lo ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, 



directions; either in markings, in color, in suffusion, or in the 

 direction of an Albino. This occurs only at rare intervals with- 

 out any rule either as to season, locality or other permanent 

 cause, and may be due to accident or the result of unusual cir- 

 cumstance occurring at any time during the early life of an insect. 

 An aberration may, under circumstances, become a variety in the 

 course of time if circumstances induce a similar kind of aberra- 

 tion sufficiently often. I have never yet named an aberration, 

 and I do not think I ever will. 



I have another term about which you do not ask, and that I 

 include under the name Race. Under this term I understand 

 what is practically a geographical variety; that is to say, a form 

 of an insect which breeds true to itself, occurring constantly in 

 one locality and differing in some particulars which are not spe- 

 cific from the same species as it occurs in another locality. We 

 have a good example of Races, as I understand them, in the 

 genus Satyrus. An aberration I do not name at all, but simply 

 call attention to the fact that such a one exists. A form, where 

 it is sufficiently marked, is always entitled to a name, if a man 

 chooses to apply one. Personally, I cannot remember that I 

 have ever named a form. Varieties are always entitled to a name, 

 although I apply varietal names very sparingly. It is only where 

 a marked difference exists, such as would be apt to prevent rec- 

 ognition of its relation to the entire species, that I think a varietal 

 name worth giving, in order to call the attention. of the student 

 to the fact that a range of variation exists which will put him on 

 his guard against assuming a departure from the type to mean a 

 new species. As I already indicated any departure from the type 

 which is connected with the type by an unbroken series of inter- 

 grades is not a variety in my opinion, and I refer you again to 

 the example above cited of the Carneades. Your third question 

 it is almost impossible to answer. A specimen being sent me by 

 itself, differing from anything heretofore known to me, would 

 be placed nearest to the species which it most resembled in struc- 

 tural and other characters. If I were to determine it, I would 

 give it that name with a query as to its being a variation or va- 

 riety, and I would allow the matter to rest that way until further 

 material came to hand. An aberration may be impossible of 

 recognition until an examination of a very large number of speci- 

 mens indicated its relationship, or unless some distinctive struc- 



