— 176 — ^""i 



would not omit them altogether but admit them as visitors. In the 



Florida fauna he thought it would be best to include all found there. '. 



He was of the opinion that any difficult}' might be obviated by writers of | 



Monographs stating on their title-pages that they treated of the insects J 

 inhabiting the Northern temperate region of the U. S. rather than "the 



U. S. north of Mexico" as is now customary. i 



Mr, Howard believed it best to separate mere captures from faunal j| 



lists which should be based on residence of a species, and inquired how j 



such species could be a disturbing element in monographic works. \ 



Mr. Schwarz replied that they represent groups of genera or species > 



which have their nearest allies in the semitropics but not in our fauna. \ 



It is important to recognize them as belonging to a tropical fauna. Faunal i 



limits are often very sharply drawn and we should exercise more care in \ 



defining such limits. I 



Mr. Smith stated that he agreed in the main with I\Ir. Schwarz. j 



There is a difference in the semitrojiical and north temperate fauna?, some i 



small part of our fauna belongs to semitropical but nearly all to the North -r 



temperate. There is no distinction between the United Slates and Canada 1 



but there is a very distinct difference between north temperate and semi- 1 



tropical faunce. He would not exclude Mexican from American insects 1 



when they belong to the north temperate fauna. He thought we should i 



define not the fauna of a political boundary but that of a zoological ) 



boundary. 5 



Dr. Riley remarked that the trouble is there is no definite boundary. ; 



The people of this country desire to study insects occurring in the country, | 



no matter what their relationship outside. Include them in our faunal 1 



studies but indicate their relations. In short, do with them as Mr. Schwarz \ 



has done in making a special study of iheir limits. . 1 



Mr. Osborn remarked that species of one fauna so lap over into the j 



region of another that it is difficult to draw a line between zoological ;< 



regions. Intermediate forms may occupy nearly equal territory in con- -.. 



tiguous faunal regions. It is important that these intruding species -, 



should be included, jjcrhaps with special note, for the very purpose of ': 

 indicating their extreme limits. 



Dr. Riley suggested the practical question, should a resident of 



Florida expect to find such species mentioned in a work on Florida in- ' 

 sects or must h# search in foreign works for them. 



Dr. Peabody asked if the tropic of Cancer is a dead wall separating ^ 



north temperate from tropical forms. He believed fixed lines do not j 



exist in nature. I 



Mr. Smith said in certain species limitation is fixed by food-plant ■ 



and that may be fixed by temperature as a wall. J| 



