Nachdruck verboten. 

 Vbersetzungsrecht vorbehalten. 



The Basal Sclerites of the Leg in Insects. 



By 

 G. C. Crampton and W. H. Hasey. 



(Contribution from the Entomological Laboratoiy of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass.) 



With Plate 1-3. 



The various and conflicting theories concerning the comparison 

 of the parts of an insect's leg with those of a crustacean and other 

 arthropods, are of too highly speculative a nature to make their 

 discussion profitable, in the present state of our knowledge concerning 

 them. The first part of the present paper is therefore limited to 

 the description of the sclerites themselves, and the interpretation 

 of the modifications met with in difierent insects. In the second 

 part of the paper, the above mentioned theories are briefly reviewed, 

 without attempting to discuss their relative merits, while more con- 

 sideration is given to the discussion of the views of other investi- 

 gators concerning the homologies of the sclerites in various insects, 

 and the points wherein their views differ from those herein ex- 

 pressed. 



In order to avoid the influence of any preconceived ideas con- 

 cerning the homologies of the sclerites, or the considering of the 

 evidence from a biased standpoint, it has seemed advisable that 

 two persons should collaborate in the preparation of the present 



Zool. Jahrb. XXXIX. Abt. f. Anat. 1 



