2 THE BLATTIDAE OF PANAMA 



ing sufficient material from the region to warrant publication of 

 the data assembled. A visit to the United States National Mu- 

 seum developed that a very large and thorough collection had inci- 

 dentally been made by men from that institution, and, through 

 the kindness of Mr. A. N. Caudell, this material was put in our 

 hands for study. For the small forms of the Blattidae, the excel- 

 lent representation studied is largely from that series, collected 

 principally by Mr. A. Busck. Considering the fact that he is a 

 Microlepidopterist and not an Orthopterist, we take pleasure in 

 congratulating him on the careful and thorough quality of his work. 

 Further material was secured by the author from Mr. James Zetek, 

 the total from that source being small, but containing some most 

 interesting forms. Finally, in 191 5, Mr. D. E. Harrower, who was 

 going to the Canal Zone for Lepidoptera, volunteered to collect 

 Orthoptera for the author as well. The series obtained by him 

 was large and contained many additional forms. 



As the total material collected is now much larger than has ever 

 been assembled from one region in tropical America, it has been 

 decided to undertake a complete summary, based on all available 

 material from Panama, in America, with previous records and at 

 present unrepresented species included in the tables on pages 6 to 

 9, to make the present work complete. The present paper, as a 

 result, is a comprehensive summary of the Blattidae of the Canal 

 Zone and vicinity. 



The Canal Zone and vicinity, with localities indicated at which 

 material studied in the present paper was taken, is shown in Plate 

 I of the present paper. 



We would remark that, in the Canal Zone and vicinity, lowland 

 forests, marshes and limited open areas are the only types of 

 country encountered, and that almost all of the material here 

 studied, was taken in such environments. Very similar conditions 

 are found in southern and eastern Costa Rica and in eastern Nic- 

 aragua to the north, and probably in northwestern Columbia to 

 the south. Scarcely any work has, however, been done on the 

 Orthoptera in those regions, but this, when accomplished, we feel 

 certain will show a much wider distribution for many of the species 

 here considered, which at present are known from comparatively 

 limited areas on the Isthmus. 



