1929] 
A New Pseudomasaris from California 
83 
According to their natural affinities they may be grouped as 
follows : 
(1) Paragia and Metaparagia occupy an isolated posi- 
tion in the subfamily and have rightly been separated by 
Bradley (1922 Op. cit., p. 388) as a distinct tribe, Paragiini. 
They are restricted to the Australian Region, where no 
other masarids are known to occur. 
(2) Ceramiopsis is strictly Neotropical. 
(3) Trimeria and Microtrimeria are also strictly Neo- 
tropical. 
(4) Ceramius, Paraceramius, and Ceramioides are ex- 
tremely closely allied and should perhaps be regarded as of 
subgeneric value only. This group is Palsearctic and South 
African. 
(5) Quartinia is found in the Palsearctic Region and 
in South Africa. 
(6) Jugurtia and Celonites are Palsearctic and Ethio- 
pian. 
(7) Masaris, Pseudomasaris, and Masariella are Pa- 
lsearctic, Nearctic and South African. 
A study of the map brings out the interesting fact that 
the distribution of the Masaridinse does not fit in the custom- 
ary scheme of zoogeographical regions based upon the ter- 
restrial faunae as a whole. On the contrary, these wasps are 
restricted to a series of disconnected areas, often of rela- 
tively small extent and separated by extensive tracts of 
country where they are entirely lacking. A wide and dis- 
continuous distribution of that type is generally explained 
on the theory that it is the remnant or result of a more ex- 
tensive and more or less continuous area occupied by the 
group or its immediate ancestors during former geological 
periods. In the case of the Masaridinse no paleontological 
evidence can be adduced in support of this view, and we 
must rely entirely upon analogy of their present-day dis- 
tribution with that of certain other animals where such 
evidence is available. Three analogous cases may be briefly 
