60 



to the above lot) were found mating, and from eggs laid by the female 

 there have been reared ten typical Adalias and four of the black form. 



The latter seem to correspond closely with Coccinella humeralis Say, 

 which was described from two specimens taken near the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. Le Conte, in his edition of Say's writings published in 1859, 

 states that this species is unknown to him, and probably for this reason 

 Mr. Henshaw does not include it in his list of the Coleoptera. 



I am unable to decide whether the black form is an abnormal Adalia 

 or represents a distinct species. Against the ground that it is an abnor- 

 mal or " sport" Adalia may be placed the continuity of this form through 

 two generations. If the preceding was the case it would seem that in 

 the progeny of this form there would have been a greater reversion to 

 the Adalia type. On the other hand, if the black form represents a 

 distinct species, we have clearly a case of hybridization, resulting in 

 the product of fertile hybrids. In insects, hybrids generally partake 

 of the characters in size, form, and color of both parents. In this case 

 the progeny of these mismated insects do not show any blending in 

 these respects. The black forms are duplicates of the black parents 

 and the Adalia are of the normal Adalia type. 



[Since presenting this paper Dr. John B. Smith has kindly compared 

 the black form with specimens in the Horn collection at Philadelphia. 

 He says: "I find in that collection a number of specimens, some of 

 them resembling yours closely, some differing in details and marked 

 Adalia bipuncta var. humeralis Say. The localities represented in this 

 series are Minnesota, Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and Oregon. 

 You will see, therefore, that the form is widely distributed, and, in fact, 

 occurs wherever the type occurs." I have also, through the courtesy 

 of Mr. Samuel Henshaw, examined the specimens in the Le Conte col- 

 lection at the Museum of Comparative Anatomy at Cambridge, Mass. 

 I find several examples of the black form placed in company with 

 examples of Adalia bipunctata and labeled (7. humeralis Say. 



Thus it appears that we have here a strongly marked variety, which 

 retains its characters even when inbred with typical forms of the spe- 

 cies. So far as I can learn, the inbreeding of these forms has not been 

 recorded heretofore.! 



This communication was discussed by Messrs. Howard and Smith, 

 the latter referring to the value of genitalia of insects as a means of 

 separating species or groups of species, stating that in some genera 

 these characters have no value whatever, while in other genera the 

 characters found might be absolutely relied on as indicating specific 

 differences. He said that a difference in genitalia always means a 

 different species, but a similarity or identity in genitalia does not 

 necessarily mean the same species. He believed the black form 



