient slimincss ; pronotum polished, and mottled with brown and ochreous stains; lower margin straight, and extending to the points of the tegmina ; eyes large and yellow ; tegmina rich sienna brown, with strong brown venation ; metopidium without suprahumeral jjrojections. MEMURACW.E. 11 ;■, , Size, G X 3 mm. llabitat. — Ilio Dagua, Coloinhia. This insect does not appear to represent I). Hiiiacoths of Fairniaire, but liis description is very meagre. '^DARNIS LATERALIS, Fal.. Sys. Rhyii. p. 272. (Pliite XX I J. %. H.) Fainii. i.e. !>. 180; Guiiu. liiirm. Amy. Sorv. I.e. p. rdT); Kowlur, I.e. p. 52 ; Coiiuul.ort. Icon. Ins. p. 78, Plato 18, fig. i) (1801). Small; pronotum dull pitchy brown, with an ochreous stripe on tlic margin, the ujjper border of which is indented and undulating ; frons convex, unspotted and slightly pilose in front; legs with black tips to the tibite, and ferruginous tarsi; tegmina with the bases brown and apices more hyaline; limlnis broad, ucuration dark brown. Fairmaire gives as a character : " Capitis puncto medio." Size, 8x4 mm. Habitat. — Brazil : Cayenne. B.M. Collect] lOU. '^DAIINIS FLAVIOEPS, Burm. (Plato XXIII. Cg. 1 i to fig. .^a. ? ) O Buim. Rev. Sillj. iv. p. 1G9; Faiiui. I.e. p. 280; Fowl. I.e. p. 53; Dai-uis lalwr, Tab. IV. fig. H\. O CL Butler, Darnis Umbala, Cist. Ent. ii. p. 311 ; Lejiiosliclajlaviceps, Stal, Hemip. Fabr. ii. p. 32. Colour chestnut brown, with a broad bright yellow band, more or less disruptive, extending from the head to tlie pronotal apex, and parallel to the lower margin ; tegmina rich sienna brown, but doubtful in constancy as to the strict neuration ; abdomen of the $ dark brown, of the ? buff colour ; femora testaceous, tibia) yellow or buff, ringed with brown ; metopidium convex, with a yellow collar and small humeral angles. Fig. 3 on the above plate must be a variety or else a different species. The supra-liumerals are not developed. Size, 9x4 to 13 x6 mm. Ilabitatts. — Brazil, Para, Amazon, Cachabi, Ecuador. In the British Museum Collection there are several dark and also lighter-coloured specimens named Lepfosficta flavicejjs, some of which may range under L. iiidctcr- mlnata of Walker. Tliey have two or three short obscure dashes between the shoulders, measure about 12x5 mm., and are labelled, Constancia. January. 114 MEMBRAGID.E. Gi«us9 TR0PIDARNT8, Fowler. Distinguished bj the dorsum being raised and acutely keeled ; three nervures run from the base of tiie corium, as in Darnis, Le])tosticta and Hebetlcoides. There are two discoidal areas, tlie interior being the longest (Fowler, p. GO). Two species are noted by him, namely : UTROri DARNIS TECTKIERA. Kdwlcr, 1.0. Tab. V. ligs. 7, 7a, 71i, p. OO. Size, !1 X 5 mm. JInl)itat.—kmw\\\ in Guerrero, GOOO feet. Otropidarnis ACUTIOR. Fowl. I.e. p. fil. The keel is here more acute than in the last species. Size, 9x4 mm. //«/>//«/.— Mexico. '-"TROPIDARNIS PELLICOLOR, n.s. (Plate XXIV. figs. \, 4a, 4b.) Much larger than T. fecligcra, and the dorsal ridge more arcuate, and ilattencd on the frons. There is a tendency to show another ridge behind the rounded shoulder-angles. Colour shining ochreous, or sidn coloured ; an obscure brown stain occurs below the dorsal ridge ; tegmina brown, and just seen below the pronotal margin ; legs brownish, spotted, prismatic, and finely serrated ; eyes small and pale ; frons long and narrow. Figured from a fine specimen in the Hope Collection. Size, 15 X 7 mm. ^IROPIDARNIS ROBUSTUS, n.s. (Plate XXIV. figs. 5, 5a.) Less sluglike in form than Stictopelta, with a longitudinal keel extending from the metopidium to the pronotal apex ; finely punctured ferruginous yellow ; supra- humerals sharp, but small ; two faint depressions above the eyes ; tegmina brown, with pale neuration. I include this in Tropidarnis chiefly from the presence of the marked dorsal keels. Though nearly allied to T. fccfi^cra, I think it is distinct. Size, 10 X 5 mm. Habilaf. — ^Mexico. Hope Collection. MEMBRACID^E. 115 O Genus: STICTOPELTA. StAl, Koiigl.Vet. Ak. BanJ. viii. p. 32; Fowl. I.e. p. r)5. The spociesof this oviuis run imicli into one another, but the variation i.s di.stinct. Fowlor sees but little dilleronce between Stfil's genus Cryptophora and his Stieto- jielta, except that the former is more elongated in the pronotutn (.yw page 55). Some comproiiiise is desirable between the requirements of the logical evolu- tionist, who practically merges all species into one another and treats structural differences as temporary variations ; and the systematist who by multiplying genera makes specific groups take the place of species themselves, though he does not call them such. Species must be considered constant, at least in historic time. Pushed back into paheontologic time, they seem to disappear or resolve themselves into simple groups. Under the old systems of Fabricius and Linneus, Umbonia and Centrotus were grouped under the genus Membracis. The question may be asked, are sub-genera, &c., more than helps perliaps ol doulitful value as to making a classification of animals natu'-al. It may be heresy to state, that many think the standard ol' fertility, iiiler .sr, is a good test for proving a species, notwithstanding the complicated problems whicli are connected with cross-fertilisation and the like. Species representing Stictopelta, Ilebetica, Hebeticoides, and Tropidarnis, have much the same general facies as the genus Darnis of Eurineister, but this sub-division is useful. o Fowl. I.e. p. uu ; .v. Iransversalis, Walk. I.e. Suppt. p. 1 t«. Ilahllat. — Tema.x, Mexico. o o " Darnis bipunctcUa, Buim. I.e. p. 171 ; Z*. udusta, Burm. I.e. p. 171 ; Sticto2)eUabi2mnctaUi, Butler, I.e. p. 340;^.S'. admta, Butler, I.e. p. ;!40r,S'. bipunctaia, Fowl. I.e. Tab. IV. fig. 19, p. .'i5. Pronotum rich brown, or black like an oat-seed, but with an orange patch developed on each side ; legs obscure ochreous brown ; head across the eyes, long and narrow ; the females are darker than the males. Size, 9x4 mm. Ualjllat. — Me.xico, iVmula, Brazil, 116 MEMBFyWTDJi. Fairm. I.e. p. IS I ; Fowler, I.e. p. 5f!. Shining yellow ; the legs with a black striga or line. Length, 9 mm. JIahUaf. — Mexico. ^ STIOTOPELTA ZONIFERA. iOc/irolomia zonifera, Butl. Cist. Ent. ii. p. 339, fig. 2; Fowl. I.e. p. 50 Si/.c, 8 nun. llabHal. — Mexico. %TICTOPELTA PUNCTATA. / Fowl. I.e. Tab. V. fig. 2, p. 57. Size, 9 mm. Habitat. — MescaUi in Gnerrero. /■ STICTOPELTA ASSIMILIS. Fowl. I.e. p. 57. Size, 8x4 mm. Not unlike S. rariaiis. Habitat. — G u ate m al a. 6teTICT0PELTA IIINNULEUS. Fowl. I.e. p. 57. Colour olivaceous with a white border, which extends behind the shoulders. Size, 11x6 mm. A large insect. Habitat. — Orizaba . t) STICTOPELTA PRATERNA. Butl. Cist. Ent. ii. p. 340. Some of these insects must be received with caution as to their being true species. The description given by authors are too indefinite, and it is only by an appeal to their life history and economy that their classification can be safely fixed. ^^STICTOPELTA LINEIFRONS. (Plate XXIII. fig.s. 4, 4a.) Fowl, I.e. Tab. V. figs. 3-3b, p. 58. Colour greyish-green ; pronotum elongate and pointed ; metopidium with three or four dark transverse lines ; tegraina hyaline, with brown neuration, which with structure of the wings is typical. Size, 7 X 3 mm Habitat. — Mexico, Temax, North Yucatan. From the Hope Collection. MEMmiACIDJ'J. 117 0 SI'ICroi'Kl.TA NKiRIFllONS, Fowl. (I'lulc XXIll. (iv. Ti.) I'.iul. 1.,-. 