Kinsey: Gall Wasp Genus Cynips 
15 
lecting stations too near each other. Usually they are not less 
than fifty miles apart. In some instances it has been possi- 
ble to revisit important regions and make further collections 
which would more precisely establish the limits of ranges, or 
give more extended data on the variation of species in transi- 
tion areas. As already noted, this cross-country field work 
has been supplemented by year-round collections from many 
localities. 
Since the coordination of taxonomic studies depends upon 
an accurate understanding of the Latin binomials that have 
been used for previously described species, I have made a 
thoro study of the holotypes — the single specimens which are 
absolute criteria of the correct application of each published 
name — for 76 out of the 78 American species of the genus. 
Practically all of these holotypes were studied after this study 
had advanced toward completion and when it was possible to 
make critical comparisons with my own material. Of the 15 
European forms in this genus, I have seen types of four. The 
types of seven are not in existence, and the remaining five are 
established by types which I have not seen. Wherever I have 
not seen the types, the original descriptions are quoted in full 
in the systematic portion of this study. 
Finally, among the material resources available for the 
present study mention should be made of the technical assist- 
ance and museum equipment that has been available for sev- 
eral years chiefly thru the interest of the Zoology Faculty 
and the Administration of Indiana University and grants else- 
where acknowledged from the Waterman Institute of Indi- 
ana University, from the Elizabeth Thompson Science Fund, 
and from the Bache Fund of the National Academy of Sci- 
ences. 
These are the bases of the present study of the genus Cynips. 
This is our warrant for undertaking an interpretation of spe- 
cies in this group of insects. We offer no further extenua- 
tion of the fact that our conclusions are not in accord with 
systematic work that has been based on more meager mate- 
rial. We believe it no coincidence that our conclusions more 
nearly accord with those of Dunn who studied 12,600 speci- 
mens of the 86 forms of the salamanders of the family 
Plethodontidae, or of Mickel who studied approximately 
10,000 specimens of the genus Dasymutilla. In handling even 
such large numbers of individuals of a limited group of spe- 
