364 W. D. FUNKHOUSER 



at its center. At the posterior end of the crop the canal is much narrowed 

 to form an ascending mid-intestine, which bends abruptly .anteriorly, 

 is irregularly coiled and twisted, and extends forward as far as the center 

 of the crop. At the end of the ascending mid-intestine is a knot from which 

 arise two urinary tubules; each of these tubules has a blind end pro- 

 jecting a short distance cephaiad, while the tubule itself extends along 

 the full length of the small intestine and joins the rectum by the side of 

 the small intestine. From the knotted end of the mid-intestine arises the 

 small intestine, which is very narrow in diameter and almost straight. 

 The small intestine opens into the swollen rectum, which connects by 

 a smaller rectal tube to the opening in the abdomen. 



At the point where the mid-intestine ends and the small intestine 

 begins, both these organs are somewhat looped and give rise to the urinary 

 tubules. This part of the intestine has been called the filter chamber, 

 and has been described m the Cercopidae by Licent (1911); but in the 

 type of chamber shown by that family the mid-intestine and the urinary 

 tubules are twisted many times aromid one another in an inclosed 

 part of the canal. A similar filter chamber, tho not so elaborate,* is 

 described by Berlese (1909:733) for certain Coccidae. 



Apparently such an arrangement of twisted intestine and nephridial 

 organs is not uncommon in the Homoptera. The points of distinction 

 to be noted in the subfamily Smiliinae are the two, rather than four, tubules 

 and the peculiar caeca-hke projections at the anterior ends of these 

 tubes. 



The respiratory system shows no peculiarities so far as has been observed. 

 The spiracles have been discussed mider the description of the external 

 anatomy. 



In the reproductive system the only points noted as applied particularly 

 to the Membraciclae are the number of eggs found in various species 

 in life-history studies. It may be noted in this respect that the eggs 

 are very large in proportion to the size of the insect, and are usually 

 all matured at about the same time. 



HISTOLOGY 

 Histological studies in the Membracidae show more interesting points 

 in the comparative development of the various tissues than in their arrange- 

 ment. The material has failed to show any but normal conditions in respect 



