WICKHAM THE HABITS OF AMERICAN CICINDELID^I!. 213 



is also said by Mr. Johnson to consort with inodesta so that the won- 

 derful color-variation is evidently not due to any climatic conditions 

 in spite of the fact that certain types are more or less characteristic of 

 certain localities. C. lecontei Hald., is the form most abundant in the 

 Mississippi Valley. I have taken it rather commonly at Iowa City 

 and Independence (Iowa), where it always occurs on dry, deep fand, 

 quite away from water. The only difficulty attending their capture 

 is the avoidance of sand burrs which flourish in just such conditions as 

 are most favored by the beetles. The flight is short and weak. It is 

 double brooded, the first brood appearing in April, the second in 

 August and September. On one occasion I found the fall brood in 

 countless swarms along a sandy road just south of Iowa City, but have 

 never since seen it more than fairly abundant in that neighborhood. 

 Mr. Knaus has found it sparingly at Manhattan and near Medora in 

 Kansas and near Superior, Nebraska, at the two last places in com- 

 pany with typical scutellaris. He finds it always in sandy localities. 

 Mr. Knab reports it from Hennepin, Illinois. Many Canadian records 

 are extant, but as far as I can ascertain this form is always confined to 

 sandy dry spots. Mr. Edw. D. Harris states that rugifrons and modesta 

 are very sensitive to wind, disappearing on the appearance of the least 

 breeze. 



C.pulchra Say. "E.xtremely abundant in southwestern Kansas and 

 southern Colorado. They always choose perfectly bared spots of loam 

 on high ground and for that reason are oftenest seen along unused 

 roads. Abundant in the valley of the Smoky Hill River, extending 

 nearly as far east as Fort Hays," (Williston). Mr. Knaus has it from 

 near Wallace and Coolidge; at the latter place he took one on July 27, 

 but writes that it is usually found in May and June. Professor Snow 

 considers late summer and fall the best collecting time. Professor 

 Townsend took it near Navajo Springs, Arizona, and writes " I found 

 it in the dry sandy road, white sand, I think, no water near. I also 

 got it on red bare soil about the same color as the insect, being an iron 

 red." This was on July 24. Mr. Oslar has captured it in the foot- 

 hills at Chimney Gulch, Douglas County, Colorado, between May 7 

 and July i. He considers it hard to capture, local, and rare. 



C. sexguttata Fabr. In the vicinity of Iowa City this species is 

 found chiefly about wood-roads, though sometimes seen on sidewalks 

 within the corporate limits. Occasionally takes shelter under chips 

 and pieces of wood which may be lying about. Rather easy to capture 



[Proc, D, a. N. S., Vol. VII.] 26 [February 17, 1899.J 



