168 THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 
N.B.—The numbers in brackets refer to the numbers on the 
packets sent to me by Mr. Evans. 
Racial and Subspecific Names. 
By T. A. CHAPMAN, M.D., F.E.S. 
Mr. Wheeler (Hint. Rec., vol. xxx., p. 145) brings against me a 
friendly accusation of reasoning in the most unsound way he can 
imagine. This might be simply answered by observing that he heads 
his protest ‘‘ Varietal and Aberrational Nomenclature.” My statement 
had no reference to varietal and aberrational nomenclature at all, but 
was an attempt to specify a point or two bearing on whether a form 
was or was not a subspecies. 
One has to use words that are not definitely accepted by every one 
in the same sense. For present purposes I use ‘‘ race” or ‘‘ sub- 
species”’ for the inhabitants of two different areas, if they can be dis- 
tinguished, and assert that such two ‘‘ races” or ‘subspecies’ can 
only conveniently be discussed by giving them names. The race 
inhabiting the locality from which the type of the species comes, re- 
tains the type name, which is also that of any race indistinguishable 
from it. 
A “variety ’ is a form occurring with the type race, or any where 
else, in fair numbers suggesting that it is usual for the species to vary 
in this way. An “aberration” differs from a variety in being com- 
paratively rare and unusual, and suggestive of probably having a 
pathological cause. The line of demarcation between “ variety’ and 
‘aberration ’” may not always be. easy to draw. I wish distinctly to 
object to the word ‘“‘ variety’ being used as synonymous with “ race ” 
or ‘subspecies.’ Any race of a species may present many varieties 
and many aberrations, but the names of these varieties and aberrations 
would be the same wherever they occurred. 
This, I think, explains my attitude, though it might be obscured 
by my trying too briefly to express such parts of it as referred to 
Coccinella 11 punctata subsp. boreoliteralis. 
T incline to think that Mr. Wheeler’s extraordinary misapprehen- 
sion of my views is due to his using the word ‘‘variety” (var.) as 
equivalent to “ race’’ or ‘‘ subspecies,’ and he uses ‘“ aberration” (ab.) 
in the sense in which I use “ variety.” His usage is consonant with 
that of Staudinger. 
Mr. Wheeler appears to have misunderstood what I intended to 
convey. To suggest that it would result in an increase of varietal and 
aberrational names is a gratuitous inversion of my meaning. I should 
certainly like to see the torrent of varietal and aberrational names 
stemmed. One cannot help fearing that they often arise from com- 
mercial motives and even sometimes a little personal vanity. 
I desire to extend somewhat further than they do, the recognition 
of subspecies or races that Lord Rothschild and Dr. Jordan have 
shown us to be necessary. They postulate, if I recollect aright, that 
subspecies (or geographical races) should be completely segregated 
from the other branches of the species in some geographical way. 
I think a subspecies is a subspecies whether its geographical 
separation be complete or not, even if there be no very stringent 
separation at all. Of course, geographical separation is almost con- 
