THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 1^1 



The subject of basing specific distinctions upon slight differences of 

 of genitalic structure, affords too wide a field to be dealt with by more 

 than a brief remark in this article. There are many who claim, and 

 probably few are in a position to dispute, that certain portions of the 

 reproductive organs show greater stability than any other organs or charac- 

 ters in lepidoptera and other insects'. Yet there are, I believe, none who 

 will claim that they never vary at all in a species. Carefully prepared and 

 figured organs may be, doubtless are, very highly valuable as evidence in 

 support of or against suppositions as to unity or distinctness of species. 

 But, admitting that they can and often do vary, why should their 

 exponents expect others to take it for granted that differences shown do 

 not intergrade, or to prove that they do intergrade, without themselves 

 proffering evidence to support their hypothesis that they do not? This 

 seems the more strange when the differences claimed to denote distinctness 

 are between forms occurring, not side by side, but in different parts of the 

 country, it may be on opposite sides of the continent. In other words, 

 whilst the exponents of genitalia freely admit variation up to a certain 

 point in one locality, and even show figures donating such variation, why 

 should they disallow that variation may exist to the point of dif- 

 ferences shown between races inhabiting widely different regions ? 

 The regions intervening seem to be left out of account altogether. 



In the following articles I have, to facilitate reference, adhered as far 

 as possible to the order and generic names given in my original list, which 

 first commenced on page 40, Vol. XXXIII. 



95. Hemaris diffinis Bdv. — This appears to be the form described by 

 Messrs. Barnes and iMcDunnough as diffi,?iis ariadne in their " List of 

 Sphingidae of America north of Mexico" (Psyche xvii, 190-206, Nov., 

 19 10). The description is made from fourteen specimens from Colorado, 

 a»d Manitoba is given as another locality in the list on page 201. It 

 agrees with Holland's figure and description of thetis in the " Moth 

 Book," which the authors say " he seems to have confused with ariadjiey 



99. Sphinx vancouverensis Hy. Edw., and var. albescens Tepper. — I 

 have two males, taken probably at the Calgary town lights, by Mr. C. G. 

 Garrett^ which have the dark dorsum to thorax, and are throughout nearly 

 as dark as my only two males from Vancouver Island. I have a still 

 darker specimen taken at High River by Mr. Baird. One of my Pine 

 Creek specimens is almost a connecting link. The form is not seasonal, 

 as pointed out in the paper in Psyche, above referred to. 



