5t REVISION OF THE AUSTRALIAN AMARYGMIDES, 



outset — that I have very little doubt my nomenclature will sooner 

 or later undergo much correction. I am satisfied that under the 

 circumstances (many of the existing desc«-iptions being completely 

 insufficient, and the types being scattered all over the world, and 

 not a few of them having probably perished) it is impossible for 

 anyone to identify all the previously described species with 

 certainty. This l)eing the case, the first step towards clearing up 

 the hopeless confusion must be, I think, a general revision of the 

 genus which shall enable students to identify the species to which 

 the author of that revision attributes the names of other authors. 

 When that is done there is something to work upon, and it will 

 be easy for those in one place and another who have access to the 

 types to correct the inevitable inaccuracies of this first revision. 

 How far I have succeeded in my attempt to enable others to 

 identify the insects to which I have applied the various names, and 

 so to determine whether I am right or wrong, of course has yet to 

 be put to the test. I ofifer my attempt to the Society with much 

 diffidence, but not without hope that this fiirst revision of the 

 genus may lead to the possibility eventually of a re-revision, the 

 accuracy of which will be much more reliable. It will be noticed 

 that in the tabulation I have indicated the names that I have 

 been able to connect with species only doubtfully by enclosing 

 them in brackets. There are now only four existing names likely 

 to be of Chahopteri which I have been obliged to disregard alto- 

 gether on the ground that I cannot connect them with any insect 

 known to me and that the descriptions of them do not justify 

 their assignment to a place in my tabulation, viz., cujjricollis, 

 Plope, obtusus^ Pasc, puncticoUis, Hope, smaragduhcs, Fab. ; the 

 rest of the described Australian Amarygmides are either to be 

 found in the following tabulation, or in the list of probable 

 synonyms (in Part I. of this memoir), or are probably true 

 Amarygmi. 



It is necessary to say a few words about the characters that 

 have appeared to me most reliable and most easily observed as 

 distinguishing the species of Chcdcopteriis inter se. I may 

 remark that the tabulated statement of the specific characters 



