288 



PSYCHE. 



[October 1895. 



block to many ; why this is so is not 

 to he wondered at in some cases, 

 though in others it is difficult to 

 understand. Species belonging to 

 diflerent sections of the genus and 

 even to other genera have been con- 

 fused by the ablest autiiorities. 

 Examples will be readily found in 

 the synonymy given untier the difler- 

 ent species, statements there made 

 referring only to specimens bearing 

 labels on the pins, not to those 

 arranged with them, since mistakes 

 are liable to occur during re-arrange- 

 ment. 



Variation in color in this genus, in 

 common with other Oedipodinae, 

 counts for vei'y little; the same species 

 or race may be of all shades from a 

 general dark fuscous to a pale buft" or 

 even a bright reddish brown, even in 

 s]iecimens from the same spot, yet it 

 is probable that the general tint of a 

 large series will be found to agree 

 with the color of the soil of the 

 locality, or other peculiarity of environ- 

 ment. Specimens of several different 

 species from certain localities in 

 Colorado show a striking reddish, 

 almost rosaceous, coloration, due to 

 some such cause. The coloration so 

 frequently found in collare, viz., the 

 ventral half of head, sides and metazona 

 of pronotum white or pale clay color, is 

 not characteristic of that species nor 

 confined to it, specimens lacking that 

 coloration being about equally common, 

 and other species showing it. It is 

 found in several species luit most com- 

 monlv in those of the collare series, 



especially from the western States. It 

 is doubtful if it occurs in the io/Z/serlea, 

 whose coloration is diflerent in charac- 

 ter from that of the others. 



Variation in size of individuals of the 

 same species is quite noteworthy, the 

 average size of species increasing to the 

 southward. In general, it may be 

 stated that Texan specimens are 

 twenty-five to forty per cent, larger 

 than those from the northein borders of 

 the country. Tiiis is well shown in 

 io///, by comparing New England and 

 Texas specimens, linear measurements 

 of the latter showing about fort)' per 

 cent, increase. The sexes also difier 

 markedly in this respect; an extreme 

 case of which is shown in two speci- 

 mens of collare from northern Indiana 

 in Mr. Scudder's collection ; in these 

 the female is fifty per cent, larger in 

 linear measurements than the male, 

 the two forming the extremes in the 

 table of measurements given under 

 that species. 



The diagnostic characters of most im- 

 portance are the structure and elevation 

 of the pronotal carina ; of less value are 

 the size and prominence of the eyes, 

 color and marking of hind legs, form of 

 hind margin of pronotum, and extent of 

 fuscous wing-band. 



The species may be arranged in three 

 series according to the structure of the 

 pronotum. In the first of these, which 

 is readily distinguished from the other 

 two, and of which bolU may be taken 

 as a type, the disk of the pronotum is 

 flat in longitudinal section and the car- 

 ina is equally compressetl throughout ; 



