Lepisesia flavofasciata, Barnst.—Very rare, taken in the hottest part of the day, on lilac and apple blossoms; also on Amelanchier Canadensis.

Hemaris diffinis, Boisd.—Common on Tartarian honeysuckle and lilac, in the middle of the day.

Hemaris gracilis, G. & R.—Quite rare, found on the same flowers and at the same time as H. diffinis, and also flies about sunset.

Hemaris thysbe, Fabr.—Very common, flying in company with H. diffinis.

Amphion nessus, Cram.—Quite common in company with the last named species.

This remarkable specimen, which has puzzled every entomologist who has seen it, was bred by M. Alfred Wailly from a cocoon received from some part of North America. It may be a hybrid between S. cecropia and some other species, but if so, it is so different from all the other known species, that it is difficult to guess with what it could have been crossed. It is equally difficult to imagine that it is a new species. The specimen is a female, and equals the largest specimens of S. cecropia in size, measuring fully 6¾ inches in expanse; and the wings are more rounded and less oblique than in cecropia. The body resembles that of cecropia, except that the abdomen is banded with yellowish gray and black. The base of the fore wings is brown, thickly scaled with white towards the costa; below this is a brick-red blotch, longer and narrower than in cecropia. Beyond this is a white space, extending nearly from the base to one third of the length of the wing on the inner margin, but curving up to the costa in a rather narrow stripe.

During the early part of last spring I obtained from a small maple tree three cocoons of Anth. polyphemus. In due time two fine females made their appearance, and a few days later, on examining the box again, I found suspended from the lid (wire gauze) a black looking specimen, which at first sight appeared to be a ♂ promethea. On closer inspection, however, I found it to be a beautiful aberration of Anth. polyphemus ♂. As it is the first one I ever found or heard of during nearly twenty years collecting, I send you herewith a meagre description, which may be the means of bringing another specimen like it to the notice of the entomological world.

Milton, when he wrote of Nature's bounty, and referred to the . . . . “Millions of spinning worms That in their green shops weave the smooth-haid'd silk,” had thoughts no doubt of the obedience due from Nature's subjects to Nature's King. A work ordered and a work performed. Were men as loyal to their King, what a garment of righteousness would each man weave wherein to appear, amid the flood-light at the Court on high! The caterpillar, at the sighing of the antumnal wind, enfolds itself in its silken shroud, preparatory to a winged flight, leaving to the world the record of a life well spent—an unbroken thlead of duty done: a treasury of silk to deck the sons of men “In courts, in feasts, and high solemnities.”

On the 27th of September, 1882, while riding through Mt. Hope Cemetery, near Bangor, the leaves on several trees of Basswood (Tilia Americana) were observed to be rolled in a peculiar manner, and to contain a green larva with a black head, which I supposed at the time to be that of some Tortricid; but it quite puzzled me, as it was larger than the larva of any Tortricid in this region with which I was familiar. Miss Murtfeldt, who was riding with me at the time, said that she had seen the leaves of Basswood attacked and rolled in precisely the same manner in Minneapolis, but failed to secure any of the larve.

Curculio is an ancient Roman word, not at all used to denote a plum insect. It is slightly difficult to pronounce, and it certainly fails to inform the popular mind as clearly as the suggestive oid Anglo-Saxon word, “weevil.”

Weevil, in its original and right use, designates only insects of the snout-beetle kinds, like the plum weevil, bean and pea weevils, corn or granary weevil, rice, pine, nut, water, and other weevils. Perhaps the only erroneous use of weevil made in this country was with the little yellow maggot of the wheat fly.

During the spring of the past year I was fortunate enough to procure eggs of the following species of Scopelosoma, and succeeded in rearing a sufficient number of each to ensure an accurate observation of their larval differences. The matter is of some interest, as it settles beyond question the specific difference between the two species known in collections as S. Walkeri and S. vinulenta, which have been enumerated as varieties of the mythical sidus in recent lists. That one of these species is really sidus I think there can be little doubt; but which should be referred to it is somewhat uncertain.

In exchanging Coleoptera it is common to find many erroneous determinations of species. While these errors are for the most part individual, several are wide spread and seem to be perpetuated by tradition from the older collectious. The object of this paper principally is to direct attention to a few of the latter.

1. Triplax thoracica Say, and T. flavicollis Lac. These species are often found in colonies feeding together on the same fungus, and have the same appearance. The separation of mature specimens is easy, the under side of thoracica being entirely rufous, while the metathorax and abdomen of flavicollis are black or piceous.

Cumatilis, G. & R.

Color of front wings greenish white, with heavy black markings; in one light the whole front wing is suffused with a rich smoky brown, whilst in another it has a beautiful green gloss deepest in the centre. Hind wings brownish gray. Two specimens.

Magnoliata, Guen.

Color of front wings white with black and light gray markings. Five specimens, varying considerably from one another. Hind wings white, more or less pure.