1922] Olsen: Cicadella of North America 357 



ground color, with apex of vertex, anterior part of pronotum, cell 

 between the two claval veins and subcostal cell strongly tinged with 

 bright yellow. Size: Length 10.1 to 10.5 mm., width 2.7 to 2.9 mm. 



Twelve specimens were collected by Mr. H. G. Barber at 

 Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, July 12th to August 3rd, 1905, 

 which agree admirably well with Fowler's description and figure 

 except as to the color of the underside. They fail to have the 

 bright red venter and legs described for the species, but have 

 a pale, orange-yellow color with indications of the varigated 

 black and testaceous rather weakly shown. 



Cicadella hieroglyphica Say, 1831. 



This species was described by Say from specimens collected 

 in Arkansas. Its color and markings are subject to variation 

 but Say mentions only one color-form and neglects altogether 

 the details of the markings which are so important distinguish- 

 ing characters at the present time. He apparently made an 

 error or else he did not describe the commonest form when he 

 mentions in his description "hemelytra obsoletely spotted, 

 nervures being pale." The writer has not seen any example 

 among the great number examined which could truly be said 

 to have "nervures pale," except in some forms where it was 

 evident that the pigmentation in general had not developed, or 

 in a few examples in which the nervures were pale near the 

 base of the elytra and for a very short distance beyond. It is 

 not probable that Say should have selected such a specimen or 

 specimens to describe ; at least this part is a serious discrepancy 

 in his description as throughout the whole series of hieroglyphica 

 and its allied forms (except one extreme subspecies, which may, 

 when enough collecting has been done, be considered a good 

 species), the veins appear dark. Is it possible that Say should 

 have had a gothica before him? This would be an exceedingly 

 hard question to settle as there are no types in existence. The 

 description in general can be applied to both species except for 

 the "pale nervures" which would fit gothica much better than 

 hieroglyphica. However, taking all in all and arguing for and 

 against, it is not advisable at this time to propose any change 

 in the taxonomy, if indeed there is to be any, but, at the same 

 time, it is well for those that try to identify hieroglyphica by 

 Say's original description to bear in mind that they have dark 

 veins in general. 



