362 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Oct., '08 



on a road going- up a mountain at Andrews that we found it most 

 common. Here it was abundant between elevations of about 

 2,500 to 3,500 feet. At the lower part of this range it was 

 mingled with about equal numbers of se.vguttata, and at the 

 higher elevations a few purpurca were found with it. My first 

 specimens were taken in this same part of the State several 

 years ago and I have come to regard it as mainly a mountain 

 species, though I have taken it at two localities fully a hundred 

 miles east of the mountains. 



Cicindela purpurea. 



Even before this trip, I had come to regard purpurca as one 

 of the typically northern insects which ranges in our state only 

 along the higher ridges. I first took it here (six years ago) 

 at an elevation of about 4,000 feet, and it reminded me forcibly 

 of western New York State where I first knew it. I have on 

 other occasions taken it at other places in North Carolina but 

 only at high, cool elevations. On this trip I took special note 

 of its occurrence. It was taken at five different localities but 

 in every case at elevations of not less (as best I could deter- 

 mine) than 3,000 feet. At Sapphire, (Jackson County) where 

 the whole county is a plateau of about 3,000 feet elevation, it 

 was found at ordinary levels. At Aquone, which is a much 

 broken section it was found on ridges above the valleys at about 

 3,000 feet and upwards. At Blantyre, our only specimen was 

 taken at about 3,000 feet on the top of the same mountain with 

 our one specimen of patruela. In driving from Highlands to 

 Franklin (Macon County) we traversed country ranging from 

 2,200 to 4,000 feet. Purpurea was encountered several times 

 at the higher elevations but not seen at all at the lower levels. 

 At Andrews in ascending a mountain road we found our first 

 specimens at about 3,000 feet and it was found from there to 

 the top at about 4,000 feet. 



It is of course unsafe to draw sweeping conclusions from 

 the casual observations of a few weeks, but my experience on 

 this trip, as well as others before, leads me to believe that in 

 our mountain section many interesting facts can be worked out 

 in regard to the distribution of insects (of all kinds) at varying 

 elevations. 



