—175— 



acquired a more or less wide distribution in our Southern States and 

 could, therefore, be still less conveniently excluded. 



Thus some intermediate way must be found to deal with this semi- 

 tropical colony. Mr. J. B, Smith, in a recent paper in the Entomologica 

 Americana proposes to admit only such species as are found breeding 

 within our territory and to reject all temporary visitors. This would ad- 

 mit, so far as the Coleoptera are concerned, the whole fauna of the semi- 

 tropical forest of Southern Florida which has been the subject of this 

 communication. I am fully in accord with Mr. Smith though I can 

 foresee that there will be considerable dissent among Entomologists, and 

 especially Lepidopterists, whether certain species are to be considered as 

 perinanenc residents or temporary visitors. Still I would like to add an- 

 other restriction, viz : to exclude also all such species which add a strange 

 or disturbing element into the classification of North American insects. 

 Under disturbing elements I understand all such species or genera which 

 in their characters contrast more or less strongly with those of the nearest 

 North American species or genera and which would thus occupy a more 

 or lei-s isolated position in our monographs and synopses.* 



Dr. Riley remarked that he thought there was little room for differ- 

 ence of opinion regarding the exclusion of West Indian species from the 

 Floridan fauna. We can no more exclude them from consideration than 

 the ^Mexican species in Southern California. As we extend our realm we 

 are obliged to recognize additional forms as connected with the fauna of 

 the United States. The United States does not have a natural geograph- 

 ical limit and embraces portions of different great faunal regions. Where 

 the presence only of species has been recorded they should be included 

 in our lists simply as visitors and when breeding here as residents. 



Mr. Fletcher asked what the object could be in excluding them. He 

 thought the occurence of a species in our territoiy sufiicient reason to in- 

 clude it in our faunal list. As information might be at any moment re- 

 quired concerning its habits. There was no difficulty in indicating in 

 such lists that it was an accidental visitor. 



Mr. Bethune cited cases in Canada, where some essentially Southern 

 insects occur as Aletia argillacea, Erebus odora, Sphinx ello, etc. He 



* For the benefit of those who have the opportunity of studying the fauna of our 

 south-western frontier I append here the following statement by Prof. C. S. Sargent 

 (Report on the forest trees of N. A., p. 6), as it may help to throw some light on the 

 distribution of Mexican forms in Western Texas : " The Mexican forest belt of Texas 

 extends from the valley of the Colorado River, near the 98th msr'dian to the Rio 

 Grande. It touches the coast not far from the Nueces River and extends to the eastern 

 base of the mountain ranges west of the Pecos ; here the species of which it is com- 

 posed mingle with those peculiar to the Pacific-Mexican forest." 