'I'ah. V. fi-s. I, l:i, p. r,8. Colour ocliiTous green ; the ibve-part. ol' the pronotum black for about one-third of its length ; tegmina grey-green, with llie greater part covered by the pronotum ; legs short and lerniginoiis I)ro\vn. Noi \\\\\\k(i'l)(inils inccrla of Walker. Size, 7x1 mm. Ihiliihit. — Temax, North Yucatan. Fuwh'r's Collection. 0 SI'IC'l'OPKLTA INDETEIliMINA'r.V, Walk. (Plate XXIII. lij;. 11.) Fowl. 'I'ah, V. li-. f). i-iarge ; concolurous sordid ociireous yellow; some examples have a greenish tint; pronotum glabrous, sinuous, and obtusely rounded under the shoulders ; apical point black or very dusky ; tegmina quite covered ; Irons long and narrow ; the jn^motal margin siiows generally an obscure fuscous band. This sjjecies is common in collections. It varies greatly as to size and colour and so much, that some might make diverse species from a series of specimens. Size, 13 X G to 1 1 X f) mm. HahUat. — Vera Cru/,, Panama, llio de Janeiro. , There is a specimen in the Hope Collection labelled Sticlv/jc/la uiccrlii, Walker, or ' Oc/iroloiJiifi iiiceiid, Butler, whicli I cannot separate from' S. iitdefermii/ala, though it is smaller. It has a similar habitat. .Fowler includes incerta, however, in his " Catalogue of Species," but he gives no diagnosis. The character as to how much of the tegmina is covered by the pronotum is of doubtful value. It is remarkable how closely the wings and the legs can be folded and packed into small compass when the insect is at rest. During flight, and some time after it, the abdomen is depressed and fully exposed to view. f^STICTOPELTA ACUTULA, Fuirm. (Plate XXIIl. fig. 7.) Bcirnis acutida, Y-Mrm. I.e. p. 181; J). hrevis,J?Airm. I.e. p. 48;! ; Vryptoptera «CM<((7rt, Butl. Cist. Eiit. ii. p. 342 -Pg. brevis, Butl. I.e. p. 342 ; Fowler, I.e. Tab. V. figs. 6, Gb, p. 60. Rather small, and not unlike the next species, S. o/ioacea, but more ochreous in colour, and the hyaline tegniina have a reddish neuration ; these tegmina often sliow above the margins of the pronotum. 118 MEMnHACID.K. My ligure is tli;it ol a female from Canon Fowler's private collection Hize, 18 X 4 mm. Udh'tlal. — Volcan de Cliiriqui. ^STICTOPELTA OLIVACEA, Fab. (Plate XXIV. figs. L', I'a.) ^JJarnis prasiiui, Fainii. I.e. p. I Si', and D. oUvacca, p. -ISA ■,^'ri/ptoptera olivaceu, St?il. Greenish or olive yellow or dark olive ; shining' and slightly punctured ; apex browner; tet^mina., when insect is at rest, (piite covered, but the clouded membrane often seen exijosed when half folded ; neuration strongly marked by four apical cells. In form much as in Mebetiea. , Fowler examined both Signoret's and Fairmaire's types of JJar//i-s jjra-s///(/. and he states his belief in tlie probable correctness of the above synonyms. Size, 13 X 5 mm. lIaJ)ilcit. — Venezuela, Jh-aziJ . O STICTOPELTA VARIANS, Fowl. (Plate XXIV. figs. :i, ;ia, :-!b.) Fowl. I.e. Tab. V. fig. 1, p. .">(). ybining, smooth, ochreous yellow or nut-brown ; jironotum unarmed and without suprahumeral horns and as long as tlie tegmina, which last are brownish and but little covered by it; a pale buff-coloured oval patch, bounded by a fine black streak, occurs on each side, above the marginal edges ; legs dark ochreous, with dark borders and dark tarsi ; frons broad between the eyes, with remote intermediate ocelli. This is the variety of Stictopelta, which is noted by Fowler, as having the black streak. Size, 9x4 mm. Habitat. — Jalisco, Venturas, Mexico, 2000 feet elevation. GtNus: ^HEBETICOIDBS, Fowler. Stal names Hebetica and Leptosticta as subdivisions of the old genus Darnis. After describing these genera, in which he remarks that Hebetica has only two longitudinal veins in the tegmen, and Leptosticta has three, he gives us further characters for Hebetica, viz., head and thorax pubescent; tegmina not exposed beyond the sides of the pronotum. Type, Darnis convoluta, 01. ; ]). limacoides, Burm. ; and for Leptosticta, D.Jlavicojjs, IJurni. Canon Fowler includes neither of these genera in the BioIo(jiu, but he adopts the MKMnn.irrD.E. no above j^-cmis (Hebeticoides) as liaviiiii- intormediate cluiractcrs, and lie enters lar^-ely into bis reasons for so doins,^ on pay^e 5:2 of tlie iiionograpb, io wliicli the reader is referred. My materials are too seanty for eritieisni, and I I'ullow tbe selieme lie oifers. JIc (b'scrii)es tiiree species of tbis ;,rcniis.' ^ llKlilOTlCOIDES ACUTUS, Fowl. (Plato XXIir. figs. 8, 8u.) Fowl. I.e. Tab. TV. fig. 17, p. 5;!. Jjarge, broad in front, and tapering from tbe siiouUlors to a sbarj) ape.v ; colonr rieb sbining ))urplisb brown, witli a yellow margin extending above tbe eyes (o tbe posterior point; legs yellow, but concealed from the back view. Size, I •! X 0 mm. /A/////../. — Guatemala, Panama. JMany of tbe Daniuiu have tbe appearance of shining seeds ; some are like black oats, 01' yellow beardless barley. ^/ I have had no o])portunity of drawing either llcijclicoiilc.s (■o//J)i.siis, Fowler, or 7/. (; ; )f. cuneala, Fowl. I.e. j). 7:!; c5 /fanljdi/cha tjloUceps, Kainn. \x. p. :!li), i'l. VI. li- 11). Large, light ochreous yellow, finely punctured ; metopidinm jjerpendicular and tumose ; suprahumeral angles wide apart, and tipped with shining black. Dorsal ridge sinuous with a dark brown oblong patch on each side; apex of pronotum black, and nearly extending to the tips of the tegmina ; tegmina free, warm sienna brown ; legs ochreous. The feuuile is much larger than the male, which only measures 15 x G mm. i?. Size, 18 X 9 mm. ?. Habitat. — Mexico. Fairmaire gives a specific character, " Jaune, poilue," but the examples I have from several sources are all smooth and shining. Fowler says that llem'ipli/clia tjloljiccjjs of Fairmaire is the male of Ilcu/i/jli/r/ui citiicdla. QlYPUINOE QUADIUMAOULATA, n..s. (Plate XXV. fig. ;i.) Colour pale cinnamon brown, shining; pronotum punctured, with short horns spreading horizontally ; a black spot on each side ; dorsal ridge straight, with the sharp apex reaching nearly to the tips of the tegmina; metopidinm perpendicular; hind coxoe large, giving rise to long and slender legs ; tegmina, each with an obscure dark spot, thus making the spots four in number. Size, 8x4 mm. Habitat.— BrAz:\\. OHYPHINOE GLOBICEPS. (Plate XXV. fig.s. 4, 4a, ? .) Fairm. \.v. p. ;!lfl, 20, PI. VI. fig. 20; Walk. I.e. p. 373. Large ; ochreous yellow, pilose, with the suprahumerals blunt and tipped with 122 MEMBRACTDyE. bliick ; an oblong dark brown spot on each side of tlie pronodnn, wliicli sliarply ends in a black tip ; tcgmina shining brown ; legs yellow. Sij^e, 17 X 7 mm. Ihihilal. — Mexico. The example figured is that of a female. It is larger than that given by Fairmairo, but it very generally agrees with his description and figure. / Fowler, however, considers 11. (/lofjicrps, Fairmaire, to be the male of //. cinicala, and he includes it in his synonyms of that species. A microscopic examination of a scries is to bo desired, before elim ina tings'/A //A V-i/Vvy/.v from tlio list of species. HYPHINOE TAU. (Plate XXV. fig,«. 