PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 20, IS'O. 3, MAR., 1918 47 



he interprets as the "sternelhim" of the metathorax are simply 

 the much flattened coxae! In the prothorax of his figure 179 of 

 Calliphora, Berlese applies the term "sternum" to the prothoracic 

 presternum (ps of fig. 14), and designates the prothoracic basi- 

 sternum (bs of fig. 14) as the "sternelhim." In the mesothoracic 

 region of his figure 183 of Sphinx, he applies the term "sternel- 

 him" to the meral region of the coxa! In his figure 185 of Cicada, 

 he applies the term "sternellum" to the lower portion of the epi- 

 meron in the mesothorax, while in the metathorax, he applies 

 the term "sternellum" to the entire epimeron. In his figure 

 195 of Periplaneta, the plate which he terms the prothoracic 

 "sternellum" is the spinasternum alone (ss of fig. 14), while m 

 the mesothoracic region the plate which he terms the "sternel- 

 lum" is the united furcasternum and spinasternum together 

 (fs and s,s of fig. 14), and in the metathoracic region, the region 

 to which he applies the term "sternellum" is the furcasternum 

 alone (fs of fig. 14). On the other hand, in his figure 198 of 

 Acrulium, the prothoracic "sternellum" is the spinasternum (ss of 

 fig. 14) while the mesothoracic "sternellum" is practically the entire 

 mesosternum, the sclerite to which he applies the term "sternum" 

 in this region being the anterior marginal region of the meso- 

 sternum (which Comstock'and Kellogg, 1902, interpret as the 

 prothoracic "sternellum"). In the metathorax, however, Ber- 

 lese designates practically the entire metasternum as the "ster- 

 num" in his figure 198, while he designates the first abdominal 

 sternum as the metathoracic "sternellum" (thus agreeing with the 

 interpretation of the metathoracic "sternellum" by Comstock, 1902, 

 in the Orthoptera). If we therefore accept Berlese's application 

 of the term "sternellum" it would thus be applied to the entire 

 sternum; to the basisternum by itself, or united with the furca- 

 sternum; to the furcasternum by itself, or united with the spina- 

 sternum; to the spinasternum alone; to the entire coxa, or to 

 the meral region of the coxa (meron) ; to the entire epimeron, or 

 to its lower portion alone; to the first abdominal sternum, etc., 

 etc. Comstock and Berlese together have thus exhausted all 

 of the possibilities in applying the term "sternellum" to the first, 

 last, and all of the intermediate sternites (as well as to the first 

 abdominal sternum, etc., etc.), and this merely goes to show 

 how impossible it is to successfully employ a terminology which 

 takes no consideration of the landmarks (such as the furca. spina, 

 etc.), but merely implies four consecutive plates, begining the 

 count anywhere and ending it anywhere in the series of six con- 

 secutive sternites shown in figure 14! 



Snodgrass, 1909, in his excellent paper on the thoracic scler- 

 ites of insects, uses the terms presternum, "sternum," and ster- 



