1915] Abnormalities and Regeneration in Cicindela 293 
Elytral abnormalities shown in two species collected in 
Kansas were duplicated in Cicindela limbalis reared from a larva. 
Here a reduced color pattern accompanies a short elytron as in 
the specimen of wild tranquebarica. While this is the only 
elytral modification of exactly this type noted in wild individ- 
uals a type with holes in the elytra is more common in experi- 
ments. For example, two holes completely healed occured in 
an elytron with an irregular and distorted pattern, Fig. 7. 
While several hundred larve of each of several species were 
reared to maturity this kind of abnormality occurred only three 
or four times. 
The peculiar elytral modifications are probably due to rough 
handling. It seems probable that the abnormal conditions 
result from pressure or slight injury during the pupal stage. The 
elytron being much crowded, the folds projecting outward are 
particularly liable to injury. The elytral openings in Fig. 7 are 
rounded and smoothly healed, the wing cavity being entirely 
closed and with cuticular covering on the edges. The compara- 
tively frequent occurrence of elytral modifications in reared 
specimens as compared with their rather rare occurrence in 
nature justifies the above assumption. The abnormalities are 
not unlike those of Drosophila described by Morgan as muta- 
tions. Since the tiger beetle abnormalities occur in animals 
reared from wild stock which show extremely few such varia- 
tions in thousands of specimens collected in the wild state an 
unusual burden of proof is necessary to establish such conditions 
as anything but abnormalities produced again and again by the 
necessary rough handling of cultures. If such proved true their 
apparent inheritance in Drosophila may only be a sensitiveness 
to handling. 
The abnormalities of patterns and the reproduction of black 
pigment in wounded labral surfaces indicate that such material 
in the hands of a skillful investigator might, with suitable 
operations, show something of the physiology of pattern pro- 
duction. If the distribution of pigment can be controlled by 
suitable operations as is indicated by the work, it will have 
important bearing on the studies of insect patterns. 
University of Dlinois, May 19, 1915. 