5, r.a, l)h ) Fowler, Tab. VI. fig. 1, p. 7(1. Pronotum shining ochreous, fuscous at the back, punctured and finely pilose ; a black roundish impressed spot occurs in each side ; the posterior apex is black, and extends nearly to the tips of the tegniina ; these last organs are fine warm sienna- brovn or violaceous ; legs pale ochreous ; the pronotum seen from above has somewhat the form of a T, or a hammer head. Some species of this genus were thought by old writers to be Asiatic, but this locality seems very doubtful. Size, 12 X G mm. llahHal. — l']l Reposo, at 800 feet elevation. HYPHINOE SUBFUSOA, n.s. (Plate XXV. fig.s. 0, Ca.) Shining ; colour ferruginous brown. This rather obscurely marked species is allied to lli/pliiii'6c laii, and also to the variety //. atUlaiia, figured by Fowler. Perhaps the most marked character is centred in the large ocellated spot on each side of the pronotum, and the rather sharp but short suprahumeral horns, which point upwards, and are not easily seen. The general colour is fuscous, with a large oval ochreous patch on each side of the pronotum, each having a central stain ; the hind part is also marked with a yellow bar ; tegmina subhyaline with a tendency to show the neuration of a Ceresa ; legs sienna brown ; hind pair the longest. Size, 10 X G mm. Ilabital. — Volcan de Chiriqui. llosenber"' Collection. MKMnilACID.E. 123 iivi'iiiNdi.; KKurn'A. (Phitr XXVI. ligs. 1, la.) WiilU. //. hi.i„u,i. I.e. Suiipt. p. I I-' ; Fowl, I.e. '\\h. VI. lij,'. 7, 7ii, 9 p. 78. Prouotuiu punctured, shining ochreous yellow, with ii conve-v and siiuiuus dorsal ridye ; much depressed at the sides, with an obscure brown s|)ot in the depression ; supralunneral horns broad at their bases, obtuse, but pointed witli bhick ; tegniiiia rich sienna brown; legs oclireous yellow. By the dorsal aspect the suprahumerals are set at right angles, plane or flat, between them, and continuous with the nietopidium. Tlie tegmina with five apical areas- Size, 12 X 8 mm. Habitat. — El Keposo, Volcan de Atitlan. ^ IIYPIIINOE PURULIiNSIS. (Plate XXVI. (ig.s. ■l-'l\^.) Fowl. I.e. Tab. VI. fig. 4, 11), 9 lit;. 5, Ja, <^ p. 77. Large ; rich dark brown, shining, punctured with a conspicuous ochreuus stripe bounding the straight lower margin of the pronotum ; dorsum straiglit without sinuosities; suprahumeral liorn stout, pointed, acute and black at tlie fi[)s; Irons and meto|)idium dull ochreous, convex ; tegmina dark violaceous brown, punctured, yet very shining, and rather projecting beyond the tip of the pronotum ; legs dark ierruginous and rather short. Fowler describes this species, us having a conspicuous dark spot on each side of the proudtum. The example I figure from his private collection does not show these spots, but there are depressions on the disc which may rejjreseut them. My specimen is larger than the normal, so I conclude it to be a slight variety. In other respects it agrees with his diagnosis. The males are smaller than the females. Some varieties have outward resem- blances to the genus Ceresa. Size, 17x8 mm. ; 14 x 7 mm. Itdliilal. — Purula, Guatemala, Snbo in Vera Paz. ^HYPHINOE PURULENSIS, vai. ? i. (Plate XXVI. figs. (J, (ia.) There is a much smaller insect in the Fowler Collection which diflers somewhat from that here described, inasmuch as the suprahumeral horns are almost suppressed, and the pronotal disc has a conspicuous brown spot on eacli side. Added to this there is no marginal stripe. 124 MmnmAciD^. Notwithstanding the circumstance that I could not dissect tliis specimen for proof of the sex, I regard it as a male example of the above species. Size, 13 X G mm. Hnhifaf. — Sabo, Vera Paz. N.B. — Figures 1, la, lb, and 2, 2a, are drawn under llie same amplification. ^HYPHINoE PUNOTORUM, n.s. (Pl.ate XXVIII. figs. :!, ;!n.) In tlie late Mr. Wolhistou'.s Collection there is an insect closely allied to Ili/pliiiiw ixinikmk, yet it differs in several respects. I describe and draw it for comjjarison. 1 hesitate to think it only a variety of Ifciiiljjiijc/ia pimclaiii of Fairmaire, though his figure 22, PI. VJ. p. 218, strongly recalls it; and therefore I name it from the distinct row of small brown dots disposed above the pronotal margin. Colour ochreous yellow, finely punctured ; besides the above-mentioned brown dots, a large brown spot occurs on each side- of the pronotum ; the suprahumeral horns are subacute, short, and divergent; the pronotum has a straight ridge passing from the head to the apex, and is as long as the tegmina ; these last organs are grey coloured, with obscure yellow neuration ; the legs are pale. The insect is larger than H. piiruhn-v.H ox^ll. pioidinu with which it might be collated. In outward appearance it even might be referred to the genus Ceresa. Size, 11x8 mm. Ila/jifaf. — Pio de Janeiro. N.B. — For convenience in grouping Plate XXVIII. this species has been there placed. The above description is here ranged under the genus Hyphinoe, but the figure is there out of sequence. (^"hyphinoe ATITLANA, Fowl. Fowl, I.e. Tab. VI. fig. 1'. Fowler says this is a very distinct little species, but seems to think it may prove to be only a variety of^/. tan. The male insect was only known to him. Tlie figures given do not show much diflTerence from 7/. fan, so here I treat it as a variety captured on the Volcan de Atitlan, Guatemala. Height, 3500 feet. CilYPHINOE CAMELUS, Gray. '^Jarms cmneht.s, Giillith, An. Kiiigd. p. -JiK), PI. lO'J, fig. ;! ; 'J/emipti/cha camelus, Fainii. I.e. p. 819, PI. VI. fig. 21 ; ZT. camelvs, Stal, I.e. 20, p. 257 ; II. camelus, Fowl. I.e. p. IS-^'lIemipei/cha sagata, Germ. I.e. p. 245 -^riquetra valida. Walk. I.e. p. 521 \^l'helia ohliqua. Walk. Ins. Saund. p. 7.T ; var.TT". virldlssivm, Butl. Cist. Ent. II. p. 315. MEMBRACID.E. 125 ^lYPHlNoK CORNUTA. Distant, Ent. Mon. Mng. XVI. p. 12 (1X71)); Fowl. I.e. \^. 7(! ; Tub. VI. figs. 3, :ia, 3b. Hft/j/'/f//.—Cosia Rica, Tra/a, 7000 feet. Said to be like llcitiijihichtt pimctinn, Fairiii., or 11. Ian, but it would appear to be coiLsiderably suialler than the iusect I consider represents Fairniaire's remarkable species'7/. (ihila with its si)rcadin<;' humeral horns. <::? IIYPIIINOE PLACIDA. Oerinar (Ilemiptycha), I.e. p. 318, I'll) (l,S;i5). i/^////M/.— Brazil. Habltal.—'^ O HYPHINoE DIABOLIOA. Butl. I.e. p. 31G. O HYPHINoE VULPECULA. Fowl. I.e. p. 77 ; Tab. VI. figs. G, (la, Ob. Uniformly brown with a straight dorsal ridge ; supraliumeral horns moderately long, and slightly curved backwards ; large. Allied to Ilemiptycha proper. Size, 17 X 10 mm. llabilal. — Panama. Volcan de Chiriqui, to GOOD feet. OhYPIIINoE OCHPvACEA. Fowl. I.e. p. 7>^ ; Tab. VI. figs. ,s, Sa. Uchraceous yellow ; pronotum much elevated in front, with a broad dark band extending from the marginal edge above the shoulders to the highest point of the jironotum ; large ; no supraliumeral processes are shown in Fowler's figure, but he says " they are longer and more curved than in any other member of the genus and rather resemble the horns of the species of the genus Hemiptyoha proper." Size, 15 X 7 mm. Habitat. — Guatemala. Species of Hyphinoe are very confusing from their difference in facies. Stal's descriptions are by no means easily realised or clearly made out. aiYPHINoE TIIORACATA, Di.staiit. Distant, Traii.s. Ent. Soc. 19(10, Part IV. p. i\'M<. Ochraccous; the area between the humeral horns, the dorsal area, and apex ol 126 MEMRUACrn.E. pronotum black, or dark castaneous ; tef,nniiia brownisli ; pronotum finely punctate ; humeral angles robust, hardly directed upwards or forwards ; pronotal apex shorter than the tegmina. Size, 14 X 7 mm. llnhUat. — Costa Rica, Guaitil de Pcrres, Pacific Slo])es. Allied x.o^II. corniila, Dist. h HYPIIINUE PROCLIVIS, Distant. Distiint, Trans. Eut. Hoc. I'.XtO, Tavt IV. p. r,Ori. Ocliraceous, thickly and coarsely punctured; apices of the humeral horns continued in a broad lateral fascia to the humeral margins; apex of the pronotum and the tegmina dark castaneous or black ; legs ocliraceous ; tibire sidcatcd and j)ilose; suprahumerals with apices obtuse and moderately directed upwardly; the apex of the pronotum about reaches the apex of the tegmina. Length, 14 mm.; exp. prot. aug. 8 mm. J [a/jifat.