30 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



latter region there is one of those singular obliterations of the 

 maculation, similar to that of the Calif ornian pacifica, the pale 

 spots and lines being almost completely undeveloped for some reason 

 not now known; this was called nigrita by Mr. Davis. The region 

 about Narragansett Bay seems to have some qualities of climate 

 leading more especially to gigantism it would seem. Not only is 

 the New Jersey hirticollis represented by a much larger variety, 

 but the same is observable in dorsalis, where the Rhode Island form, 

 which I named munifica, is notably larger than the New Jersey 

 typical form. In this region occurs also a rather remarkable olive 

 green form of tranquebarica and I have a male collected by Mr. 

 Calder, which apparently belongs to nigrita but with bright sub- 

 cupreous coloration in fact of the prevailing ground color of this 

 large Rhode Island form of hirticollis. As nigrita is not more than 

 a racial form of the latter, the name might very well be used therefore 

 for this large Narragansett hirticollis in a general sense, although 

 the name does not represent the usual ground coloration.* 



The following is an altogether distinct species of the hirticollis 

 group, quite isolated in form and sculpture: 



Cicindela shermani n. sp. Form rather slender, moderately shining, 

 blackish-bronze in color, beneath shining greenish, moderately pubescent, 

 broadly laterad and gradually cuprascent toward the sides, except on the 

 abdomen; head barely as wide as the prothorax, very minutely, closely 



* The name nigrita is preoccupied by Dejean for a valid taxonomic form, now con- 

 sidered subordinate to the European campestris, and should therefore be replaced by 

 another name. In the catalogue of W. Horn (D.E.Z., 1905) that author seems to 

 assume as a principle that a name alloted to a form subordinate to a species, does not in- 

 validate the name if subsequently given another species or subordinate form thereof, 

 and he himself has, under this assumption, given names for new forms which were 

 known by him to be preoccupied elsewhere in the genus. This is a procedure open to 

 strenuous condemnation if the stability of nomenclature is to be maintained, for the 

 older name, now given to a subordinate, may be considered by some subsequent sys- 

 tematist as pertaining not to a subordinate form but to one valid specifically, which 

 would of course automatically invalidate the newer name; disturbances of this kind 

 would certainly occur. I hold it better not to repeat any name in a genus, even though 

 the older name be set down at present as a synonym. If the form to which the older 

 name is attached be really a synonym, beyond a doubt arising from personal opinion, 

 the name assuredly would be available for subsequent use, but it is not desirable to 

 incur that risk, in view of the misleading position now assumed by a certain school in its 

 estimation of synonymy. 



NOTE. Since this footnote was written Mr. E. E. Calder (J. N. Y. Ent. Soc., 

 1916, p. 93) has proposed a new name rhodensis for this form, called nigrita by 

 Mr. Davis. 



