26 BRITISH CICADiE. 



the genus Athysanus. He ]ays stress on the number of 

 the setse i}laced on the fore legs, and the differences of 

 the length and breadth of the vertex as measured 

 against the pronotum. Neither of these characters 

 are easily determined, except when the insect is fresh 

 or has been but recently killed. However this may be, 

 it can scarcely be shown that Great Britain as yet has 

 furnished us with more than half the above number. 

 Still it must be admitted that, so far as colour and 

 marking are concerned, there is a considerable diversity, 

 and, perhaps, in the judgment of some, the reduction 

 of the above number has been carried too far. 



Preliminary Synopsis. 



The general appearance of the elytra may be taken 

 as an assistance to the preliminary sorting of the 

 foregoing species : — 



Elytra very short .... Athysanus hrevipennis. 

 Elytra pale A. grisescens, A. sordidus, 



A. ohsoletus, A. mela- 



nopsis. 

 Elytra spotted A. communis, A. ohscurel- 



luSf A. ohsoletus (var. 



piceus). 

 Elytra with bordered cellules A. russeolns. 

 Elytra with nervures much 



raised A. Sahlbergi. 



Athysanus grisescens, Zett. Plate XLV., figs. Hole, 



Cicada grisescens, Zett. 



Jassus grisescens, Flor ; Kirschb. ; Thorns. 



Athysanus cognatus, Scott. 



,, validinervis, Kirschb. 



,, grisescens, Scott ; Sahib. ; Edw. pt. ii. p. 38. 



Genera] colour pale yellow. Length of the vertex 

 nearly as great as that between the eyes. A dark, 