—j-Qosia, Eica, Bruschik, Atlantic Slopes. Allied to JI. coruula, Dist. ; but it wants the pronotal spots. ^ Genus: DAPtNOIDES. Fairmaire, I.e. p. 495. This genus is represented by three or four small American species of which O D. Ihiihata is the type. Probably the species more nearly arc allied to Acutalis than Darnis, but there is much discrepancy between authors as to the variation in form and the ncuration. Fairniaire gives one discoidal area in the tegmina, whilst .St;d gives two, and there are insects which even possess three areas. My figure is taken from an example in Fowler's Collection. 6 DARNOIDES AFFINIS. (Plate XXVI. fig. 4, a-b.) Fowler, I.e. Tab. VI. figs. 4-4b, p. K2. Small ; pronotum warm ochreous yellow ; broad between the shoulders, and • tapering to a sharp point considerably short of the tegmina; these List are very delicate and hyaline, with a broad limbus which is still broader in the lower wings ; legs ochreous. My example shows two discoidal areas. Size, 4x2 mm. IlnhUnt. — El Eeposo. MMMURACin.E. 127 O DAliNollVKS LIMHATA. KainiL l.r. I'l. Vll.' fig. IC, p. 11)5. Size, 1) uiiii. Il(i/ji/i(l. — Colombia 6' DARNOIDES BRUNNEA. Fairni. I.e. p. lilfi. Brown, puncturetl ; witli the pectus, anus, ami the I'emora black. Mead and tibiie testaceous. Size, 7 mm. ^'DYSYNCRITUS INTECTUS. (Plate XXVI. figs. 5, 5a.) Fowler, I.e. Tab. VI. figs. 13, Ilia, p. 81. Very small ; colour ochreous yellow, mottled with brown ; dorsal ridge of the pronotum more or less sinuous ; tegmina greyish ochreous, mottled with brown, furnished with a clear limbal margin ; legs short, the middle pair spotted. Fowler considers this genus to be allied to Nassuuia or Hypamastris. There appears to be only one species at present described. My figure is from a defective example in Fowler's private collection. Size, 4x2 mm. //^//y/yr^/.— Pantallon, 1700 feet. Genl'S: ACONOPHOIiA. Faiim. I.e. p. L".!! ; Stal, I.e. iSaiid Vlll. [). ;ll ; Fowler, B.O.A. p. 01 ; Walker, I.e. A marked characteristic is the long prominent horn or porrect process of the pronotum, acute in some forms when seen from above, but flat and broad from the side view; areas of the tegmina oblong. The species of this genus are numerous. Fowler describes twenty-seven, and Walker enumerates upwards of twenty in his lists of those in the collection of the British Museum. Some of these are not ditHcult to identify, but Stal says of them : " Plurimas, difRcilimas, inter se similimas, et . . . hand certe indeterminandas " (v/c). Yet he names many species, and describes them very meagrely. The types may be taken in Aconojihoru viexicaiui and J. c(dli. 7, 7n, S, Sa.) A. mexkana, StSl, Stett. ent. Zeit, p.' 70; Fowler, I.e. Tab. V. lig.s. S, ,Sa, p. 02. Colour ochreous yellow, vvitli a dark longitudinal stripe on each side of tiie pronotiim ; nioi-e or less pubescent vvitli silvery hairs. Fowler has examined many examples from Atoyac in Mexico, but he thinks that certain specimens in the B. M. are doubtfully made to do duty lor it. Size, 11x4 mm. IhihihtL — Volcan dc Cliiri(pii. "^AOONOPHORA PUBESOENS. (Plate XXVI. fig. !), and XX VII. (ig. I.) Walk. Ins. Saund. Hoinopt. p. 70 ; Fowler, I.e. p. (53 ; A. spathala, Butl. CLst. Eat. ii. p. 347. Rather large ; general colour warm fuscous ; pronotum with a sharp and flat horn, and an acute posterior apex ; tegmina longer than the pronotum, and pointed at tlie tips; surface densely clothed with a silky pubescence ; the fore legs slightly spatulate, the middle pair spotted with brown. I liave placed A, sjjathata in the synonyms, as Fowler has done in the U.C.A. Size, 12 X 6 mm. llahitat. — Guatemala, Rio Maria Linda. Fowler's Private Collection. QVCONOPHORA FLAVJPE8. (Plate XXVII. fig.s. •>, ,a-lj ) Smiliajtavipes, Germar ; A.jlavijms, Fairm. I.e. p. :^;i I ; Wiilk. List of HoiiKip. I.e. p. Tioli. Reddish brown, shining ; pronotum with a porrect encephalic liorn rounded at the top, but flattened at the sides like a knife edge, finely hirsute, brown at the tip, divided at the anterior part by a suture above the eyes, which forms on dividing a hollow cone when detached from tlie body ; tegmina sub-hyaline greyish yellow ; neuration obscure ; legs yellow, rather short, hairy, not serrated, but furnisiied with fine black points. Size, 15 X 4 ram. Habit af. — Brazil. Figured from a specimen in the B.M. Collection. . C'ACONOPHORA MARGINATA, cJ. (Plate XXVII, fig. 3.) "A. murgimUa, Walk. I.e. p. 54();''/l. concolor, Walk. I.e. p. r)40;'^vl. stahilis, Walk. I.e. Suppt p. 135 ; Fowler, I.e. p. G;".. Colour ferruginous ; pronotum ascending into an oblique flat and compressed MKMI!RA('[1).K. 129 horn, (lark f'uscdiis at, tlie tip ; the jjosterior apex bhick ; tlic hind tibiie finely hirsute. Tlie male ap|)ears to have a shorter pronutal liorn than the female, and may prove to he identieal witii *l. i-mivolDr of Walker, and as sueli it is inehided here as a synonyni. Size, i^ X 7 nun. Jliibilul. — Cinateniahi, Costa ilica, Panama. <3A(,'0N0PI10RA MAKOINATA, ?. (Plalii XXVII. Iif,'s. I, 111.) Larg-er than A. man/iiKild S, with the [)runotum reaching- nearly to the tips of the tegniina; the limbus to the tegmina does not appear to be so much developed as in the male, and the colour of the insect is more sombre. The procephalic horn viewed from tlie front is thin and sharp, and the lower edge of the metopidium is indented above the frons. Size, 14x8 mm. IlabUitl. — Mexico, 15ra/.ii. <:^\CONOPHORA LATICOIINIS, i. (rUitci XXVII. fig. 5.) Walk. i.e. Siippt. p. I;i4 (1S.")8); Fowl. I.e. p. 05. Colour ochreous, with fine ferruginous uiottlings ; the procephalic horn more fuscous, with a central dark stain, from the rounded blunt ape.K to the shoulders ; tegmina brownish hyaline, with marked warm brown neuration ; wings pale grey ; legs ferruginous with a red streak passing down the tibiae ; the last pair of which has a few black hind spurs. The pronotum by the back view is trapezoidal in form, and shows tiie horn thin and pointed at the tip. 'J'he female has a much longer pronotal horn. °AC'0N0P110RA LATIUOUNIS, ?. (Plate XXVII. fig. (!.) Walk. I.e. Suppt. p. 134; Fowl. I.e. p. 65. As the female has not the broad horn shown by the male insect, the name given by Walker is not very appi'opriate to both sexes. The female pronotal horn is very long, slender, and dark coloured. The insect occurs somewhat commonly at Omilteme and parts of Mexico. In Guatemala it is found at heights of elevation from four thousand to upwards of ten thousand feet. l::50 MEMBRACID.E. The pronotal horn of the female in some cases measures us mucli as fifteen milli- metres in length. The dark longitudinal band on the tegniina will generally distin- guish this species, but this mark is not ahva3s present. A considerable series of the species may be formed, from which the varieties, dependent on small particulars may be studied. Size, 15x7 mm. Habitat. — Omiltemc in Gruerrero to 8000 feet. Guatemala, Tutonicapam, 10,500 feet. Champion. 