IN 1969, 14 OF 16 SOUTHERN STATES EXCEEDED THE NATIONAL HOMICIDE RATE. ANALYSIS BY COUNTY SHOWS THAT STATES ARE NOT HOMOGENEOUS UNITS WITH RESPECT TO HOMICIDE RATES. ALTHOUGH THE SOUTH AS A BROAD GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISION IS RELATIVELY HOMOGENEOUS IN THIS RESPECT, THERE ARE INTRAREGIONAL VARIATIONS IN HOMOGENEITY WITHIN THE SOUTH. SUCH VARIATIONS SUGGEST A NEED TO REVISE R.D. GASTIL'S 'INDEX OF SOUTHERNNESS.' IT IS POINTED OUT THAT DEMONSTRATION OF SIGNIFICANT REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN HOMICIDE RATES NEITHER CONFIRMS NOR DENIES THE CONCEPT OF SUBCULTURES OF VIOLENCE. THE SUBCULTURAL THESIS WILL REMAIN ARGUMENTATIVE UNTIL IT CAN BE ESTABLISHED EMPIRICALLY WHETHER VALUE SYSTEMS OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE DOMINANT VALUE SYSTEM. THE POSSIBILITY IS ALSO RAISED THAT HOMICIDES ARE INDICATIVE OF THEORETICAL PHENOMENA ONLY AT CERTAIN LEVELS OF ANALYSIS. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)