igoi] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. IOI 



intermediate between typical lecontei and typical confusa pro- 

 duced progeny in which a large proportion were like <? 

 parent, none exactly like $ parent, some were like typical 

 confusa, and none showed any tendency toward clymene. 



5. The tendency is marked for the males to resemble the 

 male parent more closely than the female parent, and for the 

 females to resemble the female parent. 



6. A tendency toward sexual dimorphism is apparent, the 

 males varying toward greater predominance of the brown and 

 females toward greater predominance of the white. 



7. The most variable markings are those on outer half of 

 the primaries. 



The above results would appear to establish the specific 

 identity of lecontei with confusa. To maintain their distinct- 

 ness one must draw an arbitrary line across a series of speci- 

 mens, grading insensibly from one to the other, and there 

 would seem to be no better reason for drawing such a dis- 

 tinction between confusa and lecontei than between lecontei and 

 iilitaris< to which latter no one gives more than varietal rank. 

 If any further demonstration were needed than such a series of 

 intergrades furnishes the fact of both forms, confusa and lecontei, 

 breeding from same parents and being indistinguishable in the 

 larval stages would appear to establish the merely varietal rank 

 of confusa. 



One other question is raised not so readily capable of being 

 decided upon the evidence thus far brought out. What inter- 

 pretation shall be given to the appearance of clymene in a brood 

 reared from confusa parents ? 



It is obvious that the results may be accounted for upon two 

 different theories. 



1. That cfy nielli- is not a true species, but a form likely to 

 arise in any brood of lecontei var. confusa. 



2. That clymene is a true species, and that its appearance 

 among the progeny of confusa parents is due to hybridization 

 in a previous generation. 



I'ntil someone has bred clymene through all its stages and 

 from several pairs of parents, it is obvious that the question of 

 its specific rank cannot be completely settled and, therefore, 



