1292 Roger C. SMITH 
eight species, all under the genus Chrysopa except Meleoma signoretti. 
Banks (1903 and 1907) gives the present classification of the family, 
with the exception of some new species added since. He has contributed 
nearly all the descriptions of American species since Hagen’s time. 
METHOD OF STUDY 
In these studies, chrysopid adults were confined in vials and lamp- 
chimney cages over growing plants, for oviposition. The vials (Plate 
LXXXV, 1) were plugged with cotton, and the chimneys were covered 
with several thicknesses of cheesecloth held in place by a rubber band. 
All adults and larvae were fed daily with the food on which they appeared 
to thrive best, which was in general the smaller aphids. The cabbage 
aphis, Aphis brassicae, was preferred for both larval and adult food. 
A constant supply of these insects was kept available on young cabbage 
plants throughout the fall, winter, and spring of each year. During 
the summer almost any species of aphid close at hand was used. A few 
drops of water in the vials was apparently relished by both larvae and 
adults. It was found advisable to occasionally moisten the cotton plugs 
of vials containing cocoons, in order to prevent the death of the pupae 
by desiccation. 
All descriptions, photographs, and drawings of larvae were made by 
the writer from live material. Most of the photographed larvae were 
magnified from five to seven times and were but slightly reduced in 
reproduction. All drawings were outlined with a camera lucida. The 
drawings of corresponding parts were, with a few apparent exceptions, 
drawn to the same scale, so that they may be compared with one another 
as to size. Special effort was made to bring out identification characters 
in the illustrations. The dorsal setae have in most cases been extended 
forward. When studying a larva, the direction of these setae will be 
seen to vary with the position of the larva in the microscopic field. In 
reality, those over the thorax extend vertically, while those over the 
abdomen extend slightly caudad (Plate LX XV, 1). 
LIFE HISTORY OF THE CHRYSOPIDAE 
Most of the published information concerning the biology of this 
family is contained in brief notes by many writers. The two papers of 
Lurie (1897 and 1898) in Russian are important contributions. The 
most noteworthy work done in America is that of Fitch (1855), and that 
of Wildermuth (1916) on Chrysopa californica. The following refer- 
ences give either life histories or valuable biological information concern- 
ing the Chrysopidae, those marked with an asterisk being American 
papers. 
