174 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, '08 



my table here together with descriptions of four nndescribed 

 species, including two of our most common California forms. 

 I have not seen specimens of P. affinis Bell, or P. excelsior 

 Berg, and cannot from the descriptions select any characters 

 which would not apply equally well to some of my specimens 

 of P. incurva Lw. so these three species are placed together 

 in the table until further study shall show some characters by 

 which they may be separated. P. occipitalis Lw. occurs in 

 two places as in the original table, as I find that desirable on 

 account of the occiput being more or less shining, sometimes 

 almost opaque. 



1. Thorax wholly black 2. 



Thorax not wholly black 3. 



2. Abdomen altogether black altissima O. S. 



Abdomen reddish-yellow toward the base .... erythrophrys Will. 



3. Thoracic stripes black 4. 



Thoracic stripes brownish or reddish, sometimes obsolete . . . .18. 



4. Wings hyaline 5. 



Wings with a yellowish or brownish tinge 12. 



iincurva Lw. 

 affinis Bell. 

 excelsior Berg. 

 Anterior end of the lateral thoracic stripes not curved 6. 



6. Pleura without spots ; occiput without a black spot . . virescens Lw. 

 Pleura with spots 7. 



7. Pleura for the most part cinereous COllaris Say. 



Pleura not cinereous 8. 



8. Pleura yellow, with yolk-yellow spots ordinaria O. S. 



Pleura variegated with brownish fuscous or blackish spots .... 9. 



9. Head wholly black californica n. sp. 



Head yellow, with a black spot on the occiput 10 



10. A small black spot between the antennas ; the black spot on the occi- 



put does not reach over the vertex pedunculata Lw. 



No spot between the antennae ; the black spot on the occiput reaches 

 over the vertex n. 



11. Pleura variegated with several fusco-blackish spots, posterior margin 



of the eighth sternite of male only gently curved . . vittula Lw. 



Pleura sulphur-yellow, with only one or two reddish-brown spots ; 



posterior margin of the eighth sternite of male with a deep 



V-shaped incision snowii n. sp. 



12. Wings with a brownish or brownish-yellow tinge 13. 



Wings with a yellowish tinge, at least along the anterior margin . 14. 



