Order RHYNCHOTA. 



Suborder HOMOPTERA. 

 Family MEMBRACIDiE. 



Membracides, Germ. Mag. Ent. iv, p. 7 (1821). 

 Menibracina, Bur7n. Handh. Ent. ii, 2, p. 102 (1839). 

 Membracidte, Curth, Brit. Ent. xvi, (reii. p. 14 (1840). 

 Cornidoisi, Amy. cV Scrr. Rim. p. 532 (1843). 

 Jassida, sublam. Membracida, 8taJ, Hem. Afr. iv, p. 83 (1866). 

 Membracida, Fieh. Rev. Mar/. Zvol. (3) iii, p. 332 (1875). 



Tui.s family has already (vol. iii, p. 54) been diagnosed by its primary 

 cbaracters : — ocelli placed between the eyes ; antenna) inserted ija 

 front of and between eyes ; pronotum prolonged backwards into 

 a hood or process of variable form. The Meinbracidte constitute 

 one of the most distinct families in the Homoptera, and are 

 principally distinguished by the great development of the pronotum, 

 particularly its posterior process, the frequently bizarre structure 

 of which has occasioned much speculation, and produced some 

 observational facts relative to its advantage in mimetic and 

 protective resemblance to other insects and to its environment. 



The family has been much worked and elucidated in recent 

 years. Tairmaire in lb40 was the great pioneer ; AYalker followed 

 a few years hater, but his work is of unequal value ; Stfd, in 1860 

 and 1869, with his usual penetration and unique taxonomical 

 insight gave some masterly generic tabulations wliicli still constitute 

 the bedrock of all our classification. Butler, 1877 and 1878, gave 

 revised lists of the species of many genera nearly if not quite 

 wholly American in distribution ; in 1892 Goding gave a synopsis 

 of the subfamilies and genera found in A^orth America ; while in 

 1894 I'owler commenced his enumeration and description of the 

 Membracida? of Central America. 



Of the Old-World Membracida", Stal gave a description of the 

 Philippine fauna in 1870 ; Goding monographed the Australian 

 members of the family in 1903, in which year Melichar described 

 all the species from Ceylon with \\hich he was acquainted. It was 

 also in 1903 that Buckton produced his 'Monograph of the 

 Membracidse ' : and when we remember that that gifted and 

 versatile scientific worker commenced his study of the exotic 

 Membracida} when he had about reached the eightieth year of 

 his life, and that he was physically incapacitated by an almost life- 

 long affliction from visiting museums and private collections for 



A^OL. IV. B 