0 (Plate XXVII. fig. 7.) Say (Membiacis), Jour. Acad. Philad. p. 300 (18Gl>); Walk. A . ruhmnllata. I.e. p. 5:!7 ; Walk. OA. 2}orrecta, I.e. p. 03S. Pronotura viewed from the back trtipezoidal in form, with a sharp and thin 25roceplialic horn, and with sharp but small suprahumeral processes. The colour is bright ochreous yellow, with the lower marginal edges briglit red ; a shorter red streak also occurs on each side of the sharp dorsal carina ; the surface is much punctured ; the pronotum leaves almost the whole of the tegmina un- covered, but it does not quite extend to the tips of the same ; wings clear hyaline ; by the profile view the procephalon appears flat, broad, and round at the top ; legs ochreous yellow. Ur. Goding places J. qiiadrivitfata under the genus Platycotis, and adds as synonyms lioplophoratineata, Fairm. ; and also A. (jnttifera, Walk. The side view of this insect is very like Platycotis, but the procephalon is not so erect. I have not been able to compare the neuration of the tegmina, so as to fix the genus witii certainty. The wings were defective in the specimen figured in the plate. Size, 11x6 mm. Habitat. — North America. From the B. M. Collection. C^ACONOPHORA VIRIDULA. (Plate XXVII. tig. S.) Fowler I.e. p. 71 . Small ; colour pale yellow ; pronotum rather dusky yellow in I'ront, and marked witii .several faint, dusky, transverse fascife on the dorsum ; tegmina and wings delicate and hyaline ; legs pale. Doubtless the living insect takes a green shade, like many others of the group which appear yellow in our cabinets. The front view MEMnUACin.E. i;?l sliows tlie head broad, and the metopidium obtuse and niucli punctured. Fowler says " very like A. /jdlcscnis," but it is broader between the shoulders, and is not testaceous or reddish in (uijuur. Size, 7x4 mm. /A,/;//,,/._T;vl)asco, Nicara-ua. <^AC'ONOPITORA PINGUIS, ? . (Plnte XXVII. fig. 9.) Fowler I.e. 'J'ul). V. fi<;.s. 11, 11a, p. C I. Like a large edition of the next species, A. eiisala, but the proceplialic horn is stouter at the tip, and the whole front is black ; the pronotal rid<,'e also is straight to the apex; the tegmina arc ferruginous brown, c.vcept at their tips, wJiicli are hyaline; the neuration is reddisli. Fowler says tliis insect is allied to ./. U-iiKicuniiH of Walker from the Valley of the Amazons. Size, 10 X 4 mm. /A/-^//«/.— Buo-aba. (Plate XXVII. figs. 10, lOa.) Fowl. I.e. Tab. V. figs. II, 14a, p. GS. The shining black clavate pronotal horn will mark the cluiracters of this species. Individuals vary much as to size. Seen from the back, the horn is sharp, but it is broad between the shoulders ; colour ferruginous, surface punctured ; the tegmina dark at their bases, but ferruginous-hyaline at their tips. Size, 9x3 mm. JIahilat. — Bugaba, Panama. Figured from the Fowler Collection. '^ACONOPHORA DISPARICORNIS. (Plate XXVIII. fig. 1 (? .) Fowler, I.e. p. 69. Small, short and robust ; the proceplialic horn brown at the tip, truncate and short, rising conically from the metopidium and then passing backwards and slightly convexly to the apex ; general colour pale brown or fuscous, with a dark brown spot (in some specimens) on each side of the pronotum ; the tegmina pale fuscous, with brown neuration. Figured from a specimen in Canon Fowler's Collection. This insect recalls A, 132 MEMBRAGTDyli. fcrrifginea, but it is broader and more shining'. The horn of the female is longer than that ofthe male. Size, 7 X ,3 mm. IlahHaf. — Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui. 2500 feet. Paconophora NITIDA. (Plate XXVIII. fig. 2.) Fowl. I.e. Tab. V. figs. 12, 125; Fowl. I.e. Tab. V. figs. 9, Oa, p. G2. This is a large and handsome species, and maj' be considered as typical ofthe genus. The ijronotum is black, with a shining steel-blue glance, and it quite covers the body when the wings are folded. From the back view, the anterior part is almost as acute as the posterior, and it shows a sharp carina or dorsal ridge ; the tegmina are slightly fuscous .and subhyaline ; the areas are long and narrow, and the neuration dark brown; legs short; the abdomen greyish, plump, and distinctly segmented; the metopidium by the front aspect, and the frons below it, appear conical in form. My figure is that of a male, with the expanse of wings equal to 19 x 12 mm. The frons and the metopidium are thickly set with pale ochreous yellow fine hairs. The dorsal carina is continued over the front and the back edges of the procephalic process. Size, 13x5 mm. Expanse, 19 x 12 mm. Ua/jital. — Tobasco, Paramba, Ecuador. 3500 feet. (Rosenberg.) OAC'ONOPHORA W. album, U.S. (Plate XXVII r. figs. ;"., oa.) Colour dark fuscous, almost black ; the proccphalon long, and truncate, MICMIJRACID.E. 133 obliquely at the top ; the dorsal ridj^c sinucus, with a distinct swelling in the middle followed by a somewhat blunt apex, whifli reaches to tlie {\\) nl' the abdomen ; the surface much punctured, with the outer edges I'ringed with a white tomentose pile ; these white stripes are united near the insertions of the tegmina, so as to form a mark like a W, whence the specific name. The tegmina :irc concolorous with the pronotum ; each has a while dot in the disc followed by a white striga near the apex ; wings scmi-trans|),ireni, smokj', with black neuration ; the abdomen dark grey ; the legs with dark i'eniura and tarsi ; the tibi;.\3 paler grey. Size, with expanded wings, 1(1 x S mm. 7/ff/j//'r//.— Ecuador, 10,000 feet. Uosenberg Collection. The few species as above dcseriljed form only a part of this genus, which has numerous representatives but often very ))aitial]y diagne-'-cd. iMr. W. F. Kirby has assisted in cataloguing as many as ^rl species, without including others ol' doubtful synonymy. Canon Fowler figures 1 -!■ species. The limits of this monograph prevent more than the names of such as do not appear in it, as iigured. The works of Fairmaire, Walker, Butler, Stal, and Fowler may be consulted for further details. ^Aconophora lamlnuta, Fiiiim. I.e. p. 20 I ; Fowl. I.e. p. (l:! (ISUl). Jlexico. oA. nujricwnis, Fowl. I.e. Tab. V. figs. 10, 10a, p. G4. e^A. gilvipes, StSI, Vet. Akad. Handl. (2), III. (1) p. 28. Uio Janeiro. 0*A. imhellis, Fairm. I.e. p. 295; A. suryens, Walk. In.s. 8aiHl. }>. (I'J ; J. teliijcrti, Genu. (Siiiilia t.), I.e. p. 2S9 /a. teltyera, I.e. p. 295. Brazil. OA. xeiphias, Fabr.*(Membraei.s), Syst. ]li.yn. p. 12; A. xip/nas, StAl. I.e. p. lit. Amer. Meiid. (yl. (jladiuta, Stal, I.e. p. 35. Jlexieo. (J A. curvata, Fab. I.e. p. 1;>. (^A. hastuta, Fabr. (Membraci.s), p. 2G3. gi.1. nicjripiUata, Walk. I.e. p. 539. f-^A. Bnizilieiisis, Stal. I.e. p. 31. llio Janeiro. WA. concolor, Walk. I.e. p. 510. Slexico. O A. (jracllicornis, St31, I.e. p. 35. ]\Iexico. OA. stahiUs, Walk. I.e. Siippl. p. 135. Mexico. (yA. pugiucUa, Geim. I.e. p. 238; A. pity inula, Fairni. I.e. p. 295. Brazil. »A. hadina, Butl. I.e. p. 319, platf 7, tig. 18. Q.i. viridi2nnnis, Fowl. I.e. Tal). V. tig. 5. OA. subinermis, Stal, I.e. p. 2S. Q.I. nigra, Slal, I.e. p. 35 ; Fowler, p. (iT. (^. compiressa, Walk. I.e. p. 511 ; l'"owl. I.e. p. (i5. Mexico. 