386 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. IV, 



Finally, I am greatly indebted to Dr. W. M. Wheeler, of 

 Bussey Institution, Harvard University, under whom much of 

 the systematic work has been developed, for his sincere kind- 

 ness, his encouragement and advice. 



HISTORY. 



In 1817 Germar in Germar & Zincker's magazine published 

 a short article calling attention to the fact that he had for a 

 long time been studying the genus Curculio, and that he had 

 found good characters in the large complex of species upon 

 which to erect new genera. At that time he published the 

 names of these proposed genera, each with one or more included 

 species, promising later to give the descriptions. 



In 1821, in the same magazine, he published descriptions of 

 several of the genera noted in 1817. Among these was the 

 genus Hypera, which he divided into two groups, containing 

 altogether 14 species. In the former paper he gives no char- 

 acters whatsoever to distinguish the different groups, merely 

 mentioning some of the work he had done and giving the list. 

 The genus dates from this latter paper (1821). 1 



In 1826 Curtis in his illustration of British Insects figured 

 on plate 116, dated May 1, 1826, Hypera fasciculata, and stated 

 in the appended description that the type of the genus Hypera 

 was Curculio punctatus. He included in his list a number of 

 other species which he had examined. //. punctatus was one 

 of the species included by Germar in the original description of 

 the genus and hence will stand as the type. 



In the same year (1826) Schonherr published his work 

 " Curculionidum dispositio methodica," in which in pt. iv, p. 175, 

 he erects the genus Phytonomus, dividing it into two groups, 

 nearly identical with those of Hypera given by Germar. He 

 makes the type of the genus and of his first group Hypera 

 polygon i L. Hyp. punctata was included in his second group. 

 He gave with each group a number of species which he consid- 

 ered as belonging to that complex. He undoubtedly intended 

 to make Hypera a complete synonym, but since the type of 

 Hypera had already been fixed, both genera should stand. At 

 later dates both Gyllenhal and Germar accepted the genus 

 Phytonomus as including all the species under the two groups, 

 upon what grounds it is impossible to state. Giebel cites the 

 species in the collection at "Univ. Halle-Wittenberg" tmder 



