222 



NOTES. 



radical importance, as to justify the separation of the group as a 

 distinct family. (Compare Verh. Zool. Bot. Ges. 1809, p. 844.) 



37. Ptychoptera metallica Walli. The specimen in the Brit. IMus. 

 is a mere fragment. 



38. Idioplasta. In 1859 I had called this insect Protoplasa; in 

 the Western Diptera, 1877, I adopted the more correct Protoplasta. But 

 in the mean time, PwtoplaMa had been used in the Protozoa, so I 

 prefer to give it up for Idioplaf^ia. 



I. Fitchii. I was quite recently that, for the first time, I saw a 

 specimen of this insect again, after those two which I desciibed twenty 

 years ago. The specimen is in Mr. von Boeder's collection, in Hoym, 

 Germany. It is a male, and has a forceps with very long branches. 

 This proves that the specimens which I described and about the sex of 

 which I was uncertain, were females. And it further proves that the 

 female in this genus does not have the sabre-shaped, projecting ovipo- 

 sitor, which is usual among the Tipulidae. Idioplasta, in this respect, 

 resembles Bittacomorpha, and differs from Ptijclioptera. 



The specimen in question was taken in Georgia, by Mr. Morrison, 

 a collector who has the faculty of ferreting out the rarest insects, whatever 

 country he undertakes to explore. 



39. Tipula. Compare the important remarks on the structure of 

 the genitals of Tipida, in Loew's Beschr. Europ. Diptern, Vol. Ill, 

 p. 7—9. 



40. Tipula Boiulico'-nis. As to the synonymy of this species, I 

 follow Mr. Schioedte's authority, altbough I expressed some doubts about 

 it in the Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. Dec. 6. 187G. 



41. Tipula casta Loew, Syn. cunctans Say. There is some error 

 at the end of Say's description, as the venation of a Tipida cannot well 

 be like that oi Liimiobia (Geranomyia) rostrafa, to which he apparently 

 refers. This error prevented Dr. Loew from identifying Say's description. 



42. Mr. Walker's Tipulae. After taking some notes from the types 

 in the Brit. Mus. I hoped to establish the synonymy of some of Mr. 

 Walker's species with Dr. Loew's. But upon compaiing Mr. Walker's 

 descriptions with the specimens, I found that they did not agree with 

 what I thought I had seen. So I quote such synonymies with a query. 



Tipida alterna Walk. I suspect the synonymy from a short note 

 I made in London in 1859; Mr. Walker's description however renders 

 it doubtful. 



43. Tipula fuliginosa. Although this species is not rare, I have never 

 seen the male yet. 



44. Ctenophora. In the Proceedings Entom. Soc. Phil. May 1864, 

 I published an article: Description of severnl new North America Cte- 

 nophorae; an unsatisfactory performance, because I attempted to work 

 without sufficient material. 



45. Pti^ogyna fuliginosa Macquart (non Say) Dipt. Exot. I, 1, p. 

 46, 1 ; Tab. Ill, f. 2, is omitted, because it is an australian , and not a 

 north american, species. 1 have seen the original type of Macquart s 

 in Lille. It is a very well preserved female specimen , with pectinate 