131, membbacid.'T:. *vl . (jrisefcens, Germ. (Smilia), .c. p. 2:!''^. c J. Inlfrnii, Wnlk. I.e. p. -Ml'. P.r.'i/.il. \J'A. oblusri, W.ilk. I.e. Suppl. p. I;)l. liranl. 5.1. lineosa, Walk. I.e. Suppl. p. 1-W. 0A. lata, Walk. In. Sauncl. p. C'.t. Para. f^y/eZ/rt gladiator, Walk. I.e. p. :)(;7. O'J. ui;/,n,len, Butl. Cist. Ent. II. p. ;552, PI. 7, (ig. ];"). Ega. OA. riihr^cms, Wiilk. Ins. Sannd. p. 70; Fowl. I.e. p. fin. Mexico. ^'A. sprUhat'i, ]5utl. I.e. p. ni7, PI. 7, fig. Ifi. Brazil. Fowler s.ays .1. jmhescens of Walker is a variety of A. spatliala, .see p. 0;!. &-A. tp.»„icorHh, Walk, In. Sannd. p. 70. Ania/.on.s. <$'A.p,nn/;,i. liiitl. I.e. p. ;l.".n, I'l. 7, lig. ID; l''owl. I.e. p. IS, Tal). V. (Ig. 1 ."i ; , ( . /nislalu, Stal, 1,0. p. ,",;-) (1 hi;;)). Peru. C'A.ferrwjima, Fowl. I.e. p. CI), Tali. V. fig. IC. Pan.ama. OA.fitsiformis, Fowl. I.e. p. C.'.l, T.ili. V. fig. l.S. Panama. O*./!. shmngensis, Fowl. I.e. p. 7(i, Tab. V. fig. 20. Guatemala. o>A.femoralis, Stal, I.e. p. ;!,'i ; Fowl. I.e. p. 71, Tab. V. fig. 22. Mexico. OA. temaxia, Fowl. I.e. p. 7(t. Yucatan. ^A. pallescens, Stal. I.e. p. :!.".; Fowl. I.e. p. 71, Tab. V. fig. 2:!. (Inatemala. ^A. viridula, Fowl. I.e. p. 71. iMexieo. OA. obtusmscula, Fowl. I.e. p. 71. Mexico. iPA. minuta, Fowl. I.e. p. 72. IMexieo. ^.1. C((?i(/pm, Butl. I.e. p. ;!u, PI. 7, fig. 17. Mexico. OA.pic'juar, (;erm.'^(Smilia), I.e. 2:! (l.s;'„-,) ; Fainn. I.e. p. 21)4 (LSfC). Brazil. N.B. — The species prefi.xed with an asterisk are rejircscnted in the collection of the British Museum. O GicNus: ENTAPIIIUS, n.g. This genus has certain affinities with AcoiKijihurfi, 3'et I think it ma}- be con- sidered distinct ; its procephalic horn is short and truncate, and the tegmina have tlie costal areas very dense and imbricated, or at least marked by transverse sulci or furrows ; the neuration differs from Aconophora calir/iiiosa in the radials being more curved and the areas being less elongated ; the fore tibire are broad, flattened, and more robust than those of the other pairs. From the funereal colour of the species now described, T name the genus from the Greek word oVrr/i/(Dainis), I.e. p. 57C. Florida. qII. siapidtt, Walk, fl^arni.s). I.e. p. 077. Nova Scotia, N. America. Gknus :%EMIPTYCHA. Germar, Fainnairp, Stal, Cloding, Walker. Fairmaire, Ann. Soc. Ent. de France 1845-184G gives the characters : Head large and triangular. Prothora.K tectiform. Tarsi of the hind legs as long as those of the first and second pairs. Suprahumeral processes, if present, diver- gent. Tegmina elongated, often coriaceous, with parallel nervures somewdiat as in Umbonia. 130 MEMBEACID.-E. lie (lescrilK's twcnty-tlircc species, Init with such varied ch:ir;icters that StTil erected iVoiii the group several separate genera, retaining llcniipt3'cha, Ilypliiude, P\ranthe, Proterpia, Euanthe, Alcmeone, and Bubalopa. Canon Fowler donbts the sufficiency of this subdivision for present requirements, and thinks that the erection of new genera chietly founded on the position of tlie ocelli, and the amount of the tegmina which appears to be covered by the pronotum, are characters too obscure for accurate determination. He adds, liowcver, another genus, viz., Tctarantlie, which is rejiresented as yet, by only one described species. It appears (o apjimach to I'yranliic with a facies somewhat like Ceresa. Thus JIemi[)t,ycha proper does not enter into the scliemc set forth in the Ihologia Centrali Americana. Walker's list of Homoptera, practically in this respect represents Fairmaire's grouping of these insects. Several species are very like Centrotida?, and as such they were formerly described l:)y (lermar, Durmeistcr, and others, The scntullum is much covered and concealed from view. The restricted genus is here located with the Darninie. HEBIIPTi'CIiA PUBESOENS, var? Walk. I.e. p. 1 14, Siippt, I note this insect though it may prove to be one of the many varieties of Jli/phiiide aspJ/alliiu/. llc»/ij)f//c/i(/ r/jirifonins may be another variety. Walker's insect is described as the nnile of ]I('ii>ij)l//r/ia pitbescciift. Tiie pronotum is covered by a thick pubescence. 'J'lie tegmina are punctured and greyish. llafjila/.—llQ^'iw. "^'hEMU'TVCIIA MAllGiXATA. (Plate XXIX. figs. ■>, 2a, ib.) ^ C4 Fab. (]Membmci.s), Mant. In.s. 2, 2(1;!, 14. M. simpsis, Germar. StoU. Tab. II. fig. 5:5, and Tab. XVII. fig. '.)1.0 M. macdalu, 01. I.e. GC.S, 5. Fairm. I.e. PI. VI. figs. IC-IT, p. ;n2. Fairmaire calls this a rare species, which old authors believed to be Asiatic. It is, perhaps, the hirgest of the known Membracidfe, and it has been described under difierent names. StoU calls it " le taureau noir." Large, rich brown, shining and abundantly spotted with small orange dots. Supralateral horns long, acute, and refle.xed ; thjrsal ridge sinuate, and sloped to the acute posterior ape.x ; pronotum covers much of the tegmina, but it can be easily detached, and is then seen to be hollow, and apparently filled with air ; Irons wide ; the eyes small, ocelli placed near their MEMBnACIDA:. inner margins ; tofrmina ample, with broad brown stains on the eubicil small tarsi, neuration showing long areas, brocaded by parallel vein-;. I possess several tine examples, which are dark grey niidorneath. Expanse, 35 mm., or '20 x 8 mm. Ihihildl. — Brazil, Cayenne. O lIKMlPTYCUrA FLAVA. (I'lato XXIX. tig. 1.) "^ Jlemiptijcha llunt, Fainii. (?) I.e. p. ;il J. Concoloroiis ochreous yellow ; superhumerals large, broad at their bases, divergent at right angles to the medial, rather reddish pronotal carina; surface deeply punctured Seen from the back, the pronotum entirely covers the tegmina, and neitlier head, eyes, nor legs are visible ; tegmina and wings hyaline and greyish. Fairuiaire's de.scri])tion generally agrees with the aljove, but my insect shows no obscure fascia at the external borders. Expanse, 17 mm. Size, 10 X 12 mm. lla/j'ilat.—BvazW. Wollaston Collection. '^IIEMIPTYCIIA SPATULOSA, ii.s. (Plate XXIX. fig. 3.) Large ; pronotum with two large flattened suprahumeral processes, spread and curved at the tips ; a slight dorsal ridge runs to the tips of the fuscous yellow tegmina ; surface shining, ochreous yellow, slightly spotted with brown, and punctured ; legs short, yellow, and ending with weak tarsi. Size, 17 X 14 mm. llabilut. — Brazil. Wollaston Collection. OIIEMIPTYOIIA ALATA. Faiini. I.e. PI. VI. fig. 2J. There are several species from Silhet, parts of India, and also from Malacca, which strongly resemble the species drawn by Fairmaire as Hemiptycha. They do not, however, answer to the venation of the tegmina as shown in my plate of Hemiptycha. They also are considerably smaller, and must be referred to the Centrotinaj and will be described subsequently and figured. 138 MEMBnAClD.T:. For reference elsewliere the followinsi: ins'-ct.s 111:13' '"^ noted : OJ/,'iiii/)li/rha })iiiicial((, = J/einiplerrt ccroKf-; CJirm. Fainii. I.e. p. ;>1;>. O^^exiipt'/cfia compressicornis, Fairm. I.e. PI. VI. fig. IS, p. ;:!13. ^ llemiptijcha expansicm-nis, Faiiui. I.e. p. ;W7. Brazil. 0 Genus: EUAL'raE. Stfil. Ofv. Vet. Aknd. Forh. 2i. p. r.