234 



HARRIS TO LECONTE. 



Cambridge, April 21, 1854. 



Half a dozen specimens of the greenish variety of Cicindela 

 limhalis were sent to me from Ohio a few days ago. They 

 were perfectly fresh, having been just taken, and were not yet 

 stiffened. No two are exactly alike in color, and there is some 

 differente in their markings. Upon a careful comparison of 

 spreta with them, I am compelled to reverse my decision 

 respecting the latter, and must confess, notw^ith standing the 

 differences noted in a former letter, that spreta seems to me 

 really to be a dark, or as Zimmermann would call it, negro 

 variety of limhalis. It w^ould be interesting to ascertain 

 whether the limhalis found at Eastport, Maine, usually assumes 

 this dark hue, or whether typical specimens prevail there. 

 Among thousands of specimens of 0. rugifrons which I have 

 seen on the sands beyond Mount Auburn, on Chelsea beach 

 and elsewhere, I have never met with any so black as my 

 single specimen of C. ohscura from New Jersey ; and the very 

 few dark specimens of rucjifrons which I have met with were 

 always tinged more or less with green. Still I have no doubt 

 that ohscura should be really referred to rugifro7is ; and I am ' 

 curious to know whether this negro variety is common, in 

 the Middle States, and also whether it occurs by itself or in 

 company with characteristic specimens of rugifrons. The 

 questions regarding it are of the same nature and interest as 

 those which may be made respecting spreta and limhalis. 



Since receiving your last letter I have borrowed of Professor 

 Agassiz the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 for April, 1852, containing your descriptions of Cicindela 

 cuprasccns and C. tarsalis. From these I infer that the single 

 specimen from Georgia, given to me by your father for hlanda 

 Dej., must be your 0. tarsalis, on account of the prevalence of 

 white upon the elytra. Until I read your description of tarsalis, 

 I had never compared my specimens wdth Dejean's description 



