162 INSECUTOR INSCITL^ MENSTRUUS 



arrangement of this subfamily, and some of his new groups 

 agree quite closely with those proposed by us. His employ- 

 ment of the subtribe to express the closer relationship of cer- 

 tain groups is commendable, though in our opinion not always 

 soundly applied. It is to be regretted that he did not see fit to 

 employ the usual tribal and subtribal endings of -ini and -ina, 

 especially the latter, since all other authors have followed 

 Thomson in this. 



The tribal key shows a somewhat new arrangement and 

 includes the two new tribes Xylonomides and Schizopygides. 

 But it is inadequate in that the same old difificulty in placing 

 males is perpetuated — for instance one wonders how he is to 

 keep the males of Perithous, as well as of certain other genera, 

 out of the Lissonotides or Acoenitides. The descriptions of 

 the tribes make the distinction very little clearer. 



The division of the old tribe Xoridini (with Bchthrus rele- 

 gated to the Cryptinae) into two parts is most interesting, both 

 because of the character used and because it is so different 

 from the separation adopted by us. The separation of Xorides 

 and Xylonomus is, although we have maintained them in the 

 same tribe, perhaps justified ; they are certainly very distinct. 

 But in placing Xorides and Poemenia (we do not know Tro- 

 pistes) in the Rhyssini Hellen has simply transferred genera 

 that were more or less anomalous in their former placing to 

 another group where they are still more anomalous. We can- 

 not agree that Poemenia is more closely allied to Xorides than 

 to Xylonomus, and we do believe that Odontomerus and Isch- 

 nocerus (together with the American Aplomerus), while re- 

 lated to Xylonomus, are worthy of tribal, or at least subtribal, 

 rank. In his use of the subtribal division Hellen is not con- 

 sistent, having carried it too far in the Pimplides and not far 

 enough in other tribes. His separation of the Ephialtini and 

 Epiurini is especially weak and not justified by facts. On the 

 contrary it is difficult to tell where (Bphialtes) = Ichneumon 

 stops and Scamhus, of which Bpiurus is only a subgenus, be- 

 gins ; and certainly these two genera are more closely allied 

 than are Ichneumon and Perithous. The last named genus is 



