36 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, 



from the normal form a name may be desirable, but on the whole 

 I do not like the practice. I would never name a "form" as 

 such. If possible decide whether it is a (i) species, (2) dimor- 

 phic form, (3) race, (4) intergrading variety, or (5) aberration; 

 (named in the order of importance). From a simple specimen 

 it would be impossible to tell to what rank to assign it, except by 

 analogy with other species in the genus. If it comes from a lo- 

 cality where the normal form was known it could not be a race; 

 the exact location could only be determined by breeding. 



Mr. B. Neumoegen replies as follows: This is in reply to queries 

 about variety, form, and aberration. The true sequence should 

 be ist, what you call form; 2d, aberration; 3d, variety or va- 

 riation. There is no such thing to my knowledge as "form;" 

 you probably mean " race" by it. 



In our (Neumoegen and Dyar) preliminary revision of the 

 Bombyces of N. A. (Journal of N. Y. Entomological Society ) we 

 say " Local forms breeding true to type, but differing in no great 

 extent from the ground form are classed as races, whether con- 

 nected by intergradihg forms in the intermediate territory or not. 

 Since the difference between the local race, or local species may 

 be a matter of degree only." The forms are placed according 

 to our present judgment, and may be differently classed by other 

 authors. We recognize seasonal, dimorphic forms, in a few in- 

 stances. All the varieties, referred to by us, are supposed to 

 inhabit the same territory as the typical form, and not to breed 

 true to type. We have not considered aberrations as distinct 

 from varieties. This will give you the key to the question, and 

 I therefore answer, 



First comes the ground form, or the typical insect. 



Second the race, being a local form, differing in no great ex- 

 tent from the ground form. 



Third the aberration, totally varying in appearance from the 

 ground form, but not denying the main typical characters, and 

 to be found only in single or very few specimens at any time or 

 place. 



Fourth, the variety, which is not breeding true to type and 

 varies in appearance, but which remains true in this appearance 

 in any number or quantity of insects, and shows conclusively 

 that varieties are the precursors of coming species. They are 



