522 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 105 



streams (Klapalek, 1917, p. 203; iridipennis in Algeria, McLachlan, 

 1898, p. 103). 



The venation of tlie fossil Rophalis as drawn by Hagen {"Sisyra 

 relicta," 1856, pi. 8, fig. 20) appears to be strikingly similar to that of 

 the present-day Neurorthus. A photograph of the forewings and 

 hindwings of a sisyrid fossU in Baltic amber (pi. 3, fig. 5) from the 

 Kolilman collection was kindly sent by Dr. Rupert Wenzel of the 

 Chicago Natural History Museum. 



A portion of the collection of Baltic amber insects from Prussia 

 assembled by Haren (interested in microscopy) during 1900-1920 was 

 acquired by A. F. Kolilman (also interested in microscopy) and later 

 purchased in 1953 by the Chicago Natural History Museum. Four of 

 these photographs were included with the collection and were almost 

 certainly taken by Haren himself (for stereoscopes), according to Dr. 

 Wenzel. The main portion of the collection was acquired by the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology about 1938. Wenzel (1953, p. 6) 

 concluded that since 99.5 percent of the Baltic amber (estimated 

 between 30 and 35 million years old) comes from the Samland Penin- 

 sula north of Konigsberg, Prussia, it is doubtful that any of the Kohl- 

 man specimens came from any other locality. 



Unfortunately, the scientific value of the specimens was not rec- 

 ognized by the heirs of Kohlman after his death, and it is possible that 

 the specimen photographed has been lost. It could not be located. 

 The photo not only shows that the venation and other featm-es (ex- 

 truded mouthparts as seen on some specimens at MCZ; mound on 

 head) do not differ appreciably from that of Neurorthus, but strongly 

 resemble Jallax (Rambur) . Consequently, the question is raised as 

 to whether the living genus Neurorthus is a synonym of the fossil 

 genus Rophalis. If such proves to be the case upon actual study of 

 the fossils, Rophalis (Hagen, 1856, p. 87) has priority over the present- 

 day name Neurorthus (Costa, 1863, p. 32). 



Neurorthus failax was described by Rambur (1842, p. 422) in the 

 genus Mucropalpus, in which other species were placed which now 

 belong to other genera. Since Banks (1905, p. 29) designated 

 lufescens Rambur (not Fabricius) (now humulinus Linne) as the type 

 of Mucropalpus, the name is eliminated from further consideration 

 in connection with species now placed in Neurorthus. 



Five species have been recorded: brunneipennis Esben-Petersen 

 (1929, p. 33) (Australia); failax (Rambur) (Corsica; Sardinia); 

 fuscinerois Nakahara (1915, p. 16) (Japan); iridipennis Costa (1863, 

 p. 33) (Algeria; Bulgaria; Italy; Sardinia; Spain) ; punctatus Nakahara 

 (1915, p. 151) (Japan). 



