231 



cause drawn from a variety or immature specimen with rufous 

 elytra. Perfectly mature specimens have the elytra black ; 

 but there is considerable variation even among these. In some 

 the oval black spot covers a great part of the blood-red thorax, 

 reaching almost to the base, and between this and the entire 

 want of the black spot every gradation in size of the spot may 

 be found. In a series collected in Maine, I found some exactly 

 like your specimen, taken in the same place and at the same 

 time as others with the spot and with the black elytra, as 

 well as others with testaceous or rufous elytra. 



HARRIS TO LECONTE. 



Cambridge, March 2, 1854. 



I have seen numerous specimens of Otcindela vulgaris from 

 the Southern States, which were invariably smaller and less 

 highly bronzed than those which occur here. In ToAvnsend's 

 Oregon collection there were specimens also slightly difJerino" 

 both from our New England and from the southern specimens. 

 Still these all agreed with each other in so many respects, that 

 only the practised eye of an expert entomologist would recognize 

 any material difference between them, and on the whole, there 

 does not seem any more reason for separating them as distinct 

 species than for separating some of the remarkable varieties 

 of C purpurea as such. 



HARRIS TO LECONTE. 



Cambridge, March 6, 1854. 



Did you particularly notice among the specimens from 

 Missouri a Cicindela resembling marginata Fabr. (= varie- 

 gata Dej.) ? Perhaps you took It for one of the varieties of 



