10 MISCELLANEOUS FOEEST INSECTS. 



they have no meaning. Therefore in the use of the terms ' ' pygidium " 

 or " propygidium " it is important that the numerical position of the 

 tergite should be mentioned. 



In the Curculionidge, for instance, tergite 7 of the female occupies 

 the pygal position, while tergite 7 of the male occupies the propygal 

 position, and tergite 8 the pygal. In the Curculionida", Scolytidse, 

 and many other Coleoptera abdominal tergite 7 is by far the most 

 important of the series, owing to the fact that it presents important 

 characters of structure, sculpture, stridulating accessories, sex, etc. 

 (see Plate VI). 



There is also some confusion with reference to the abdominal 

 sternites, or ventral segments. The 5 segments often referred to as , 

 the first to fifth are the sternites of the third to seventh abdominal 

 segments, the first and second being obscured by the coxal cavity 

 (Hopkins, 1909, fig. 38). Therefore they should be referred to either 

 in their proper numerical order or as the 5 visible abdominal sternites. 



REVISED CLASSIFICATION. 



It appears to the writer that it would contribute to a more con- 

 venient and natural arrangement if we would give the C\irculionida3 

 of most authors the rank of superfamily, and thus promote the old 

 subfamilies and tribes to families and subfamilies. Thus the genus 

 Pissodes would fall in the superfamily Curculionoidea, family Curcu- 

 lionidne, and subfamily Pissodina?. 



The subfamily Pissodinse would come next to the group of genera 

 com])rising the subfamily Hylobiinas. The two subfamilies are 

 characterized as follows: 



SUBFAMILY HYLOBIIN^. 



Anterior coxa; contiguous ; prothorax with anterior ventral margin 

 emarginate and produced toward the sides; beak stout, with antennal 

 insertion in front of middle or toward the tip; eyes oval; tibiae 

 without tooth on inner apical angle. The North American genera 

 of this subfamily are distinguished as follows: 



I. Metasternum very short Paraplinthus. 



II. Metasternum long. 



A. Tibite with outer apical angle dilated Pachylobius. 



B. TibitE with outer apical angle not dilated. 



al . Tibiae commonly narrowed toward Lip Hilipus. 



a2. Tibiae not narrowed toward tip. 



hi . Femora not toothed Ilypomolyx. 



Eudocimus. 



h2. Femora toothed Hyloiivs. 



