J, jQ CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY [Bull. 



The choice of a family name is also a matter of controversy 

 One school would retain old names used for a family regardless of 

 almost any circumstance. The Trupaneidae may be cited as an 

 example Trvpetidae would be retained on the ground that it was 

 first used. This is, I think, carrying the law of priority to a place 

 where it is certain to produce confusion rather than lessen it. It we 

 search the literature we may find, tomorrow, that some one used 

 Tephritidae before Trypetidae, and the next day another name may 

 show up. In addition to this, what is to happen when one or more 

 o-enera, which once carried a group name (and there are many ot 

 tiiem), is transferred to another family? One of the names must be 

 releo-ated to the background and it may be the better known of the 

 two^ Even the Trypetidae may disappear m due time because the 

 characters separating this family and the Otitidae are very weak m 

 some South American forms. It would seem that the only logical 

 way to secure stability of family names is to form the name from 

 the oldest included genus. In this way stability will be reached 

 quickly. 



In the present work certain names are retained that should 

 properly be changed on the basis of the oldest generic designation. 

 The proper place to make such changes should be in a catalogue or a 

 revision of the order. 



How to Use the Keys 



The use of keys is not a difficult matter but there may be some 

 who have not had experience with them. Some keys may not be 

 altogether simple and may not run as smoothly as others. To find 

 the genus to which your specimen belongs turn to the table of fami- 

 lies and read over couplet 1. Two alternatives are given: the insect 

 must go in either section. If it has large wings you go to couplet 2 

 and you repeat the process until it is found that your specimen comes 

 to a section where it agrees with the diagnosis ending in a family 

 name. You have now found the "family", but to be sure read over 

 the other alternative so that the characters in both may be checked. 

 Now turn to the family indicated and continue in the same way until 

 the genus and species is reached. 



It should be remembered that keys are merely guides and the 

 fact that a species traces out to a certain place in a key is no guaran- 

 tee that it actually belongs there. If one is familiar with the genera 

 of a family he may be reasonably certain either that the insect be- 

 longs where it traces or that it is quite dilferent; in either case he 

 should check with descriptions of genera or species not included in 

 the key, or with the genus or species included, either by means of 

 determined specimens or with descriptions. If a specimen does not 

 seem to agree with the genus or species to which it traces, check back 

 and try one of the other alternatives, since there may have been an 

 error in interpretation of the characters used or the specimen may be 

 one that is somewhat aberrant. 



