June, 1920.] DaVIS : NoRTH AMERICAN CiCADAS. 117 



the steep embankment of a hill road struck by the afternoon sun and 

 protected by the hill and huge eucalptus trees from the sea winds. 

 They were sitting on wild anise or dill, preferring the stem about two 

 feet from the ground. They were not very shy and picking them with 

 my fingers I found the best method of collecting. Sweeping did not 

 prove effective, for as soon as the outer branches of the wild anise, 

 which reaches a height of three or four feet, were hit, they would 

 let themselves drop before the main stem was reached by the net. 

 They cling to the stem head up." The cicadas were confined to the 

 before-mentioned embankment of the short hill road, about 300 yards 

 in length, and Mr. Winters was unable to find a single specimen in 

 any other locality. He continues : " Collected on the 20th inst. some 

 more of the cicadas, six in all, but confined to one bush, and not a 

 single one anywhere else." 



In the Uhler collection, U. S. National Museum there is a single 

 male labeled " Nevada." 



This species is smaller than minor and resembles in size both 

 aperta and barbata. From the former it differs in having broader 

 fore wings and a narrower uncus; from barbata it may be told by the 

 front margin of the fore wing having a more even curve, that is not 

 as bent at the end of the radial cell, and by the shape of the uncus as 

 figured. In the female the notch in the last ventral segment is not 

 as broadly V-shaped as in aperta. 



In his Preliminary Review of the West Coast Cicadidse already 

 referred to, Mr. Van Duzee writes of this species under the name of 

 minor Uhler, as follows : " This distinct little species seems to be con- 

 fined to the southern portion of the state where it is very abundant 

 at times. It is found on grassy hillsides from the last of March to 

 about the first of July where it may generally be found resting on the 

 stems of the sage bush. It has a short peeping note which is difficult 

 to locate." 



The reasons for having first identified this insect as minor Uhler, 

 are considered in the remarks on that species. 



Platypedia minor Uhler. Plate V, fig. 10. 



1SS8. Entomologica Americana, IV, p. 81. 



In the original description it is stated, " color a bronze-black, more 

 highly polished upon the tergum than elsewhere; the surface, except- 



