[Proc. Koy. Soc. Victoria, 33 (N.S.), 1921]. 



Art. VI. — A Revision of the Australian Cicadidae. Part I 



By HOWARD ASHTON. 

 [Head July 8th, 1920]. 



This family, so prominent in the entomology of Australia r 

 seems to me now to be entitled to some revision so far as Aus- 

 tralian species are concerned. The need arises from the fact 

 that errors have crept in to classifications in the past, and be- 

 cause, since the last contribution to the literature of the family 

 which covered the whole ground (I am speaking of Australia) r 

 Coding and Froggatt's valuable Monograph (Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 N.S.W., 1904), many new species have been named, and several 

 old ones more closely determined. It is unfortunate, and says 

 little for the patriotism of collectors here, and for the Govern- 

 ments which subsidised Swedish, German and other foreign ex- 

 peditions to collect material for foreign museums, that many 

 of our types are not available here. The same remark applies,, 

 of course, to other branches of our fauna. If, when specimens 

 are sent out of the country to foreign experts, duplicates only 

 were despatched, our collections would be in a better state to-day 

 than they are. The types of our Cicadas are thus scattered,, 

 many being in the British Museum. Some, of course, are in our 

 own museums and collections. Many of the types of Goding 

 and Froggatt are, fortunately, here in Australia. Some are in 

 the Macleay Museum, Sydney, but some which were there are 

 now missing. There are my own types in the museums of Syd- 

 ney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and in my own collection. In 

 this latter, too, are a number of authentic determinations by 

 Mr. W. L. Distant, who has been good enough on several occa- 

 sions to examine material I have sent him. T pass over some 

 determinations by Walker in the Melbourne Museum, as they 

 are, in several cases, obviously' and completely contradictory 

 and wrong. 



I find reason, here and there, to traverse the determinations 

 of former writers. It is unnecessary to state that I do so with 

 regret, and only in the cause of what all workers must seek — 

 scientific accuracy. Mistakes will creep in to any man's work, 

 and, until everything is clear to mankind, will continue to creep 

 in, and what one believes to be the truth, he must, in all humility. 



