1913] Johnson — Xotes on Variation in Venation of Genus Leptogaster 163 



cross-vein is much greater." To one having a large series of L. 

 badius or a large number of the species of Leptogaster, the attempt 

 to make a genus or even a subgenus on such trivial characters 

 shows that the author had very little material at his command 

 and had no idea how variable these characters are even in the 

 same species. 



Anal cell. The fifteen specimens of L. badius before me show 

 the following variations: twelve females have the anal cell narrowed 

 but varying from one in which the cell is very narrow and almost 

 closed on one wing, to others in which the outer portions of the 

 veins are almost parallel; in two males they are parallel, as in the 

 typical Leptogaster. 



In L. testaceus, a closely related species, three have the venation 

 as in L. badius and two have the anal cell closed. In L. incisularis 

 Loew, the anal cell is only slightly narrowed at the margin. L. 

 annulatus Say, marinus and fiavipes Loew, virgatus Coq., clavipes 

 and obscuripennis Johns., and atrodorsalis Back., all have the 

 anal cell as in the type of the genus L. cj/lindrica DeG. (L. tipu- 

 loides Fabr.). On the other hand, in L. brevieornis and pietipes 

 Loew, and floridensis Johns., the sixth longitudinal and the anal 

 veins are widely divergent and consequently the anal cell is widest 

 at the margin of the wing. 



Second posterior and second submarginal cells. Here again we 

 iind all gradations between the type species and L. badius. L. 

 annulatus and atrodorsalis which have typical anal cells, have the 

 second posterior cells "less produced basally" than in L. badius; the 

 former however, has a long second submarginal cell and the latter a 

 short one. In L. murinus, clavipes, obscuripennis and virgatus, the 

 base of the second posterior cell is produced almost as much as in 

 L. cylindrica but the second submarginal cell is as short as in L. 

 badius. In the species with broad anal cells, L. pietipes and flor- 

 idensis have the second posterior cell scarcely produced basally, 

 the former has, however, a short and the latter a long second sub- 

 marginal cell, while in L. brevieornis the second posterior cell is 

 strongly produced basally and the second submarginal cell is long. 

 The variation in the length of the second posterior cell was pointed 

 out by Dr. E. A. Back (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, XXXV, 157, 

 1909). In referring to what he terms the anterior intercalary 