&7. As before stated, this geiuis was separated from ITemiptyclia to receive apparently only two species which might have better remained where Fairmaire placed them. Nevertheless, I place them here for the convenience of reference. "^EUALTIIE L.-EVIGATA. FiUiui. ^Hemiptychii), la-v'ujala, I.e. p. :!1S, StAl. %?(«/. Head triangular ; broad between the eyes which are prominent. Tegmina free ; posterior veins wavy ; one small discoidal area. Posterior tarsi longer than the anterior. Gknus : CYMBOMORPirA. fJerm. (.S'/znY/a) Rl-v. Sill). I.e. viii. y. L';; I (IS;!.",). Fainn. {SiniUa), p. 2'.)\. Stiil, anlacotropis, I.e. lion.I. viii. p. :;\. Fuul.T, I.e. ).. 11, Pronotum arcuate, surface sculptured with tine wavy lines; tegmina subhyaline ; suprahumerals none, or very obtuse. The general appearance of the members of this small genus, recalls that of Ceresa. From Ki'/u/3i), a bowl or a boat. OCYMBOMORPHA VAGINATA ? . (Plate XXIX. fig.s. (1, (la.) Pronotum much arched ; shining ochreous ; more fuscous in front, with a fine black dorsal line on the ridge extending from the frons to the posterior apex ; surface sculptured in wavy lines ; tegmina subhyaline, having a brownish hue by transmitted light; radial nervures curved, but no cycloidal areas as seen in Ceresa; suprahumerals very blunt ; legs stout and brownish. I am indebted to Dr. Aurivillius for one of the t^'pe specimens in the Stockholm Museum. Size, 10 X 8 mm. llubitui. — Rio Janeiro. '''CYMHOMOllPHA RUBROPEDALIS, n..s. (?) (Plato XXIX. lig. 7.) Pronotum with the outline arcuate and more compressed than the last species, and with a more sinuous lower marginal border; the surface much dotted with fine 140 MEMBHACTD.'E. fuscous ; the apex of tlie ]ironotum exceeds the leiigtli of the tegmina, and is curved downwards; legs slim, red, with a fine black striga down each of the tibia\ Witli some doubt I mark this as specific, on account of its clear affinity with f. rrif/inntft, to which it has resemblance. Yet it differs from the type specimen lent by Dr. AurivilHus. My figure is from one of several examples in the B.M. Collection which are labelled Smilia vaginata. The neuration fairly agrees with the engraved outline of the tegmina given by Fairmaire. 'J'he costal border is jiunctured. Size with expanded wings, 1 4 x S mm. OYIMBOMORPIIA PllASINA, Germ. Stnl. I.e. XXIV. p. r,-,S (ISC?). Fowl. I.e. Tab. VI. fig.s. 1], lla-b, p. 80. A^ery like ('. vni/niatfi, but less sculptured on the pronotuni. Faivn"'. Sniilia jrranina, I.e. p. :^'.I2. The colour is green, pronotuni compressed with the carina and the costal margin of the tegmina, brown. Size, 9x5 mm. Hafjifnf. — Brazi 1 . Genus: HETERONOTUS. Lap. Germ. Am. and Serv. Fairm. I.e. p. 401). ^C'omhophora, ]?urm. This geiuis is remarkable from the globose and often spincd nodules of tlie pronotuni. The bodies of these insects are much smaller than the overhanging pronota the nodules of which sometimes are inflected. Otherwise they would much encumber the movements of the creatures. Some kinds resemble the bodies of large aiits coloured brown, black, tawny; or they are striped like some of those leaping and hunting spiders which construct no silken webs. Originally the genera Combophora and Heteronotus were included in Laporte's genus, but they seem to be diverse in form, and should be kept separate. Head triangular, ocelli close together on the frons ; eyes usually prominent ; pronotuni often unarmed in the males, but spinose in the females. Pronotuni may be bi, tri, or quadrilobed, the ultimate node generally being the largest. The penultimate and sometimes the ultimate node, may have a strong spine on its under- surface; the suprahunierals also are thorny. MEM Jill AUIDA'J. H.1 °1IETER0N0TUS VULNEllANS. (Plate XXX. fig. 1 ? .) Comhophora viclnerans, Germ. I.e. p. 228. ^lianatm btconiis, J.essiiif,'. Fairin. I.e. \). Tidd, PI. VI J. fig. 25. ^/feleronoltis silpalics <} , Walk. I.e. Suppt. p. Ia5. Colour ricli ]niv\)\c brown ; proiiotuin coarsely sculptured and punctured, witli a creamy white, central longitudinal stripe from the nieto])i(liuui backwards, and another on each side over the two supraliumeral spines, the pronotuni ending in two globose lobes, the posterior expanded in profile into a broad, vertical, fish-tail-shaped process, the upper part cleft into two thorns, the lower expanded into a strong ventral spine. The middle lobe is the smallest, with a white traverse streak. A similar streak occurs on the posterior lobe; tegmina hyaline, ample, with brown costa and basal areas ; legs long and reddish ; hind tarsi longest ; three basal, two discoidal areas, the inner one the largest, five apical areas, of which four are nearly equal and the fifth almost atrophied. Hind legs with the longest tarsi. Fairmaire figures the neuration of the tegmen and divides the nine species he names into two groups, viz., those species which have the pronotum longer, and those which have the process shorter than the tegmina. Size, 10x4 mm. Habitat. — Mexico, Vera Cruz, Guatemala, Panama, Brazil. OIIETERONOTUS FOWLERI. (Plate XXX. figs. 2, 2a, 2b.) Colour fuscous grey ; the fore lobe of the pronotum slightly constricted, and then behind more suddenly ; the posterior lobe is sometimes attenuated when seen from the back, but it is somewhat swollen with a partial constriction into two parts ; three yellowish parallel streaks occur above, which are confluent below. There are no white fasciae on tlie posterior lobules ; the tegmina are hyaline, slightly fuscous on the costa ; the legs are pale. I am indebted to Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson for the possession of a small collection of Membracida?, made by the late T. W. Wollaston ; from the specimens of which I have figured an example. The description given by Fairmaire oVIIeteronoti/8 flacolineatidi of Laporte does not well agree with the above. ^ Ilctcronotus Fowleri is a larger insect, and the yellow striga3 on the back differ in number. I think this insect is specifically distinct. Expanse, with wings, 128 x 13 mm. //rt,^//rt/.— Brazil. u 142 MEMBrxACIDA:. 6nETER0N0TUS INERMIS. (Plate XXX. figs. ">, ;5a.) Li\p. I.e. p. 97, ri. III. fig. 1(1. '"/A fihjnatiifi. IJurm. I.e. p. loO, anclp. i2f<.'' Comhophorarf.ticvhta, Burm. I.e. This insect has some resemblance to //. /jicincla, but the form of the pronotum separates it. The ventral spine rises almost from the second instead of the third lobe of the pronotum, and the apex is much less developed ; the suprahumeral horns are smaller also, and the dorsal ridge is nearly straight ; general colour ochreons, with pale white streaks above the tcgmina. These dinercnces do not appear to be sexual. Size, 12x5 mm. lldhltat. — Kio Janeiro. From the B.M. Collection. ^HETERONOTUS NIGRICANS. (Plate XXX. figs. 4, 4a.) Lnp. I.e. p. '.tC. n. ITI. lig. S (1.S;!l^). Kniim. I.e. p. 5(1(1 (IHKl). Large. A remarkable insect and like tlie last described, mimicking a large, black winged ant ; of the three nodes, the posterior is the largest ; black, or brownish black, much pitted or sculptured ; shining when seen in a strong light. The appearance is somewhat like'^/. (jJandnUyer, which some authors have thought might prove to be the male, but Fairmaire doubts this to be a fact. Tlie posterior lobe is furnished with a strong ventral spine ; the tegmina are transparent fuscous, with richer brown on the costa and the marginal borders ; a sinuous line on each side occupies the first and second nodule of the pronotum ; the tegmina are much shorter than the pronotum ; the abdomen greenish, and shorter than the pronotum ; the last lobe is easily broken off from the peduncle of dry specimens ; the insect then has much resemblance to a hunting spider ; two short horns project above the suprahumerals ; some examples are browner than others. Size, 13 X 4 mm. Habitat. —Y^TA-ixV WoUaston Collection. OJ I ETKllONOTUS GLAN DULKiER. (Plate XXX. fig. n.) ^ Ranatra //«/.