Il6 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Mch., 'l2 



long-winged females ; (6) the entire absence of black from 

 .the sides of the abdomen. 



With the exception of characters i), (2) and (6) the 

 males of spartinae and nigropleurum are closely similar. A 

 close examination of the cerci of Nebraska specimens of the 

 latter in the Academy's collection shows that they are distinctly 

 stouter and more swollen than those of spartinae. The de- 

 pressed apical portion also appears to be shorter than the same 

 part in spartinae. A female specimen from Florida grouped 

 with nigropleurum in the collection is doubtless an example of 

 a larger race of spartinae, while certain others, also from Flor- 

 ida, closely resemble another salt marsh species, Xiphidium ni- 

 gropleuroides (n. sp.) which I have obtained in southern New 

 Jersey and which, although closely resembling nigropleurum 

 in many structural characters, differs entirely from it in size 

 and in color characters. Both of these types were referred 

 with a query by Rehn and Hebard to X. nigropleurum. 

 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., June, 1907, pp. 313-314). 



Xiphidium nigropleuroides n. sp. (Plate IX). 



In addition to X. spartinae I have collected in the salt 

 marshes of Cape May County, N. J., another species of the 

 same genus, which, although it has a general resemblance to X. 

 nigropleurum Bruner, appears to constantly differ from the 

 latter in size and general proportions and in its strikingly dif- 

 ferent coloration. In its native habitat, as far as I have ob- 

 served, it is associated with X. spartinae, but is much scarcer 

 than the latter and is almost entirely restricted to the tall Spar- 

 tina grasses which fringe the banks of the numerous channels 

 and ditches traversing the marshes. 



I have not found any description of a Xipkidium in the 

 literature which corresponds entirely with the form here de- 

 scribed. Three or four examples are in the collection of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. They are from 

 Florida (Cedar Keys), and have been referred by Rehn and 

 Hebard with some hesitation to X. nigropleurum Bruner. 

 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., June, 1907, pp. 313-314). 



