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VII, On Cetonia aurata and Protaetia Bensoni. 

 By J. 0. Westwood, M.A., F.L.S,, &c. 



[Kead 7th April. IS^^U.] 



The investigation of the claims of many so-called species 

 of insects to be regarded as such on account of slight 

 characteristic distinctions occurring in individuals inhabit- 

 ing adjacent but distinct localities, possesses a very im- 

 portant bearing on the great question of the origin of 

 species, especially when the objects of the inquiry occur in 

 a free state of nature, undisturbed by the influence of man, 

 and resulting as might perhaps be inferred from modifi- 

 cations of locality, or temperature, or food, or times of 

 appearance. This, it must be admitted, is a very diiferent 

 question from that in which the various modifications in 

 the individuals of a given species have resulted from the 

 action and influence of man, or even by his partial inter- 

 ference. The variations in the various breeds of dogs or 

 of pigeons have doubtless been greatly influenced by human 

 agency, but animals in a wild state of nature must be 

 regarded as having followed a normal state of existence, 

 and if variations have been produced in them, we have a 

 far truer clue to the agency of nature than in the case of 

 domesticated animals and their variations. 



The mode in which variation is effected in a given species 

 requires a preliminary inquiry as to the exact difierences 

 which exist between any given set of individuals. How 

 and in what manner a variation has taken place is a far 

 more difficult question. In the Transactions of the Ento- 

 mological Society for 1872, I have endeavoured to trace 

 the variations from the typical state of several species of 

 butterflies, as Papilio Sarpedon, P. AncMses, &c., whilst 

 in the Entomologische Zeitschri/t of the Berlin Society, Dr. 

 Kraatz has for several years past been endeavouring to 

 prove that many of the so-called new species of Coleoptera, 

 especially of Carabidie, are only geographical varieties, or 

 local modifications, or sub-species, or representative species, 

 or by what other name they .may be called. In the last 

 part of this work, just published (1870, Heft II.), there 



TRANS. E>JT. SOC. 1880. PART II. (jUNE.) G 2 



