On the Species as a Gene-comph.v. 11.1 



(listally, margined internally by a deep blackish area ; 

 sternitcs uiiit'ormly dark browu^ the hypopygium more 

 reddish broNVii. 



Hub. New Zealand (North Island). 



Holotype, S , Ohakune, altitude )10Q0 feet, December 23, 

 1921 (r. R. Harris). 



VIII. — A Note on the Species as a Gene-complex. 

 By Guy C. Kobson, M.A. 



Up to tliG present no very satisfactory solution of the '' species 

 question" has been offered by the geneticist, lie has indeed 

 supplied some veiy just criticisms of the taxonomist's attitude 

 towaids the " species, '^ particularly on the question of their 

 origin ; but he has nevertheless produced no constructive 

 solution of the problem. The effect of genetic studies in the 

 field of taxonomy has been, in fact, similar to that of the 

 Selection theory. Bateson has pointed out (i, p. 10; the 

 falsification of Darwin's prediction that, when his interpreta- 

 tion was adopted, *' the disputes whether or not some fifty 

 species of British brambles are good species or not will 

 cease," only to admit on another page {I. c. p. 3), " I cannot 

 assert that we are already in a position to answer this 

 important question" (What is a species?). 



In the following note I venture to indicate a method by 

 which at least some precision might be introduced into the 

 discussion. I do not wish to claim originality for these views. 

 They are partly a restatement in a different terminology 

 of those held by other people. I venture to think that 

 such a restatement is necessary at the present time. 



We are offered two mutually exclusive views on the nature 

 of species. One is that a species is a purely arbitrary 

 association of individuals agreeing in respect of certain 

 characters, an association justifiable on pragmatical grounds 

 as affording a working basis for the task of classification* 

 The other view is that the species is a biological reality, though 

 no means at present are available for arriving at a satisfactory 

 criterion or of unifying the species-concept as it is applied 

 to the various groups of animals and plants. A number of 

 suggestions have been made as to what such a criterion might 



