BY A. SIDNEY OLLIFF. 645 



my visit to Mt. Wilson, and I saw a considerable number of 

 males flying together on more than one occasion, but I never 

 saw the simultaneous cessation of light alluded to by many 

 observers who have watched similar insect-swarms in South 

 America and in the East. 



The female of Aty2yhella is unfortunately unknown. It is, 

 therefore, impossible at present to definitely decide upon the 

 systematic position which the Mt. Wilson fire-fly should occupy. 

 There are, as everybody knows, two groups of Lampy ridge which 

 have the head hidden beneath the prothorax, one with the elytra 

 (wing-covers) and wings present in both sexes, the other with the 

 elytra absent or rudimentary and the wings wanting in the 

 female. In structure the male of Atyphella approaches certain 

 forms which belong to the latter of these groups, but from this 

 fact we have no right to assume that the female is apterous, 

 although it is probable that this is the case. It would be most 

 interesting to know the truth, and also to learn if the female is 

 luminous like the male. Who is there to settle these questions ^ 

 It may be that the females are winged, and remain quietly 

 concealed in the grass, or beneath the leaves of the surrounding 

 foliage, whilst the males indulge in flight, like the European 

 species Luciola lusitanica, Char., alluded to by Dr. Sharp, "^ but 

 I do not think this likely. 



A. Head coin2?letely hidden beneath iwothorax (Lampyrin^). 

 Atyphella, gen. nov. 



Elongate, sub-parallel. Head completely hidden by the pro- 

 thorax, excavated between the eyes which are moderately large 

 and prominent. Antennae 11-jointed moderately robust, a little 

 shorter than the prothorax, very slightly compressed, and some- 

 what narrowed at both extremities ; the basal joint elongate, 

 decidedly narrowed at the base, 2nd joint about half as long as 

 the 1st, 3rd longer and narrower than 2nd, joints 4-10 gradually 



* Ent. Mo. Mag., xvii., p. 69 (1880). 



