THE CANADIAN EN lOMOL'.GlST. 25 



2. Odontochilini, W. Horn. Heplodonta, Opislhencenlius, 



Oxygonia, Odontochila, Prei)usa. 



3. Cicindelini, W. Horn. Pentaco nia, Cicindela, Euiy- 



morpha, Ai)teroessa. 



4. Dromicini, W. Horn. Dromica. 



V. Megacephalidi^, Lac. Pseudoxychila, Oxychila, Chiloxia, 

 jMegacephala (with Telracha, Phseoxanlha, etc., as synonyms 

 or subgenera), Aniaria. 

 VI. Neomantichorida?, W. Horn. Pycnochila, Omus, Amblychila. 

 VH. Palceomantichoridae. W. Horn. Mantica, Mantichora. 



VHI. Platychilida^ W. Horn. Platychila. 



It is impossible, within the h'mits of a review of this nature, to discuss 

 the system of classification in detail. The student of the American forms 

 will be interested in noticing that the arrangement of our species of 

 Cicindela is totally different from that now obtaining in our lists. This is 

 due chiefly to tlie emphasis laid upon the characters drawn from the 

 vestiture. The nearctic fauna is treated as a whole, the Mexican forms 

 materially increasinc; the number. 



When v/e analyze the list closely, a considerable number of minor 

 changes in nomenclature becomes evident. Many of the forms that we 

 have been accustomed to regard as specifically distinct, are degraded to 

 the rank of subspecies or aberrations. One must confess to a feeling that 

 the difficuliy hitherto experienced by calling all the fairly well differentiated 

 forms species, is not entirely overcome by their arrangement as subspecies 

 and aberrations. Here the same trouble occurs as of old — the subspecies 

 offer varying degrees of perfection of differentiation, and the same is true 

 of the aberrations. It still remains largely a matter of opinion whether a 

 given subspecies may not be well enough marked and sufficiently constant 

 in its characters to deserve specific rank, and several instances occur in 

 which it is equally uncertain whether a form were best considered a 

 subspecies or an aberration. However, the relations between closely 

 allied forms are often well brought out by Dr. Horn's arrangement, as 

 for example in the group classed as piisilla, Say, including as subspecies 

 imperfecta, chictipetinis and lunalonga^ cyanella and tuoliimnce ranking 

 only as aberrations. No one with a full series of the different forms 

 can for a moment believe that each is of specific rank, though extremes 

 are sufTticientiy readily sei)arable. Specimens froni the Great Basin grade 

 perfectly from cinctipennis to imperfecta, and some of those from Colorado 



