370 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



Family CONOCEPHALID.^ (Xiphidiids). 

 The representatives of this family are rather small, compared with 

 the CoPiPHORiD.?:, in which they have usually been included. It is 

 unfortunate that so much confusion has arisen and still exists in 

 connection with the nomenclature of these two families of the Tetti- 

 gonoidea. In fact there is much confusion in the nomenclature 

 throughout the entire order Orthoptera, as one soon learns when taking 

 up the study of the insects of the group. 



These insects live among grass and low herbage, where they may 

 be found in rather large numbers throughout the summer and early 

 fall. Representatives occur in all temperate and tropical countries. 

 They are the chief "grass-hoppers" of all such regions. While the 

 group is widel}^ distributed there are comparatively few genera. Not 

 more than four are found in South America. They may be separated 

 as follows: 



Synopsis of South American Genera of Conocephalid.^. 



A. Pronotum strongly saddle-shaped [Peru] Paraxiphidiiim Redtenbacher. 



A A. Pronotum more or less even, not saddle-shaped. 

 b. Tegmina not as in the alternative category. 



c. Ovipositor very, robust, somewhat falcate or sickle-shaped, the apex 

 very acuminate. Tegmina lobate in both sexes; cerci of male 

 abdomen without an internal tooth or spine. . Euxiphidion gen. nov. 

 cc. Ovipositor less robust, straight, or a little curved, the apex not finely 

 acuminate. Tegmina variable, but never lobate in the male; cerci 

 of male abdomen provided with one or two inwardly-directed teeth. 



Cojiocephalus Thunberg. 

 hb. Tegmina very broad, hiding the abdomen; costal field provided through- 

 out with prominent parallel veins [Paraguay] Xiphelium Caudell. 



Genus Euxiphidion gen. nov. 

 Related to the genera Odontoxiphidion Morse and Coiwcephahis 

 Thunberg (Xiphidion of various authors), but readily separated from 

 them by the characters given in the generic synopsis above. 



113. Euxiphidion subapterus sp. nov. 

 Body moderately robust, minutely, but thickly, hirsute. Head 

 large, a little wider than the anterior edge of the pronotum; fastigium 

 as in representatives of both the genera OrcheJiniuni and Conocephalus, 

 touching the fastigium of the front; eyes subglobular, rather large and 

 prominent; first antennal joint abruptly one-half wider on its apical 

 third. Pronotum short, wide, the disc convex, with scarcely a trace 



