202 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



Chionea Dalman. 



These interesting subapterous crane-flies have been the sub- 

 ject of much discussion during the past hundred years. They 

 were long supposed to be wingless but this is incorrect, the wings 

 being present although greatly reduced (see fig. 1, w). The legs 

 of the males of many species are strongly incrassated and hairy. 

 The evolution of the group from full-winged ancestors has been 

 indicated by the author in another paper (Proceedings Academy 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, p. 529, 530; 1916). The closest 

 known relative of Chionea I believe to be the full-winged Ptero- 

 chionea bradleyi Alexander (British Columbia), a fly that is interest- 

 ing and suggestive in many ways. Its structure may be compared 

 with that of C. pHmifiva, sp. n., when the relationships existing 

 will be better understood. 



The antennpe of Pterochionea, unlike the normal eriopterine 

 crane-flies, have undergone a reduction in the number of the 

 antennal segments, this reduction being brought about by a curious 

 fusion of the five basal segments of the flagellum (fig. 3), that 

 has been termed the fusion-segment. In Pterochionea this fusion- 

 segment is elongated and the five sets of verticils are well-preserved. 

 In Chionea, and, to a lesser extent, in Crypteria Bergroth, the fusion- 

 segment has shortened up into a conical structure that is scarcely 

 longer than the succeeding flagellar segment, and the five sets of 

 verticils are either lost or very reduced. Beyond the fusion- 

 segment in Pterochionea, Crypteria and C. primitiva, there are nine 

 flagellar segments, thus accounting for the sixteen segments of the 

 normal eriopterine organ. In order to determine, if possible, 

 how the further reduction in segments in C. valga, C. nivicola and 

 the other species had been brought about, Mr. C. W. Johnson 

 has very kindly examined the types and fresh metatypical speci- 

 mens of C. valga Harris in the collection of the Boston Society of 

 Natural History. Under the date of March 11, 1917, he writes 

 in part: "Under the binocular and with a fresh specimen I seem 

 to see traces of segmentation in the three conspicuous joints of 

 the flagellum, with 12 verticils and bristles, showing, as you say, 

 nine. In the old specimens, including the type, I cannot make 

 out clearly the weaker segmentation, but the verticils seem to be 

 the same; all of the specimens have the three long bristles on the 



