MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 427 



In the spring of 1902, during the month of March, a very few more 

 of these abnormal forms were taken in company with the commoner 

 species, amcena and splendida, on banks of gullies through the prai- 

 rie. In the month of April over 330 specimens of scutellaris and va- 

 rieties were taken, of which 135 were collected in a single afternoon, 

 April 5. The most productive spot was amongst the grass and plan- 

 tain at the edge of a sand-drift, in open timber by the river. In this 

 place, as elsewhere, they were common until about the middle of May, 

 when they gradually gave place to the formosa varieties. 



A number of duodecimguttata were found along the foot of a clay 

 bank on the Wakarusa creek, on April 26, in company with splen- 

 dida, and more were taken, as in the previous year, at Vinewood park, 

 on July 10. Because of high water, there was no chance for pon- 

 derosa to put in its appearance in its accustomed habitat on the sand- 

 bars ; but on May 24 they were discovered in abundance on a high 

 sand-bank near the river, in company with formosa var. and repanda. 



One of the most interesting discoveries of the season was made on 

 June 21, in the low sand-hills near the river, northeast of Topeka. The 

 sand in this place is especially white, and at about half-past two I 

 began a search there for C. lepida, which had never been taken by 

 day at Topeka. Formosa var. was abundant, with now and then a 

 scutellaris. Suddenly, while in pursuit of formosa, a small white in- 

 sect arose from under a bunch of grass, flew weakly for a short dis- 

 tance, and alit near another bunch of sand-bur grass, keeping very 

 still. It took close inspection to detect it from the surrounding sand, 

 and it remained still, even under the net, causing some anxiety on the 

 part of the collector. Their habits once learned, it was found that 

 they were more plentiful than at first supposed. Their apparent in- 

 crease in numbers as evening drew near was not entirely without 

 grounds ; for, though at first quite scarce, at four o'clock, as the col- 

 lector was leaving the grounds, a number of specimens were easily 

 taken on the wing as they arose from the sunny sides of the sand 

 ridges. About forty specimens were taken during the day, one with 

 green head and thorax. Eleven more were taken at the same place 

 on June 24 and four on July 19. 



In the month of July seven specimens of lepida were taken at the 

 electric lights in the city, with punctulata, cuprascens, and macra. A 

 single specimen of micans, the green form of punctulata, was similarly 

 taken on July 14, and a Tetracha virginica on the 15th. 



During the same month macra and cuprascens were abundant by 

 the river on mud flats caused by the June floods. On July 19 sixty- 

 two specimens of each were taken under such circumstances, and inter- 

 mingling as they did, a careful investigation on that occasion showed 

 that these closely related species ahrays breed true to themselves. A 



