Vol. XXVli] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 249 



lines of descent, in order to bring it into a position in which it 

 could be shown in the diagram that the Locustids, Gryllids, 

 etc., sprang from forms intermediate between the Phasmid 

 group and the Grylloblattid group. In thus swinging the Phas- 

 mid line around over the other lines of descent, it became im- 

 possible to show that the Phasmid line also converges with 

 that of the Grylloblattids, etc., upon the Perloid line of descent, 

 so that it should be understood that the Phasmid and Gryllo- 

 blattid lines are much more intimately related than is shown in 

 the diagram. The Phasmid group (called the Cheleutoptera, 

 Ent. News, Vol. 26, p. 348) forms a distinct order of insects, 

 second in importance only to the Perlid group, from the stand- 

 point of phylogeny, since it is paralleled by, or is approached 

 by, so many other lines of descent ; and in some regards it is 

 fully as important as the Perloid line itself, although I am 

 inclined to consider that the Perlids, as a whole, are more 

 primitive than the Phasmids. 



As was mentioned above, the Grylloblattid line of develop- 

 ment parallels, or converges toward that of the Phasmids, and 

 both lead back to the Perlid group. This, however, does not 

 mean that living Grylloblattids were descended from living 

 Perlids, but is merely a way of expressing the fact that the 

 Perlids have departed as little as any group, from the ances- 

 tral condition characteristic of the common ancestors of the 

 Grylloblattids, Perlids, etc. As is shown in the diagram, the 

 Grylloblattoid, Forficuloid and Embioid lines all converge 

 toward the Perloid line. It could not be shown in the dia- 

 gram, however, that the Grylloblattids are quite closely related 

 to the Termites, and at the same time that their closest affinities 

 are with the Forficuloid and Embioid (with the Phasmoid) 

 lines among the more primitive forms, although it is indicated 

 that the Gryllids, Tettigonids, etc., occupy a position intermedi- 

 ate between the Grylloblattoid and the Phasmoid lines of de- 

 scent. The Grylloblattoid line is much more closely paralleled 

 by the Embiid and Termitid lines of descent than is indicated 

 in the diagram, since a comparison of a wingless female Embia 

 major with the wingless female Grylloblatta suggests a very 



