52 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Feb., 'l/ 



DETAILS OF THE HABITAT OF CUPREONITENS. 



The series constituting the present study was taken on the 

 clay banks of Humboldt Bay, and separated by a dike and re- 

 deemed marshes from the main land. The species lives in the 

 transitional area between high water mark and the dike above 

 mentioned. The highest elevation of the transitional area is 

 'not over five feet above sea level and consists of the irregular 

 clay dumpings of a dredger, the inland side of which is over- 

 grown with swamp grass, millefoil and a few weeds. The first 

 specimens were taken from beneath logs and boards left by 

 high tide. Trechus ovipcnnis, Anisodactyhts californicus and 

 Bcnibidia were their companions. Many specimens were 

 caught running over the bare clay banks, both when the sun 

 was shining and when the weather, was cloudy. They were 

 taken in the greatest numbers on the intermediate and drier 

 levels, from beneath boards and by digging the matted grass 

 apart. Larval burrows were everywhere abundant on the in- 

 land side of the clay dumps. Twelve larvae were dug out of a 

 piece of bank twelve inches square. The larvae are to be sent 

 with others of the Blaisdell collection to the University of Il- 

 linois, where they will be studied. It is hoped that some defi- 

 nite relationships will be determined in this way. 



Let it be carefully noted that the present species is founded 

 upon the study of a series of one hundred and fifty specimens. 

 Such a series shows the extremes of the specific aggregate. 

 All the specimens were taken in the same area, which was about 

 one- fourth of a mile long and twenty-five feet wide and as 

 described above. The variations included in the series are 

 analogous to those exhibited by similarly large series of other 

 species taken in any one geographical area. 



A species studied in this way can have its limitations more 

 understandingly worked out. The authors' collections include 

 large series of californicus, sequoia-rum, edivardsii, blaisdcUi 

 and ambiguus; some of the series of the same species are from 

 different geographical regions or areas and exhibit identical 

 variations, with some one particular intraspecific phase pre- 

 dominating. These series' show beyond all cavil that many of 



