1909.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 17 



becomes separated off and remains connected with the epimeron. 

 This piece has been termed by Kolbe, '93, the "parapleure" in the 

 Coleoptera, but this term is quite differently applied by other inves- 

 tigators. Thus Voss, '04, considers "parapleura" as synonymous 

 with episternum. On the other hand Cuvier, '23, states that the 

 "parapleural" are the "epimeres." According to MacLeay, '30, the 

 "parapleural" are the episterna. Latreille, '20, considers the para- 

 pleurae as the "epimeres du metathorax. " Lacordaire, '54, speaks of 

 the epimeron and episternum together as the "parapleures," and 

 erroneously ascribes this usage to Audouin. According to Knoch, 1801 

 (who introduced the term), "parapleururum" would refer to the 

 episternum; while the episternum and epimeron together were termed 

 "parapleururum duplum." If we are to abide strictly by the rule of 

 priority, the term parapleuron would apply only to the episternum, 

 in which sense it is used by Knoch, 1801, Kirby, '28, MacLeay, '30, 

 Burmeister, '32, Fieber, '61, Voss, '04, and others. However, in the 

 sense used by Kolbe, '93, it is a very useful term, if so used that there 

 would be no danger of confusion with the above cited usages. 



Amans, '85, gives a terminology for the tergal subdivisions entirely 

 different from that here accepted. Thus he proposes the names 

 prodorsum, dorsum, postdorsum and sub-postdorsum for exactly 

 the same sclerites which Audouin, '24, had previously termed the prae- 

 scutum, scutum, scutellum and postscutellum. Enderlein, '03, has 

 recently adopted Amans' usage, but there appeal's to be no just cause 

 for thus arbitrarily changing Audouin's terminology, which not only 

 has the right of priority, but also has the advantage of widespread 

 acceptance, and is not open to the objection mentioned by Audouin 

 himself, namely, the term dorsum should be applied only to the entire 

 dorsal surface of the insect, in contradistinction to the venter, ventrum 

 or ventral surface. 



As has been previously mentioned, Kleuker's, '83, terminology is 

 inexact, in that he does not distinguish between the postscutellum of 

 the mesothorax and praescutum of the metathorax, but terms them 

 indiscriminately the deuterophragma. Moreover, Voss', '04, substi- 

 tution of the term postscutum for postscutellum is quite unwarranted, 

 and it would appear far preferable to employ only the simple and appro- 

 priate terminology of Audouin, '24. 



The Wing. — The wing, as we have seen, is very closely connected 



with the parapsidoscutum, and indeed Packard, '98, believes that the 



wing fundaments are scutal structures. They usually arise as sack-like 



folds of the body wall, and in insects with incomplete metamorphosis 



2 



