46 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Feb., '06 



(California) specimens, which have been doing duty as vibex, 

 but of a duller shade. He writes me of an interesting fact 

 in this connection, of which I was altogether ignorant, namely, 

 that in southern California vibex is dimorphic, apparently ac- 

 cording to season. He says that the bright green form occurs 

 from May to October, the dull form in April. The explana- 

 tion, he suggests, maybe sought in the effects of the winter 

 rains upon the development of the early spring form. It is 

 worth mentioning that the bright southern Californian speci- 

 mens are much more brilliant than any of those from Oregon. 



C. sierra L,eng, the remaining described green form, occur- 

 ring in the Sierra Nevada, may stand for the time as a fairly 

 well-marked subspecies. It is a mountain race with much 

 reduced markings, but this feature in itself is of little value, as 

 will appear shortly. 



Several weeks ago, I received from Mr. Knaus a pair of a 

 bright green species of Cicindela taken near L,as Vegas, Ne- 

 vada, by Mr. Tom Spalding. They were of rather smaller 

 size than the average vibex (measuring .52 inch), with short 

 humeral lunule, middle band minus the deflexed portion, apical 

 lunule complete. Misled by the general appearance, I at first 

 took them for representatives of a new form of the repanda 

 group, but subsequent examination of the labrum and vesti- 

 ture showed them to belong to the tranquebarica series. A 

 request for more specimens brought two others from Mr. 

 Kiiaus and two from Mr. Spaldiug, the six representing his 

 whole catch. The remarkable feature of this little collection 

 is that no two of the individuals are alike, but they exhibit 

 among themselves various modifications of pattern from full 

 development to almost the reduced style of sierra. The figures 

 annexed will show the gradation. With only 4, 5 and 6, at 

 hand, I should probably have separated a new "race" to be 

 characterized by the small size and the loss of the tip of the 

 humeral lunule (a rare feature in the tranquebarica aggregate) 

 but the examination of the others induced me to refrain from 

 adding another name. I consider these specimens as belonging 

 to a plastic local race, closely related to the brilliant southern 

 Californian vibex (aut. post.*), showing the intimate relations 