— Brazil. ^^COMBOPJIORA TRIDENS. (Plate XXXI. figs. 5, 5a.) Smaller ; pronotum almost foliaceous, therefore less inflated ; dorsal edge sharp and sinuous ; three spines at the posterior entl, forming a kind of trident ; each side with a yellow spot, like a large inverted comma ; three ochreous stripes are separated by three black curved lines ; tegmina shining warm brown, with black neuration ; legs ferruginous yellow. Size 7x5. Habitat. — A mazons. JBates, Hope Collection. "^ UOMBOPHURA CONSENTANEA. (Plate XXXI. fig. C, Plate XXXII. fig. 4.) Amyot et Serv. Fairm. I.e. p. "lUri (?) Punctured, sordid ochreous yellow with irregular brown markings ; more or less annular on the inflated pronotum ; tegmina hyaline. Fairmaire says, with apices and bases fumose, underside with legs yellow. Taken on the Amazon by Bates. Habitat. — Brazil. Size, 8x4 mm. Hope Collection. ce. Very spider-like in appearan Probably this insect is synonymous with Conilxiphora niaculata, Guerin. -Q MEMIiHACfD.K. 1 47 ^'^COMBOPIIOllA OHFUSCATA, n.s. (Plate XXXI. figs. 7, 7a, .KXII. lig. (1) I'l-Duotuin c'leviikHl, compressed, about ;i.s long as the aI)cloinen ; liimlov part witli two olitnse liorr.s, aiul a long- slender spine l)clw(H'n Iheni at the posterior end. Colour brown, mottled with white, and with black and warm ochreous ; finely punctured ; aijdomen uncovered and ringed ; tegnien with a broad fuscous bar and a fuscous base ; hyaline and conve.v, formed like two enclosing valves ; legs black with yellow tarsi. Si/,e, 7 X .') mm. llahital. — Amazons. Bates, Hope Collection. Other species not figured in this monograph : ^C. inaiiis, StAl. I.e. p. 35. Central America. l/C. minor, Fairm. I.e. p. 505. i.' C. discontinua, Walk. I.e. Suppt. p. 157. Size 7 mm. Kga, Amazon.';, Brazil. ^^r. prasinii,C{.S'iinl!(i), (lerm. I.e. p. 2:! J. ^'Smilia Ie/,i,!,i. Walk. I.e. Siippt. p. 1:'.:!. Fairm. l.c p. l>!)2. \U m':(S, SuB-GK.N'us: 'ANCHISTUOTUS, n.g. Pronotum mucli inflated, compressed between tiie shoulders and carinated ; posterior end globose, with a strong white apical born, and two smaller spines ; surface sculptured into wavy lines, and powdered with small stellate yellow spots ; head broad, witli two almost uncinate eyes, wlience the name 1 propose for the sub- genus. The ocelli are placed in deep pits on the frous ; the vertex of the head show.s two dark spots which resemble, but are not the true ocelli. <^AN01I1STK0TUS OlSEHUS. (Plate XXXI. fig.s. \, 4a~lc, and Plate XXXII. figs. 2 and 7.) This uncouth-looking insect closely resembles a bloated spider. Colour dark- brown, powdered with stellate dots ; the base of the middle and apical horn is fuscous ; the tegmina are hyaline, with the apical part and part of the bases rich brown, the neuratiou dark brown and approximately like that of Combophora. Logs stout and pale ochreous. Eyes somewhat like a kidnej' bean. Size, 8x7 mm. 'J'aken by J3.ites on the Am;;zjn>, and Hgur(;d from the lIo[)e Collection. * iiyiaTiHoTds, hooked. It has been playfully suggested to me, that jxiiris pruni should be the trivial name for this insect — so like a plum-pudding. 148 MEM BR ACID jr.. d Genus : NASSUNIA. Stul. I.e. p. ."0 (IsCd). Fowler, I.e. p. 82. Allied to Smiliorhacliis, but it possesses a sharp spur on each side. The genus may be separated from Ceresa, from having long parallel apical areas, and one small single discoidal cellule on each of the tegmina. ^ Smiliorhachis hUpina, Fuirni. I.e. p. 21)0. Xassuiiia bispiiia, Fowl. I.e. Tab. VI, f. 12. p. SO. Colour pale greyish-jellovv, darker anteriorly ; apex brown, with an oblique fuscous band on each side. Suprahumerals slender and short; tegniina traiispareni, with a small brown spot. Fowler's specimens were received from Chiriqui. Size, 7 X .^ mm. JIabUal. — Panama, Bugaba, Colomi)ia. B.M. Collection. Habital. — Jiio Janeiro. ]3.M. Collection. Ilahitaf. — Brazil. StSI. Vet. Hand. III. p. ?A (ISDO). ^NASSUNIA FOIITLS. Walk. (Cere.sa), I.e. Suppt. p. i;!2. B.M. Collection. 7/ff/>/7^//.— Brazil ^ASSUNIA BIPUNCTATA. FainiK (Smilia) I.e. p. 2!)(J. ^NASSUNIA COSTALIS. Walk. (Ccntrotus), I.e. p. 015 (1851). Hahitdi. — Colombia. There seems to be much similitude between the three genera, Nassunia, Dysyncritus, and Hypamastris, but Nassunia appears to have the shoulder horn the most developed. MEMBRACIlh^. 149 '^SCAPIIULA MELANOCEPHALA. Fowler, I.e. Tab. VI. fig. 15, p. 83. Fowler describes this insect ;is chestnut brown, small, shinint;', with a black head, Dorsum sliglitly rounded, but much shorter than the tegmina ; abdomen brownish- testacioas ; legs testaceous. I have not been able to figure an example. Size, 3x2 mm. Habitat. — Panama, Bugaba. Other species are : '^ .V. seiniatra, Fairin. ,S'. minula, Fab. (Membracis). ]']. India, This monograph does not claim to be exhaustive or to describe all the species of Membracida3 noted by authors, or to give a complete catalogue of publislied names of species. Yet a list with some reference to the genera indicated by writers pi'evious to Stal.'s memoirs on this family, may be useful to later workers. I add such a list of Darnina3 and mark such genera as are represented in the British Museum collection up to present date. In a few years time, doubtless, new species will lie recorded ; and thus lengthen or curtail existing catalogues, where distinctions do or do not rise to the importance of real genera. Stal. has been a great subdivider, and his authority appears often in this list, which has been collated from the transactions and publications of natural history societies already cited. GENEKA OF DARNING. Species Genera. Aiithor.». Eqiiivaleuts. Species described. i c)Ochrolomia . stai. ^Dai-nis .... 2 oAspona stai. 'Jfragopa 6 f) oDarnis 5 8 oStictopelta . ,/Tropidainis . stal. Fowl. ODavnis .... L'3 3 0 Cryptopteia . Stfil. ij Darnis .... 4 2 LLeptosticta . Stfd. 5 3 uHebetica . tJiebeticoide.s fDectomn-a . OAlebia . stai. Fowl. Bult. stai. CDarnis .... Aconophoia fJEutaphinus . Fairm. n.g. ^, 51 1 3 divph.'eus . Stal. '^]:)arnis, Thelia . 2 3 ^JJIeiniptycI,;, C?N,.ssorl,inus OKuiiltlie Fainn. F,irm. Htal. •■licmipU-dia '^8milia,'^riielia 4 1 ■) oCymboinoiplia St.Sl. 3 1 ti\i-gante Stal. '^lemiptycha c> Kanatra, Comhophora 1 U) Olletoi-onotus Lap. I) ;) OComboplio.a (leriii. 08milia .^ . . . Ci 13 C'Heniconotns fM.nchostrotiis 8tai. n.g. oHeteronotus, Combophorus . 0 (ySmiliorhacliis Faiini. DCerefa .... 4 OScapluila Fairm. r, 4 <5Rhexia StSI. (■> Oliiil.alopa . St,:V. OKo.nipty.ha . . . 2 Cp.iiadarnoiilos l^.wl. 1 Ollygiis SUl. ] i ONassunia Stfil. Wniiliorliacbis 7 1 cDarnoidcs . Fairm. ^>^.niliatHoriola?) . '. M 1 dlria . stsi. CDariioidcs ? . . . . fi ^Aulacotrojiis Stfil. &Cymbomnr[)lia 1 ^Tetaranthe . Fowl. 1 2 t?Enniela ! 8tnl. C>ri,elia (Walk) . 5 4 dOmnlon ? Walk. 4