27 



males are able to determine where a female is making her way outward — some time, 

 perhaps, as in the last case recorded, many hours before she appears. Whether this is 

 ascertained by the sense of hearing or smell, or a combination of both, I do not attempt 

 to say, but the antenna? are evidently largely used in locating her, as may be readily 

 seen by the way in whieh the bark is examined with them. When there is a crevice or 

 aperture, the male bends his abdomen — at the suture between first and second segments 

 — until it is at right angles to the thorax, and endeavors to insert it in the said crevice or 

 aperture. He has then the attitude of a female insect ovipositing. As has been men- 

 tioned, if the hole is large enough the abdomen will be fully inserted, and it is perhaps 

 possible that copulation may take place while the female is yet in the burrow. On 

 emergence she is immediately seized, the legs of the male clasping the yet unfolded wings 

 with the abdomen, and thus preventing her from flying. From the large number of 

 males always about at this season, it is probable that the female seldom, if ever, emerges 

 unattended. After the very brief honeymoon, she is no longer an attraction to the 

 opposite sex, and is able to proceed unmolested with her work of depositing the germs 

 of a future generation. I may add that of the pair confined by me the male died the 

 same or following day, while the female was strong and vigorous until she unadvisedly 

 entered a -cyanide bottle. 



SPECIES, VARIETIES, AND CHECK LISTS. 



A paper on this subject was read by J. Alston Moffatt, of Hamilton, as follows : — 



That a very considerable diversity of opinion obtains amongst writers " On what con- 

 stitutes a species 1 " is apparent to all readers of works on biology, and the discussions 

 about species and varieties make it manifest that the question has not yet been settled 

 to the satisfaction of all. 



Therefore, when one is going to speak on the subject, the first thing he ought to do 

 to prevent misunderstanding, is to give as clearly as possible the view he holds about 

 the terms. 



Mine is, that fertile progeny is an unmistakeable evidence of oneness of species, 

 regardless of external differences, and that within the bounds of species as thus stated, 

 a limit to variations cannot be set. 



That breeding does, in some manner define species, seems to be acknowledged by 

 all. Eor whenever it is proved, that diverse forms that were called species have a 

 common parentage, they are by general , consent termed varieties. 



It is not possible in entomology to adopt, in every case, this the natural mode of 

 determining species. 



The scientific one of determining them by external marks, is the only available 

 one at first, in most cases, but it is necessarily uncertain, for who shall say that there 

 have not been, or may not yet be varieties of it found. 



So that as knowledge increases, species are always liable to be turned into varieties. 



How here comes in a constant source of trouble ; it seems that some consider it 

 the proper thing to do, when various forms are proved to have a common parentage, 

 to wipe out all the names but one. 



I protest most emphatically as a collector, and in the interest of collectors, against 

 this habit of abolishing names, simply because they cannot be called species. 



The impression is getting abroad that we have too many species in our lists ; 

 that may be perfectly true, and yet it does not necessarily follow that we have too 

 many names. 



Mr. Grote, in his instructive article on "Representative Species," says, — "It is a 

 little odd to notice, in this matter of varieties, how anxious some writers are to draw 

 in the species of others, — and how indifferent they are about drawing in their own 

 varieties." This sentence clearly indicates the unsatisfactory condition this whole 

 subject is in. 



I see that this process of " drawing in," is going on in every department of 

 biology. 



