l86 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, '14 



the Oligotrophiariae. This earlier separation was one we found very 

 convenient and, on the whole, satisfactory, though there are some in- 

 termediate forms which are not easily placed. The occurrence of the 

 latter by no means invalidates the division, since as our knowledge 

 increases other perplexing genera will doubtless be discovered. The 

 raising of Brachyneura Rond. to tribal rank and its placement with 

 the Cecidomyinae, all turn on the characteristics of B. fuscogrisea 

 Rond., the generic type. We have been able to discover no evidence 

 that this form possesses circumfili, and the latter certainly is not true 

 of American species we have referred to Brachyneura. Granting for 

 a moment that this genus possesses the structures and is properly lo- 

 cated and raised to tribal rank, we are then confronted by the fact 

 that the author has placed here such genera as Kronomyia Felt and 

 Haplusia Karsch, forms without circumfili. The tribe, as given in 

 this synopsis, contains some discordant elements. 



We heartily endorse the reference of Aplonyx De Stefani to the 

 Lasiopterariae and dissent somewhat to the inclusion in this tribe, of 

 Camptoneuromyia Felt, a somewhat synthetic genus with, it seems to 

 us, more affinities with the Oligotrophiariae (our Dasyneuriariae) of 

 this list. The separation of Prolasioptera on account of the entire 

 ventral plate, and particularly because of the dorsal group of chitin- 

 ous hooks on the apex of the ovipositor, does not seem justified, in 

 view of the fact that this combination of characters is not constant 

 in American forms, and especially as the peculiar hooks appear in 

 species referable to both Lasioptera and Neolasioptcra. We likewise 

 confess skepticism as to the validity of Meunierella Kieff., at least so 

 far as indicated by the American species the author referred to this 

 genus. 



The Oligotrophiariae of this list comprise a large number of genera 

 and introduce some radical departures from the earlier classification. 

 We find Rhopalomyia Rubs, restricted to forms possessing recticulate 

 circumfili and uniarticulate palpi. The reduction of the palpi indi- 

 cates within certain limits the degree of specialization, though it hap- 

 pens that in the American forms there is such evident diversity in 

 these organs that we can not bring ourselves to believe such close di- 

 vision advisable, since a rigid application of this rule might, with cer- 

 tain American species, necessitate the referring of one-half of an in- 

 sect to Misopatha Kieff. and the other to Panteliola Kieff., though we 

 readily admit that in many instances the number of palpal segments 

 is a character of great value in separating allied genera. In practice 

 we have been unwilling in Rhopalomyia and its allies, to separate spe- 

 cies simply because of a divergence in the number of palpal segments, 

 and have always looked for some confirmatory character. A similar 

 condition obtains, so far as American forms are concerned, in the 



