80 Journal New York P^nt. Soc. [Voi.. n. 



NOTE ON CICINDELA SCUTELLARIS 



var. LECONTEI DcJ. 



By 1. At-ston Moffat, London, Canada. 



Sfing- ill ilie Journal, Vol. J I, p. 43, that I am reported as the 

 onlv known captor of Cicindcla lecontei in North Eastern America. 

 A few notes upon it may be of interest to some of the readers. 



It is about 16 years since I first met Mr. Reinecke in lUiffalo, 

 and whilst in conversation with him, I in some way alluded to my 

 having taken C. lecontei, when he seriously questioned the correct- 

 ness of my identification. Assuring me that he had never taken 

 it, and that it was not taken at all in that locality. It is only 

 now that I realize what good reason he had for his scepticism : 

 although Mr. Pettit informed me that I had a monopoly of that 

 beetle. There were two spots where it was to be found in the 

 vicinity of Hamilton, and so far as I know it was rigidly confined 

 to these two. One was on a common within the city limits, on 

 an elevation where the sod had been removed to secure sand for 

 building purposes, and on the loose sand there exposed I used to 

 find it at times quite plentiful. The other was some distance 

 from there, with a marsh lying between, on a piece of waste 

 land that was used as a rifle range. 



The top of a hill had to be cut off in making the range, as it 

 interfered with the view. A circular spot of loose sand was thus 

 made, surrounded with second growth trees, and there I found it 

 even more abundant at times than on the other. From these two 

 spots I supplied Mr. Reinecke with all the specimens he required 

 for exchange. 



It was double brooded. The first brood appearing during 

 May, according to the weather. The second in August. The 

 color of the first brood was a rich purplish brown. That of the 

 second was tinged with green, some of the specimens were quite 

 green. These never appeared in the spring brood. Its season 

 was extremely short, lasting between two and three weeks. It was 

 very sensitive to the weather. If a cold east wind was blowing. 

 it was not to be seen A passing cloud would drive it under cover. 



Some years the weather would be so unfavorable during its 

 first brood, that there were but few days when it could be secured, 

 and one had to be prompt in attending to these favorable days if 

 they wished to secure any. This may account in some measure 

 for so few collectors having observed it, and it may yet be found 

 to be more generally distributed than is at i)resent known. 



