304 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



though their closest affinities can be determined only after 

 the examination of annectent forms not at present accessible. 



The Hymenoptera are considered by some investigators, as 

 quite near to the Coleoptera, but I am not ready to accept this 

 view at present. The fact that both have a complete meta- 

 morphosis has no particular bearing on their relationships, 

 since in the Coccid group alone, the males may have a com- 

 plete metamorphosis, while the females have not ; so that 

 this is of no great importance from the standpoint of the de- 

 termining of the relationships of the different groups. 



The 1 Coleopteron line appears to lead back to the Perlids 

 and closely parallels that of the Embiids and Dermaptera, and 

 unless it can be shown that the same is true of the Hymen- 

 optera, the relationship between the Hymenoptera and Cole- 

 optera must be considered as very distant. Whether the dif- 

 ferences between the less modified Coleoptera and the Curcu- 

 lionid group (Paracoleoptera} are sufficiently great to be con- 

 sidered as of the value of an order, is largely a matter of 

 personal opinion. I would regard the Curculionids as one of 

 the suborders of the Coleoptera, however, while the Platy- 

 psyllid group (Apocoleoptera), on the other hand, has become 

 sufficiently modified to merit the rank of a distinct order. 



As far as the other higher, or more modified orders are con- 

 cerned, it is practically impossible to determine their closer 

 affinities until more material of an annectent nature is avail- 

 able. I would venture the opinion, however, that the Thy- 

 sanoptera will be found to be related to the Psocid group, and 

 that the Strepsiptera will be found to be related to one of the 

 lines of descent leading from the Neuropterous forms, rather 

 than to the Coleopteron line as has been hinted at by Pierce 

 (Monograph of the Strepsiptera) but whether they will 

 prove to be near the Heteroptera or to some other group re- 

 mains to be seen, and any opinion unsubstantiated by a study 

 of very primitive or annectent forms belongs to the realm of 

 pure speculation. 



As may be seen from the foregoing discussion, it is possible 

 to divide all winged insects into five (or fewer) sections, on 



