10 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xix. 



of the mother were not only reproduced in part of the offspring, but 

 greatly exaggerated in some. His figures on page 6i of these de- 

 scendants of C. p-notata seem to be sufficient to account for any 

 extraordinary unique occurring in nature. 



Other observations which are instructive are those on the incon- 

 stancy of the sculpture and shape of the elytra which have been 

 relied upon by some authors to support differences in maculation. 

 Many other interesting sentences might be quoted, but perhaps the 

 strongest one of all for our present purpose is the brief summary 

 on page 8i of all Johnson's observations and experiments — " diver- 

 sity prevails." 



Thus we have seen that while the European practice has been to 

 apply names freely to the variably maculate Coccinellidse, and to 

 some extent the same practice has been followed by Casey on the 

 ground that type of coloration may be adopted as a primary taxo- 

 nomic character, yet an examination of very large series in three 

 species discloses an extraordinary amount of individual variation 

 and Johnson's experiments in breeding show even greater possi- 

 bilities in the same direction and justify a conclusion that such varia- 

 tions in maculation are more often individual than racial. 



With the proviso that the conclusion is restricted to Coccinellidse 

 and does not by any means include such beetles as Cicindelidse, which 

 are more subject to the influence of isolation, it may be regarded as 

 proved by Johnson's observations and experiments, as well as by 

 other evidence, that there is a strong tendency to a variability in 

 maculation in Coccinellidse which is purely individual, as shown in 

 the various series quoted; that the effect of the cold of high lati- 

 tudes and elevation is always to produce more black coloring; and 

 that therefore specific names based on maculation alone cannot prop- 

 erly be applied to such variations in Coccinellidae and such as have 

 already been applied can at best be regarded at varietal names. 



