1915] Parshley — Systematic Papers on New England Hemiptera 89 



have been examined with regard to their applicabiUty to our 

 species, and not a few have been found to be decidedly misleading 

 when presented without qualification. Groups not known to me 

 to occur in this region are marked with an asterisk, and those of 

 which I have not as yet seen specimens are indicated by a dagger. 

 I hope that anyone who may know of New England records for the 

 forms so marked will communicate with me on the subject. 



The characters which are of distinctive importance are given 

 first in the dichotomies. Those which follow have been added to 

 assist in determination, and they are not necessarily peculiar to 

 the group in question, except such as are strictly alternative. 

 To the short descriptions of the families should be added the char- 

 acters already used in the appropriate divisions of the key. In 

 studying the smaller forms a binocular or ordinary compound 

 microscope will be found almost indispensable.^ 



There is difference of opinion among authorities regarding the 

 names which should be used for certain families, and in such cases 

 I have given both terms. The cause of this disagreement lies in 

 the fact that the present rules of nomenclature may be interpreted 

 in more than one way. There seems to be a growing sentiment 

 among zoologists in favor of establishing a list of names not subject 

 to change, and if this action is taken by the International Congress 

 it may be that those of the more familiar names which are now 

 held by some to be invalid will regain their standing.^ 



DESCRIPTIVE SYNOPSIS OF THE FAMILIES.^ 



1. Antennae shorter than the head, generally concealed in cavities between head 



and thorax; metasternal orifices absent * 



Antennae as long as or longer than the head, exposed 8 



2. Ocelli present; Uttoral; not over 10 mm. in length ^ 



Ocelli absent; aquatic 4 



I Defiaitions of a number of hemipterological terms will be found in a paper on the aquash-bug 

 by Tower, Ann. Ent. Soc. Am., VI., 1913, p. 427; and in my paper on Miridsp, Ent. NewBt 

 XXVI., 1915, p. 208. In connection with the latter should be mentioned an additional reference 

 on the Mirid "anal" vein; Reuter, Bemerk., Oef. Fin. Vet. Soc. Forh., LIV., 1911-12, p. 19. 



2 It should be noted that as a result of more or less recent nomenclatorial changes, the species 

 represented by certain figures on the plates would be othersvise named by some authorities, as 

 follows: fig. 1, C. lintneriana; fig. 3, Saldula palHpes; fig. 8, Hebrus bvrmeisteri; fig. 11, Nabia 

 paUescens; fig. 13, Phymata erosa wolffi,; fig. 22, same as fig. 8. 



I am indebted to Mr. E. P. Van Duzee for his kindness in giving me advance information in 

 regard to his Ust of Hemiptera, which is soon to be published. 



3 This table is adapted for the determination of adults only; and mature forms which are 

 brachypterous or wingless must in some cases be treated with caution. 



