JAMES A. G. REHN 229 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW AND CRITICAL NOTES UPON 



PREVIOUSLY KNOWN FORMS OF NORTH 



AMERICAN OEDIPODINAE (ORTHOP- 



TERA; ACRIDIDAE) 



First Paper 



BY JAMES A. G. REHN 



For a number of years it has been one of the author's ambitions, 

 to make a thorough and comprehensive systematic study of the 

 forms of the genera of that section of the North American Oedi- 

 podinae centering about the genus Tn'meroiropis. From what- 

 ever angle we had approached this complex of genera, whether in 

 attempting generic studies, the presumably much simpler deter- 

 mination of scattered material or in detailed faunistic studies, it 

 speedily became evident that the classification left much to be 

 desired in the way of interpreting the true valuation of characters, 

 appreciation of variation, relationship of forms and generic 

 affinities, as well as the generic position of certain species. The 

 difficulties encountered tended to concentrate our attention upon 

 these genera, and the opportunity to study the problem in the 

 desired fashion was something for which we continually strived. 



The greatest desideratum was material and for over twelve 

 years the field work of Hebard and Rchn has had this proposition 

 as one of its main objectives. We now have before us for study 

 a series of specimens of the genera under consideration, running 

 into the tens of thousands, by far the greater portion collected 

 by Hebard and Rehn and with full field data. After extensive 

 scries, type examination was next in importance, and we feel 

 fortunate in having been able to examine, or now have in our 

 possession, by far the majority of the tjq^es of the forms of the 

 genera, at least as far as they are known to be in existence. 



The critical work upon our projected study has been under way 

 for some months, and in certain genera all the comparative work 

 has been completed. Our plan is to publish in the course of a 

 few years an extensive detailed work upon the genera studied, 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XLV. 



