Vol. Xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. II9 



Female. — Nearly similar to the male, but with the orange of the ab- 

 domen duller and confined to the terminal third. Ovipositor a pale 

 bluish-green strongly suffused with orange-chestnut apically. 



Distribution : Personally, I have taken this species only in 

 the salt marshes of Cape May County, N. J. Several speci- 

 mens in the Academy's collection from Florida grouped under 

 X. nigroplciirwn Bruner, are undoubtedly this species, although 

 they are larger than the New Jersey types. It would seem 

 therefore that the distribution of this species includes at least 

 the salt marshes of the Atlantic coast from Florida to New 

 Jersey. 



Comparisons zvitli other species: Structurally the females 

 of nigroplcuroides closely resemble those of nigropleurum, al- 

 though the hind femora are relatively longer in the latter. The 

 male bears closest resemblance to that of spartinae. In fact it 

 was only after a long and arduous analysis and comparison of 

 the various characteristics of the two forms that I was enabled 

 to determine some apparently constant structural differences. 

 The cerci of the two forms are superficially alike, but camera 

 lucida drawings (Text-figs. 5 and 6) enabled me to determine 

 their specific differences. 



The color characters of nigra pleuroides are to my knowl- 

 edge peculiar and by them it is an easy matter to recognize the 

 species in the field. The light brown form has the colors less 

 conspicuous, but even in its case enough of the characteristic 

 color markings remain to enable one to identify it with little 



hesitation. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 



Plate VIII: Xiphidium spartinae n, sp. : 



1. Lateral view of a 5 specimen. 



2. Lateral view of female. 



3. Dorsal view of head and pronotum of a female. 



4. Dorsal view, tip of male abdomen. 



5. Ventral view, tip of male abdomen. 



6. Left tegmina of male. 

 Plate IX: Xiphidium nigroplcuroides n. sp. : 



1. Lateral view of female. 



2. Lateral view of male. 



3. Dorsal view, head and pronotum, male. 



4. Dorsal view, tip of male abdomen. 



5. Ventral view, tip of male abdomen. 



