THE BRITISH HEMIPTERA. / 



*' We fear, nevertheless, that the exigencies of the ' analytic 

 method' adopted have often led the author to exaggerate the 

 importance of specific differences and to create unnecessary 

 genera. From sor6e of his conclusions in this respect we 

 have been compelled to dissent, and frequently, where we 

 have adopted his genera, it has been rather from an intense 

 dislike to add to the onerhurdened nomenclature by making 

 new generic names for comhinations of his genera, than from 

 the conviction that they are necessary divisions. On the 

 other hand it may be that the discovery of many new and 

 allied species would show that his prescience had, in some in- 

 stances, seized upon the requisite generic characters. 



*' Flor's * Rhynchoten Livlands,' published in 1860, is 

 worked out in a masterly manner and with a philosophic 

 conception, but from a different point of view to Fieber's 

 work. Having more limited materials to deal with, the 

 author has given more full and methodical descriptions; 

 he has aimed at making as few genera as possiblOj and has, 

 consequently, placed generic value so high that he has to 

 employ sub-genera, a device which, to say the least, is very 

 cumbrous^'' 



It is evident from the foregoing that the authors were 

 themselves aware of the inconvenience of so great a multi- 

 plicity of genera, and would have avoided it could they cou- 

 veniently have done so. 



The 160 genera are divided amongst 65 families, and more 

 than half of these consist of only a single genus (indeed there 

 are upwards of 20 families which consist only of a single 

 species). The families containing the greatest number of 

 genera are the Hhyparochromidce 17, and the Capsidce and 

 AnthocoridcB each 9. 



The 65 families are divided amongst 19 sections ; and as 

 one section alone, the Capsina, comprises 20 families, 



