1875.1 21 



ON CERTAIN EKITISII JI EMIPTERA-IlUMOPTERA. 



BY JOHN SCOTT. 



{continued from Vol. x\. par/ e 2'32.) 



Genus THAMNOTETTIX, Zett. 



As originally constituted by the author, this genus contained 

 fourteen species, which were sub-divided into two sections, the first 

 containing eleven, and the second three, species ; but subsequent 

 authors have agreed to differ, not only from him, but even from one 

 another, as to their distribution. 



Kirstdibaum, in his " Athysanus-Arten " (1S5S), was the first to 

 commence the work of demolition, b}' placing two of the species 

 (f/risrscens -dnd jjlelejrr), being all that wei'e at that time known to him, 

 in the genus Afhi/sanus, Burm. Three years later, Flor, in the " lihyn. 

 Livl.," assigns the same two species to his sub-genus Athi/sanus, and 

 such others, belonging to Zetterstedt's genus, as he knew, yiz. : 2)}'asi7ir(, 

 biguttata, cruentata, Torneella, suhfuscula, and striatula, he carried to 

 his sub-genus Jassus. In 1868, Kirschbaum, in his " Cicad. Wiesb. 

 u. Frankf." sinks his former genus, AtJiysanus, to a sub-genus, still 

 retaining the same two species in it. Others, witli which he had become 

 acquainted in the interval between the publication of his works, he 

 retains in his sub-genus Thamnotettix. Then came J. Sahlberg's work 

 in 1S71, pul)]ished in the " Xot. Fenn." lie appears to have known 

 all Zetterstedt's species except one (lineoJuta). With the exception 

 of three, he follows Zetterstedt, restoring flehejiis to its original posi- 

 tion, but placing yrise«ce«s and sonUdus in the f^enuH Athi/sanus. The 

 only remaining species, striatula, he disposes of in a new genus of his 

 own (Limotettix). Had Fieber lived to complete his projected work, 

 juilging from the " Kat. der europaischen Cicadinen " (1872), we 

 should have liad a totally different state of matters. For Zetterstedt's 

 type of his genus, Fieber characterizes a new one, Alli/gus, and cer- 

 tainly the insects which he includes in it have a distinct character in 

 size and uiiifornn'ty of markings; this may, however, eventually prove 

 t(i be only sectional. He then adopts cruentata and Torneella as the 

 only representatives of Zetterstedt's genus, and consigns the remainder 

 to the genus Athysanus, Burm. With these differences of opinion it 

 is difficult to know how to deal. Generally, in the followiiig papei', 

 I have adopted Fieber's views, so as to prevent greater confusion ; 

 and I believe the diagnoses given will be found ample enough to lead 

 to the identity of all the spei-ies. 



