333 



Professor Verrill kindly permitted me to examine a large series of 

 specimens of both sexes belonging to the museum of Yale College, col- 

 lected in tbat vicinity. There are small differences in the punctation 

 and rugosities of the surface, and some in the width and distinctness of 

 the white bands upon the legs. Older specimens are often suffused with 

 red, a sort of ripening toward the autumn, which we have observed to 

 be common in EuscMsUis, Coreiis, Euthoctha, &c. 



Family SALDID^E. 



, Salda, Fab. 



1. S. Signoretii. 



Salda SlgnoretU, Guer., in Sagra's Hist, cle Cuba, 401, pi. 13, tig. 10. 



Inhabits Cuba, Mexico, sea-coast of Texas, of Maryland, and of 

 Massachusetts on the southern side of Cape Cod. It does not occur on 

 the sea-shore north of Cape Ann, as far as I have been able to discover, 

 although I made diligent search there and on and near Old Orchard 

 Beach, on the coast of Maine. Its present meridional range is known 

 to be from Cape Cod to the sand-beaches near Havana, in the island of 

 Cuba. It is interesting to record that this pale-colored species inhabits 

 the white, sandy spots near the benches, while the 8. Ugata lives on the 

 blackish gneiss bowlders of our streams, and the 8. interstitialis and 

 other black species select the black, sandy loam adjacent to water for 

 their dwelling-places. 



On Chelsea Beach, or, rather, on the marshes there, where there are 

 spots of earth and soil of black, grayish-brown, and almost white, the 

 colors of the Saldce found at rest are mainly black, pale brown, or 

 largely white, according generally with the color of the soil. 



A form of Salda closely allied to 8. Ugata is found in great numbers 

 on the black mud of the salt-marshes in Eastern Massachusetts, but 

 while adhering to the general pattern of ornamentation of its group, 

 the black color prevails and the white spots are reduced to a minimum. 

 Also, in these places where the conditions of soil and surroundings are 

 so uniform and persistent, there is scarcely any variation observable in 

 the individuals of this species. An examination of many hundreds 

 collected over a surface of a mile or more in extent yielded but very 

 slight variations in the shape, size, or arrangement of their markings. 



2. 8. inter stitialis. 



AcantMa interstiiiaJis, Say, Jouru. Acad. Phila. iv, 324, No. 1. 



Inhabits Texas, New Mexico, California, Colorado, j^ebraska, Mis- 

 souri, Canada, British Columbia, Illinois, Michigan, Maine to Florida^ 

 Cuba, and Hayti. • ' . 



3. 8. lugubris. 



AcantMa luguhris, Say, Hateropt. New Harmony, 34, No. 3. 



Inhabits New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, AVisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, 

 Maine, Canada, Massachusetts, Ehode Island, British America near Bear 

 Lake ; Saskatchewan, New York, Pennsylvania. Marj^land, in Septem- 

 ber, on a black, marshy spot, overgrown with cresses, near a stream of 

 clear water. 



4. >S'. Ugata. 



Acanthla Ugata, Say, Heteropt. New HarmoDy, 34, No. 1. 



Inhabits Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana 5 near Quebec, Abbe 



