NO. 1124. 



i;i:rrxrox OF THE MELAXOPLISCVDDKH. 145 



the furcula longer than the last dorsal segment, and the lateral margins 

 of the subgenital plate slightly elevated apically. 



The species, six in number, are evenly divided between macropterous 

 and brachypterous forms and this is the only homogeneous series of 

 Melanoplus in which they are so of small or rather small size, and are 

 found only in the district to the west of the Mississippi and mainly in 

 the Cordilleran region. They have not been reported north of the 

 United States, and a single species has been found to extend south of 

 our boundary in northern Mexico; while another species is known only 

 from California and is the only one occurring west of the Sierra Nevada, 

 (the same species, M. rileyanus, mentioned above). 



4. MELANOPLUS OCCIDENTALIS. 

 (Plate X, fig. 4.) 



Caloptenm occidental THOMAS !, Aim. Rep. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., V (1872), p. 453, 

 pi. n, tig. 2. GLOVER, 111. N. A. Ent., Orth. (1872), pi. xi, fig. 2. THOMAS!, 

 Rep.U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., V (1873), p. 161;?, Rep. Geol. Geogr. Surv. 100th 

 mer.,V (1875), p. 893;?, Proc. Dav. Acad. Sc., I (1876), p.261. SCUDDER, Bull. 

 U.S. Geol. Surv. Terr., 11(1876), p. 261. THOMAS, ibid., IV (1878), p. 484. 

 BRUNER, Cau. Ent., IX (1877), p. 145. THOMAS, Rep. U. S. Ent. Conmi., I 

 (1878), p. 43. BRUNER, Bull. Div. Ent. U. S. Dep. Agric., II (1883), p. 9; ibid., 

 Ill (1883), p. 60. 



Melanoplus variolosus SCUDDER!, Proc. Boat. Soc. Nat. Hist., XX (1879), pp. 67-68; 

 Cent. Orth. (1879), pp. 56-57. BRUNER, Rep. U. S. Ent. Comm., Ill (1883) 

 p. 61. 



Melanoplus occidental BRUNER, Publ. Nebr. Acad. Sc., Ill (1893), p. 28. 



Of medium or rather small size. Head very slightly elevated, a very 

 little arched; fastigium rather shallow, particularly in the female, the 

 margins in front of the eyes blunt, gently diverging and then converg- 

 ing, but in the female subparallel; interspace between the eyes as 

 broad (male) or half as broad again (female) as the first autenual joint; 

 frontal costa more than usually prominent, about as broad as the inter- 

 space between the eyes, scarcely contracted above, scarcely enlarged 

 at the ocellus, at and below which it is somewhat sulcate; e^es rather 

 prominent, anteriorly truncate; antennae somewhat more (male) or 

 slightly less (female) than three-fourths as long as the hind femora. 

 Pronotuni enlarging on the metazoua, laterally subturaid in an irregu- 

 lar way on the prozona, the metazona faintly punctate; front margin 

 feebly convex, with a feeble median emargiuatiou ; hind margin roundly 

 obtusangulate; median carina distinct on the nietazona, faint on the 

 prozona, obsolete between the sulci; sides of the pronotum hardly 

 shouldered or with very rounded shoulders; transverse sulci of pro- 

 zona pretty distinct and continuous; prozona longitudinal, a little 

 longer than the metazona (male) or transverse, no longer than the 

 metazona (female). Prosternal spine rather short, oppressed conical, 

 broadly rounded at tip, a little retrorse; interspace between mesoster- 

 nal lobes about half as long again as broad (male) or transverse (female). 

 Proc. N. M. vol. xx 10 



