292 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. IV, 



This subject is still unfinished and experiments are now in 

 progress to determine the relation of coloradensis and the 

 rather albinic form of annectans to the other forms. 



It would be interesting to interbreed these forms with other 

 species of Adalia, especially with the European frigida Schneider 

 and with bipunctata Linneaus. 



Observations were also made on the beetles used in the 

 foregoing experiments for the purpose of ascertaining the 

 heritability of the characters of the spots on the elytra in 

 annectans and of the markings of the pronotum in this same 

 form and in melanopleura. The progeny resulting from the 

 mating of annectans and melanopleura beetles with the recessive 

 humeralis were examined when the number was large enough 

 to afford sufficient data. The beetles in these cases were par- 

 ticularly advantageous for this purpose because the dominant 

 characters would be the only ones to show in the first genera- 

 tion, thus reducing the number of strains which would appear 

 to one or two. In the case of the melanopleura-annectans 

 hybrids there would be one strain of annectans and one of 

 melanopleura, which would afford a very simple series and show 

 very plainly whether these characters behave at all as unit 

 characters or whether they seem to be fluctuating variations. 

 The results are shown in the drawings Figures 2 to 7, Plates 

 XX to XXII. 



In the markings of the pronotum, special attention was paid 

 to the character of the lateral black spot and the extent to 

 which was it enclosed by the surrounding white. The median 

 posteriorly pointed dash of white from the apical margin and 

 also the basal marking of whitish are sometimes very small or 

 even absent; but in this study only secondary attention was 

 paid to these and the drawings, except curve (e), Fig. 7, Plate 

 XXII, are arranged in series according to the aforesaid black spot. 

 The pronota of melanopleura and annectans are arranged 

 separately in each case. 



In the case of the elytra primary attention was paid to the 

 confluence of the spots, and the series is arranged according to 

 the number of confluences in each case. The parents of each 

 series are drawn in full or designated above and the first gen- 

 eration progeny in a row below. The numerals below each 

 drawing indicate the number of individuals in that class. As 

 the humeralis parent seems to have no influence on the char- 



