292 



life history aud habits of this species and to liiid a method 

 by which the endemic species could be bred in the low- 

 lands. 



Variation and Dimorpliisin. These studies have revealed 

 genetic problems of great interest which it seems de- 

 sirable to have investigated in earnest and with adequate 

 resources in the near future. There are, as disclosed 

 by the work of the past year, in this easily bred 

 species four forms of adults: (1) an alate female occurring-^ 

 in large numbers but probably not more than half as numerous 

 as the (2) apterous female and (;3) an alate male and an ex- 

 ceedingly rare (4) apterous male. Besides these dimorphs in 

 each sex, the females are exceedingly variable in colorati(^n 

 with a range of color from honey yellow with only the slight- 

 est traces of infuscation to forms appearing almost wholly 

 black, only the propodeum showing traces of paler coloration. 

 Since the supposed species among the endemic forms have 

 been described mainly on color characters, it is desirable that 

 the whole question of the relation of these various forms should 

 be attacked by breeding methods. While some of the species 

 are known to possess good structural characters separating 

 them, it is desirable to investigate the whole (juestion of tlie 

 relation of the various forms. 



All the species studied have shown much similarity of 

 habits aud the life history of the species nniy be generalized in 

 this way. 



Enievf/oicc and Mating. The males ('merge from the 

 massed cocoons before the females and under ordinary conditions 

 are present in not more than one-fifth the nund^ers of the fe- 

 males. The males on emerging from their own cocoons soon 

 g-naw their way into the cocoons of the females and mate there 

 and continue doing so until the females have emerged. The 

 female which has laid the mass of eggs remains with the 

 feeding larvae usually until the larvae have cocooned and 

 sometimes, at least, until her progeny have emerged, and un- 

 .Icr these conditions she may become re-impregiiated l)y her 



