372 Vnivcrsitii of California Fuhlications [Entomology 



palpi of males of Pseudomasaris; but I think that the variation is not 

 likely to be such as to affect the validity of the general arrangement 

 here laid down, although it may of course affect the details. Such 

 variations as occur are most probably to be found within the middle 

 groups, not at either end of the series, and especially not within the 

 final group of three genera in which the maxillary palpi are reduced 

 to tubercles. 



The Wings and Their Taxonomic Significance 



The wings display taxonomic characters of considerable importance 

 which have been largely overlooked by previous authors. The char- 

 acters that have been used are three: (1) the number of subraarginal 

 cells, ( 2 ) whether the first receives both recurrent veins, or the second 

 and third each receive one, and (3) the presence or absence of an anal 

 lobe in the hind wings. These characters are all of value, but the story 

 told by the wings is still far from being finished. 



THE POSTEEIOE LOBE 



In a forthcoming paper on the wings of Hymenoptera I shall dis- 

 cuss the nature of the posterior (i.e., anal) lobe of the hind wings 

 throughout that order. In the more primitive Hymenoptera it is a 

 large area separated from the rest of the wing membrane by a mar- 

 ginal notch, the axillary excision. This lobe and the excision are not 

 confined to the wings of Hymenoptera, but have their homologues in 

 other orders. The position of this notch is always at the apex of 

 the second anal furrow, which lies between the second and the third 

 anal veins. The notch may be retained long after both fold and veins 

 disappear. 



Anterior to the axillary excision is another notch, the preaxillary 

 excision. It is always situated at the apex of the first anal fold, which 

 lies invariably just cephalad of and close to the first anal vein (anal 

 vein), crossing Mg (the submedian vein) shortly before its union with 

 1st A. Between the preaxillary and the axillary excisions is an area 

 which I shall call the preanal lobe. Very often the preaxillary ex- 

 cision is reduced to a mere undulation of the wing membrane, but its 

 position and that of the anal furrow are the most characteristic fea- 

 tures of the topography of the hind wings. 



