June, 'o6] entomological news. 227 



mized as follows : He first dealt with the genus Leptura, par- 

 ticular reference being made to the species found in North 

 America. He spoke of the fact that this, a Palaearctic and 

 Nearctic genus of about 175 species, was represented in this 

 country by about 75 species, several being undescribed, or 

 about three times the number found in Europe. 



Two exceptions to the general northern distribution men- 

 tioned were the two species from the highlands of Central 

 Mexico. Mention was then made of the distribution of var- 

 ious groups of these and the relationship that the various 

 members bore to each other. A careful study of the species 

 he said brought out many interesting facts, one being that the 

 Rocky Mountains alone supported no well-marked species — 

 Leptura nigrolineata being considered at most a very weak 

 one, though they did harbor several rather interesting varieties. 

 The Sierras, the humid coast belt of the Pacific and the Alle- 

 ghanies, each claimed one or more very distinct species. The 

 Doctor considered that L. quadrillion was closely related to L. 

 veratrix, and that cubitalis was not a Leptura at all but an 

 Acmczops and closely related to basalts. 



Later on in the evening he went over the species, and with 

 the aid of the specimens from his collection and a number 

 loaned by Mr. Fuchs to make the series more complete, 

 pointed out many peculiarities. Of 47 West Coast species 

 known to him, all but three were shown. 



In the .second paper an effort was made to show wherein the 

 fauna of the West Coast more closely resembled that of Europe 

 and North Asia, than did that to the east of the Rocky Mts. 

 Mention was made of the statement made many years ago by 

 Prof. Asa Gray, that the flora of Eastern North America as a 

 whole was more closely related to that of the Japano-Manchur- 

 ian region than was that of the west coast. 



The insect fauna of the same regions was also found to bear 

 a similar relationship. The reason the Doctor gave for this, 

 was that the parts of the flora and fauna, which bore this close 

 relationship, were as a rule restricted to low levels, where 

 there was both plenty of sun and moisture. In past geologi- 

 cal ages there was at northern latitudes a great area of com- 

 paratively low land which made it possible for both these areas 



