278 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1917. 



spelling universally recognized today ; the last systematic paper 

 in which the writer has found the old spelling is Allard (i860). 

 The word is probably spelled with an "A" in Allard (1867), ^ 

 publication to which the writer has not had access. 



Chevrolat (1834) proposed the genus Graptodera as a sub- 

 stitute for Altica Geoff roy, omitting this genus entirely. (The 

 writer has not had access to this paper : authority for statement 

 Chapius 1875, p. 60.) This usage was followed by Allard and 

 several writers. But Chapius (1875) pointed out the conven- 

 ience of the term "Halticides" and the consequent necessity of 

 preserving a genus "H altica". Kutshcera (1859), Fairmaire 

 (1856) and Redtenbacher (1849) all retained "Haltica". Since 

 Chapius' work, it is fair to state that Graptodera Chevrol. has 

 been reduced to the synonymy, and that "Haltica" has been 

 recognized as a valid genus. The use of Illiger (1802) has been 

 universally followed in the spelling, but this practice is inadmis- 

 sible, and we must return to Geoffroy's original orthography, 

 Altica. 



The writer is not in a position to discuss the proper system- 

 atic position of the genus Altica, nor the proper rank to which 

 its group should be assigned, but a brief summary of the develop- 

 ment of the Alticini as a tribe (or according to some writers as 

 a family) may not be without interest. A full discusion may be 

 found in Kutschera (1859) and Chapius (1875). 



The first attempt to divide the chrysomelids into groups 

 seems to have been made by DeGeer (1775). who divided them 

 into 4 families, Altica being the sole representative of the 4th 

 family (p. 289). Latreille (1796) grouped various chrysomelid 

 genera together as his 24th family (p. 6^^) . Later (1804) he 

 ■called this family the Chrysomelinae (t. 11, p. 323) and placed 

 the genus Altica in it (t. 12, p. 5). In his next publication (1807) 

 be recognized the same classification (p. 42 and p. 63). In 

 1 810, he divided this family into the Criocerides (p. 232) and 

 the Chrysomelinae (p. 235), retaining Altica under the latter 

 (p. 235). This same plan was followed in 1817^, but in 1825^ 

 he changed these names to Eupodes and Cycliques respectively. 

 In 1830^ he subdivided the Cycliques into 3 groups, Cassidaires, 

 Chrysomelines, and Gallerucites, the last being further sub- 



, ^The writer has not had access to this publication ; authority for 

 .latement Kutschera (1859), p. 10-11. 



