H. C. FALL. 167 



authorities in this family, viz. : Messrs. Belon and Reitter. There 

 is one particular, however, in which I have felt compelled to differ 

 with them. The genus Cortilena Mots., though not rigorously 

 limited by its author, may be fairly considered to be represented by 

 the European fuscipennis and our pieta and simplex, species in 

 which the most striking characteristic is the 2-jointed an ten nal club. 

 Belon suppresses Motschulsky's genus as a synonym pure and sim- 

 ple, nor does he recognize in fuscipennis the type of a distinct 

 group, but places it with the true Melanophthalma. In my judg- 

 ment fuscipennis, picta, etc., are quite as sharply differentiated and 

 therefore as worthy of a distinctive name as any of the subgenera 

 admitted by the European authors ; and while the careless use of 

 the name proposed by the Russian author somewhat weakens its 

 claim to recognition, it is still an available name, and having been 

 used in this connection is preferable to a new one. 



The three subgenera represented in our fauna may be defined as 

 follows; a fourth — Bicava Bel. — is confined to New Zealand and 

 New Caledonia. 



Antennal club 2-jointed ; intercoxal lamina of prosternum wider, distinctly 

 visible, throughout, the coxse not contiguous on their free inner faces ; 

 abdomen of % apparently composed of five segments, a small sixth 

 segment usually visible in the £; first ventral segment with impressed 

 lines extending obliquely back from the inner margins of the coxse ; 

 intercoxal process of the abdomen truncate or feebly arcuate in front, 

 the contiguous margin of the metasternum not incised at the middle ; 

 first two tarsal joints subequal ; tempora well developed ; prothorax 

 angulate or suhangulate at sides; pubescence short, much inclined 

 and inconspicuous Subgenus Cortilena. 



Antennal club 3-jointed ; abdomen with a sixth segment more or less distinctly 

 visible in both sexes; pubescence longer and more conspicuous. 

 Second tarsal joint as long as or slightly longer than the first ; prothorax angu- 

 late at sides; intercoxal lamina narrow but visible between the front 

 coxse ; first ventral with impressed lines; intercoxal process of first 

 ventral more narrowly truncate at tip. the contiguous margin of the 

 metasternum minutely incised at the middle, the incision deeper than 

 wide, with the sides parallel or a little divergent anteriorly and 

 rounded at the apex; eyes very large; tempora short but distinct; 



front tibia of % not dentate Subgenus Mela nophl ha I ma. 



Second tarsal joint much shorter than the first; prothorax not angulate at 

 sides; intercoxal lamina very narrow, usually not distinctly visible, 

 the coxa; contiguous or subcontiguous on their free inner faces; first 

 ventral without impressed lines, its intercoxal process broad and trun- 

 cate, the contiguous margin of the metasternum not incised; eyes 

 smaller; tempora almost wanting; front tibiae of % dentate beyond 

 the middle of the postero-interior margin. .Subgenus Corti carina. 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXVI. DECEMBER, 1899. 



