Hungerford: Nepid^ in America. 429 



6, on plate XLVII, will show. The penultimate segment of the 

 European form has a lateral prolongation which gives the antenna 

 a branched appearance. The Nepa apiculafa lacks this entirely. 

 The male genital capsules are also unlike. The considerable differ- 

 ence between these and between the claspers is indicated on plate 

 XLVII, figures 1, 2, 3 and 4. 



The nearest approach to a formal description of the American 

 species is given by Uhler in the Riverside Natural History, vol. II, 

 p. 253, 1884. It follows: 



Color (lull fuscous gray, with the base of the abdomen above more or less 

 tinged with reddish. It is of an elliptical form, blunt in front, with a ridged 

 middle line on the vertex, and with three short raised lines on the prothorax. 

 each side of a longer one on the middle. The surface and margins of the 

 thorax and head are roughly granulated, while these, tog.ether with the scu- 

 tellum and corium, are rough and closely covered with stiff, short pile. The 

 anterior femora have no teeth on the inner angle, but instead there is a prom- 

 inent elbow, forming a wide expansion for the sides of the deep gutter. The 

 wings are smoke brown, with darker veins. This species closely resembles the 

 European one, and measures about twc^-thirds of an inch to the end of the 

 abdomen; while the respiratory tubes are a little more than one-fourth of an 

 inch in length. 



Montandon has shown the differences between our species and 

 the European A''. Cinerea Linn. 



The United States National Museum has specimens from Massa- 

 chusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois. I have seen speci- 

 mens from New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin. 



Genus Curicta Stal, 1861. 

 These insects are very interesting because they are intermediate 

 between the broad, flat Nepa and the very slender Ranatra. The 

 Americas can boast of several species in this genus, but for North 

 America, north of Mexico, there has previously been recorded only 

 one, and of it but a single specimen, taken at Victoria, Tex., just 

 within our limits. From this specimen Doctor Montandon drew up 

 the description of Curicta howardii. It is a pleasure, therefore, to 

 record the capture of other specimens of this species and to add a 

 second species which has not been described. This second species 

 has been the subject of life-history studies by Mrs. Grace Wiley, 

 and is reported further on in this bulletin. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



A. Lateral prolongation of penultimate segment of antenna very short (see 

 fig. 8, pi. XLVII). C. howardii Montd. 



AA. Lateral prolongation of penultimate segment of antenna very long (see 

 fig. 7, pi. XLVII). C. drakei sp. new. 



