MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 431 



exhibiting many of the characteristics of nigrocaerulea ; the males 

 were narrower, smaller, and more convex, with the elytra somewhat 

 polished and lacking the opalescent reflections, thus placing them 

 closer to the western form of micans. The specimens also varied in 

 markings: some were almost immaculate; some had only apical and 

 median dots; others had humeral, post-humeral, marginal and median 

 dots, and apical lunule. One male was taken with complete apical 

 and humeral lunules and marginal line, all very much dilated, the last 

 broadly confluent with the humeral lunule, forming a nearly complete 

 marginal band, after the manner of C. bowditchii Leng. I sent some 

 specimens of it to Mr. Edward D. Harris, of New York city, and he 

 wrote the following regarding it, under date of September 29, 1903 : 



"Your box with the specimens came safely. The lemniscatas are 

 little beauties, and the nigrocreruleas (if they are sucli)very interest- 

 ing. I have spent a number of hours over these last, and must con- 

 fess my want of confidence in placing them. Apparently it is a local 

 race of Leconte's insect. My own specimens of nigrocasrulea (=^ro- 

 busta Leng; for Leng admits to me that the name is a synonym) 

 are nine in number, thus: Two from Robinson, Colo., dark indigo 

 blue, one immaculate, one with apical dot. Four from La Junta, 

 Colo. ; two blue immaculate ; one blue, with a green suffusion, large 

 apical lunule entire, marginal and humeral dots; one green, apical 

 dot abnormally prolonged. One from Bent county, Colorado, yellow- 

 ish green immaculate. Two from Alpine, Tex. ; one black with indigo 

 reflections, immaculate; one dark bronze green, immaculate. The 

 two specimens you send differ from the above in two respects only, 

 so far as I can discover — first, in the form, being not so robust in the 

 outline of the elytra toward the apex, and second in preserving a 

 sharply-developed metallic luster of head and thorax, absent in all my 

 specimens of the Leconte insect. Both respects bring it closer to 

 micans ; but the pilosity is that of nigrocserulea, rather than of the 

 punctulata group. With your large series it would be a very inter- 

 esting study to see just how far the differences extend. One of your 

 specimens is immaculate; the other has obscurely-marked marginal 

 spots, in position and shape like those of nigrocaerulea. I shall be 

 greatly interested to know where Professor Snow places it, and how 

 much importance, if any, he attaches to its differences." 



Then, under date of November 2, he writes : "I received promptly 

 both your boxes, the first containing five of the very interesting and 

 valuable variety of nigrocaeralea, safely and in the best of condition. 

 I have seized the opportunity of another study of the Arizona beetle, 

 with the seven specimens to refer to. They are all very close to one 

 form, indicative of the existence of a very well-defined local variety, 

 separable instantly from the Fort Bent insect, and from that of Al- 



