PREFACE. 



The second volume of the Rhyncliota, by Mr. W. L. 

 Distant, is published in two Parts, of which the first, 

 comprising pp^ _j.-242, appeared in December 1903, and 

 the other is now issued. Several of the families included 

 in the volume have hitherto received but little attention in 

 India, and consequently the number of genera and species 

 described for the first time is considerable. 



The first volume of Rhynchota, containing the families 

 Pentatomidae, Coreidae, and Berytidse, was issued in June 

 1902. The present volume contains nearly all the remaining 

 families of the Gymnocerata, and includes the Lj^gseidae, 

 Pyrrhocorida3, Tingididse, Phymatidse, Aradidse, Hebridae, 

 Hydrometridae, Henicocephalidae, Reduviidee, Saldidse, Cera- 

 tocombidae, Cimicidsej and Capsidse, leaving the Anthocoridse 

 and the Cryptocerata to be described in order to complete 

 the account of the Indian Heteroptera. The Homoptera 

 also remain to be dealt with. 



A sketch of the structural details and a brief account of 

 the scheme of classification, with a synopsis of the families 

 of Heteroptera, were comprised in the Introduction to the 

 first volume. All general remarks not contained in that 

 Introduction are deferred by the Author until the Rhynchota 

 are completed. 



In other volumes of the 'Fauna of British India' now in 



