404 EXTOMOLOGICAL XEWS. [Nov.. ' IJ 



neck plates i and o, and the region labeled s is much the same in 

 both insects, but the remainder of the prothorax is somewhat 

 dii?erent in the two forms^ In regard to the pleural sclerites. 

 and particularly in the character of the plate ahc (Fig. 8) Time- 

 ma resembles certain Plecoptera, but, since I have been unable 

 to obtain the Plecoptera I wished to use for this comparison, 

 I would leave the discussion of the condition found in these in- 

 sects, until the needed material is available for illustration. In 

 connection with a study of the relationships of the Phylliids, I 

 have recently been able to compare males of PhyUlmn scythe 

 with the flattened Phasmids Ectatosoma, and this comparison 

 has shown me that my former views that the Phylliids repre- 

 sent a distinct order, are too extreme. I would, therefore, now 

 regard the Phylliids as a suborder of the Phasmid group, rather 

 than as representing a distinct order, as I have stated in an 

 article dealing with the antennae of the Grylloblattids and 

 Embiids and the relationships of the Orthopteroid insects. 



With regard to the relationships between the Forficuloid in- 

 sects and other lower Pterygota, as indicated by a study of the 

 head, neck and prothoracic regions, the lack of suitable Plecop- 

 teron material for comparison with the Forficulids makes it un- 

 profitable to attempt to show the relationships of these two 

 groups of insects at this time. A study of the body -structures in 

 general, however, has convinced me that the Forficulids are 

 closely related to the Plecoptera, which doubtless represent as 

 nearly as any living insects the common ancestral stock whence 

 sprang the Forficulid and Embiid lines of development, and 

 these studies indicate more and more clearly that the Blattids 

 do not stand near the direct line of descent of the Orthopteroid 

 forms, but comprise an offshoot arising from the main Ptery- 

 gotan stem at a comparatively early period of phylogenetic 

 development. 



The Forficulids, as exemplified by the rather primitive genus 

 Echinosoma (specimens of which were very kindly furnished 

 me by jMr. C. C. Gowdey), are structurally quite similar to the 

 Embiids and Grylloblattids. The head contour is not essentially 

 different in the three groups (Figs. 5, 6, and 9) , and the location 



