THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



from dead black to bright brown red, to bright green and to metallic 

 bronze red. In maculation from no markings at all to a pale margin to 

 elytra, apical and humeral lunule and marginal spots. The interesting 

 point in these variations is that they are local, that they breed absolutely 

 true to themselves, that they are permanent, possessed of marked char- 

 acteristics, and are yet merely races of one species. Of Cic. purpurea I 

 have a series of 46 specimens varying from immaculate bronze red to 

 bright bluish green ; in maculation from an indistinct median streak to a 

 broad deflexed band, broad apical and humeral lunules, and pale outer 

 margin connecting all markings. The variation is wonderful, and it is not 

 so only in color and maculation, but also in size, and to a less extent in 

 form, decem-notata being much more slender than the normal form. These, 

 while much less sharply distinct than in the forms of scutellaris, are yet 

 largely local, and the local forms in many of the instances breed abso- 

 lutely true to themselves. The difference between my specimen from 

 Nevada, which is very large and entirely green, and the common Eastern 

 form, is immense, and as great as there is between any two species of the 

 genus. 



C. formosa is in the West bright metallic red, while in the East it is 

 obscure slate gray, though often with an obvious reddish sheen. These 

 forms breed absolutely true to themselves, and are possessed of marked 

 characters separating them. Yet they are certainly the same. These 

 examples in the Cicindelidae are not isolated, and indeed it may be said 

 that most of the more widely distributed forms show analogous variations ; 

 the variations being important from my point of view by the fact that 

 they are permanent, distinctive, and local. 



Thus far as to variations in color. In sculpture there is also a differ- 

 ence, less local, however, the elytra being foveate or not in one and the 

 same form ^abdomitialis), and sometimes almost smooth and distinctly 

 punctured (Pilatci). 



In sculpture the Carabidae show more variation, and while my own 

 collection does not show it, Mr. Ulke called my attention to his series, 

 showing an astonishing range of variation in the sculpture of elytra of the 

 same form, and these variations were all more or less local. 



Other structural characters vary, and often locally, but need not be 

 especially noted here, the variation in number of the antennal joints in 

 Prionus being cited as curious rather than important to our present 

 purpose. 



