INTRODUCTION. I5 



man}' decades systeniatists were satisfied to distribute the 

 known mosquitoes in a relatively small number of genera, 

 genera which could be defined by characters equivalent to 

 those used in the allied families of diptera. With the great 

 impetus given to the study of these insects by the discov- 

 ery of their agency in the spread of disease, the genera 

 have been broken up into man}' new divisions, until sev- 

 enty or eighty are now recognized by some students of 

 the family. In the dearth of striking characters, those 

 of extreme minuteness have been resorted to, such as the 

 relative lengths and widths of the scales and their distri- 

 bution on the body; and even colorational characters 

 have been called in aid. The obliteration of relationships 

 thus brought about has rendered the erection of numer- 

 ous subfamilies necessary, and it is even seriously pro- 

 posed to elevate the previously accepted subfamilies to 

 family rank, and the family Culicidse to a superfamily! 

 And I doubt not that some zealous confrere may yet se- 

 riously propose to consider the eld family Culicidae as a 

 suborder! Possibly also, it may be necessary some time 

 in the future to have a quantitative chemical analysis of 

 a mosquito before deciding to which genus it may belong. 

 Now it is very apparent that the importance of the mos- 

 quitoes in man's economy can have no value in classifica- 

 tion; that, if the happiness and welfare of every living 

 being were dependent upon the mosquitoes it could not 

 affect the classification of the family one whit ; but some- 

 thing of the sort seems to have resulted. 



I will admit that excessive 'splitting' of genera often 

 brings to light and tests many differential characters 

 which otherwise might long remain obscure. Neverthe- 

 less, convenience is an important end of classification, as 

 well as the expression of relationships. In days gone by 

 the profuse maker of genera was ridiculed and the results 

 of his labors were largely ignored ; but I fear even Des- 



