MOSQUITOS OR CULICIDAE OF NEW YORK STATE 263 



broadly triangular and usually closely appressed to the vein. 

 Ttie scales of tlie fringe also present important characters. 

 Usually a row of long and another of medium scales constitutes 

 the fringe proper, though in the females of the Pipiens group the 

 fringe scales form three or four rows of different length [pi. 26, 

 fig. 2]. lu addition, there is a row of short, oblique scales along 

 the greater portion of the posterioir margin in the females, which 

 is usually absent in the males along the inner two thirds or four 

 fifths. The different characters of the wings of the various 

 species aire sio^ well shown on the plates that no further descrip- 

 tion is necessary. 



The accessory male genital organs, as pointed out by Professor 

 Theobald, possess specific value, and in the case of the species 

 studied by us, present most remarkable variations as will be 

 seen by reference to illustrations on plates 29-40. As an aid 

 to identification ai tabulated statement of the differences fol- 

 lows. It is practically a key to the males studied and supple- 

 mentary thereto we give a brief explanation of the terms 

 employed. The more conspicuous lateral organs have been 

 termed the clasps; these are composed of twO' segments: a large 

 basal one, which presents considerable modification in f orm^ and 

 bears, particularly in the Pipiens group, very characteristic 

 appendages near the apical third, and near the base more or less 

 peculiar chitinous spines in a number of species. The ter- 

 minal segment of the clasp is more slender and, in some species, 

 bears at its apex two apical teeth, while others possess a more 

 or less developed spine, apparently a rudimentary third segment. 

 The harpes, lying just within the clasps and originating near 

 their base, are normally next in size to these important organs 

 and may usually be recognized by the pronounced angle fre- 

 quently present near the more or less perfect fusion of two seg- 

 ments. These organs are remarkably diverse in structure and 

 presumably occur in all species, though in certain forms, owiug 

 to lack of material, we have been unable to detect them. The 

 harpagones are pa^ired, smaller_, clasping organs, usually strongly 

 curved and terminated by a stout, somewhat recurved hook. The 



