THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 109 



synonymy many doubts may be solved that could not be by a single 

 description. 



The second kind of synonymy, which may be regarded to a certain 

 extent as embracing the third, is likewise more or less useful, when fully 

 established. The names represent, within specific limits, variations more 

 or less divergent. These differences may be of a trivial character — of the 

 kind Dr. Leconte excuses himself for making in early life, on the ground 

 that, like most young Entomologists, he had magnified characters as of 

 importance that were merely individual or of no importance ; still a 

 reference to even such may give points of information not likely to be so 

 lucidly set forth in the normal description of the species. Or, again, 

 these names may represent the extremes, or even the sexes of a variable 

 species that in ignorance of their true relationship have been described as 

 true species. This is the most valuable part of synonymy, because 

 when a species is treated as a whole, the peculiarities of individuals and 

 races are usually less clearly stated than when specialized. 



A catalogue of our described Coleoptera with the established 

 synonymy would be exceedingly valuable to all our students of Coleoptera. 

 It is a desideratum. 



It was intended to have closed this paper here, but the occurrence of 

 Carpophilus hemiptertis Linn., affords an opportunity to present a practi- 

 cal illustration in reference to some of the foregoing statements. This 

 species is potentially cosmopoHte.. having been carried to many countries 

 by commerce, and in Europe has many synonyms. The present colony, 

 consisting of several hundred individuals, was found in a box of raisins 

 recently from Spain. It is a good example of the great variableness in 

 structure and coloration that may occur among the individuals of a 

 species, as is well pointed out by Mr. A. Murray, in his Monograph, p, 

 363 : " For example," he says, "the following variations occur in the form. 

 with intermediate degrees of each, viz : 



" I. — The posterior angles of the^thorax nearly right angles. 



" 2. — The posterior angles of the thorax nearly rounded. 



" 3. — The posterior angles of the thorax nearly cut off. 



" In color, again, it varies as much, the variation, however, being 

 referable to greater or less intensity of coloring." I was able to verify 

 Mr. Murray's statements in every particular from this single colony. This 

 is a good demonstration of the impropriety of making any individual the 

 type of a species, as well as of disregarding common parentage as an 

 essential element in the construction of species. 



