14 



159) for a number of species agreeing with the characters of Macro- 

 siphum Oestlund, overlooking, however, the fact that Macrosiphum 

 was preoccupied by Passerini for a genus strncturally quite differ- 

 ent. Dr. M. H. Schoutenden was the first to observe this error, and 

 changed Macrosiphum Oestlund to Nectarosiphon, in contradistinction 

 to Macrosiphum Passer in i. 



The principal characters of this genus, as accepted by authors, are: 



Genus Macrosiphum Passerini. 



Front of head deeply concave, provided with large, terminally diverging frontal 

 tubercles or projections for supports of the antennae. Antennas long and filiform, as 

 long or usually much longer than to the end of the body or tail, with the spur of 

 the sixth joint very long and bristle-like. Nectaries very long, cylindrical, tapering, 

 and frequently projecting beyond the tail. Tail long, slender, more or less distinctly 

 contracted near its base, curved upward. Legs long and slender. Wings large, the 

 third discoidal vein with two forks; stigma rather long, narrow, elongate lanceolate. 

 The majority of the species are large and frequent the foliage of weeds, cultivated 

 plants, and grasses. 



Macrosiphum granaria Buckton. 



Siphonophora granaria Buckton,. Monogr. of British Aphides, vol. 1, p. 114, 1876. 

 Siphonophora avense Thomas (hi part), Eighth Eept. Nox. and Benef. Insects 

 of 111., p. 51, 1879. 



With regard to this species much uncertainty has existed. Buck- 

 ton was the first to introduce this name in his writings on English 

 Aphides, on the supposition that the insect in his hands at the time 

 was identical with that treated of by Kirby and Curtis under the name 

 of Aphis granaria, concluding also that A. avenae, Fab., hordei Kyber, 

 cerealis Kalt., and Siph. cerealis Koch were all of them the same 

 species. After examining, however, the extremely short and in every 

 detail insufficient description of A. granaria by Kirby (Linn. Soc, I, 

 p. 238, 1798), I doubt very much that the species mentioned by Kirby 

 and Curtis under the above name is identical with the one described 

 by Buckton, but believe that the species treated of by them was the gen- 

 uine Aphis avense Fab., and, while investigating this matter, found that 

 a description of A. hordei was never published and that the name of it 

 was simply suggested by Kyber (Germar's Mag. d. Entomologie, 

 vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 11, 1815), with a footnote to the effect that he 

 intended to describe the species later on. It was surely not identical 

 with A. cerealis Kalt. and Koch, which 1 have known for some } T ears 

 to exist in this country. Buckton, while describing his granaria, 

 seems to have mainly depended on the superficial description of the 

 species by Curtis (Farm Insects, pp. 287-290, figs. 9, 10, 11, and PI. J, 

 figs. 10, 11, 13, 1860, the figures of which are absolutely unreliable). 

 As far as the description of avenze is concerned, I am confident that it 

 does not belong to Siphonophora IToch, since the frontal tubercles so 

 characteristic of Siphonophora are wanting. Curtis states that the 



