is the occiput; the portion between the eyes and extending forward 
to where the descent of the face commences is the vertex. The vertex 
presents very important characters in distinguishing genera and species 
and hence needs special explanation; in some species it ascends ante¬ 
riorly, in some it is horizontal, but more usually is more or less de- 
llexed, that is, sloped downward and forward; its extreme ante¬ 
rior point is the fastigium; sometimes the margins are rais¬ 
ed so as to enclose a fovcola or shallow cell between the eyes, 
which is called the median or central foveola of the vertex. The 
lateral foveolce or temporee are two small cells situated on the margin 
of the vertex, one on each side near the front border of the eye; 
sometimes on the upper surface near the edge; in other species, be¬ 
low the margin on the deflexed portion. These foveolse are often 
very small and sometimes with so little depression as to appear flat, 
but on account of their uniformity are important characters. The 
simple eyes ( ocelli , singular ocellus) are three little glassy dots placed 
as follows: one above the base of each antenna and near the inner 
margin of the true eye, and one in the frontal costa between the 
antennae. 
The thorax is, as in other insects, composed of three parts, or seg¬ 
ments; the front part or prothorax , the middle or mesothorax , and the 
hind or metathorax; but the front division, on account of the fact 
that she upper or dorsal portion is generally enlarged in the form of 
a saddle-shaped shield hiding the divisions, is the one chiefly referred 
to in descriptions. This shield, which covers the front part of the 
body immediately behind the head, usually reaching down the sides 
nearly or quite to the insertion of the front legs, is the pronotum; 
it usually extends back on the dorsum of the thorax so as to cover 
the base of the elytra; in the sub-family Tettiginae it extends back¬ 
ward over the abdomen to its extremity; in a few wingless species it 
is not shield-shaped, but similar to the dorsal portion of the other 
segments. Its surface is considered with reference to three planes: 
the upper surface or dorsum , and the two sides or lateral lobes; where 
these three planes are well defined, the ridge or angle formed on each 
side along the line which marks the place where the lateral lobes de¬ 
flect or bend down from the dorsal plane, is the lateral carina of the 
pronotum. But there are wide variations from this typical form; 
often the pronotum is so much rounded as to be almost or quite 
cylindrical when the lateral carinae are entirely obliterated; in some 
cases they are not only well defined, but in the form of raised lines 
or little ridges. In most species there is a raised line or keel run¬ 
ning along the middle of the back or dorsum of the pronotum, called 
the median carina; this is sometimes but a slender thread-like line; 
in some species it is slightly elevated, when it is said to be sub-cris¬ 
tate; sometimes it is elevated into a very prominent sharp ridge, when 
it is called cristate. In many species there are three, more or less dis¬ 
tinct, slender transverse grooves or depressed lines crossing the pro¬ 
notum from side to side, one or more of which (usually the posterior) 
cuts the medina carina. These are often referred to by the numbers 
1, 2 and 3, commencing with the front one. In some groups the num¬ 
ber, position and form of the notches made by these in the median 
carina form important characters. The portion of the pronotum in 
front of the first of these transverse grooves is the anterior lobe; that 
between the first and third, the middle lobe (or lobes); that behind 
