Mature larva, 1.50 to 1.75 long. The body increases in size from the head to the anal segment, deeply incised between the segments. Head small and nearly round; first four segments can be retracted nearly onehalf. Head and entire upper parts of body pale slate color, slightly shaded with brown on the dorsal portion. Yellow beneath between the legs, also a slight stigmatal line of the same color. Caudal horn short and black; the black extends from the base of horn to below the stigmatae. Anal shield rusty and rough; stigmatae black, encircled with yellow; abdominal feet black, the rest pale yellowish. Another specimen differs in color, being pale lavender, a slightly darker dorsal line. Under parts between the legs, a faint substigmatal line greenish yellow. Another, slightly smaller, was of a bright pea green color, with a bright yellow stigmatal stripe, in other respects like the former. The larvae are very much like those of the Sphingidae in appearance, and are exceedingly smooth and shiny. Found on willows and poplars, the last of Sept. The transformation takes place in a slight cocoon of dead leaves fastened together with a few silken threads, on the surface of the ground, much in the manner of Darapsa myron.

Having in times gone by perused with interest certain essays from the pen of the late Edward Newman on the subject of a true or physiological arrangement of Insecta, may I now be allowed to call attention to the additional evidence adducible from the recent investigations of their organs of sensation, a matter I had latery the honor of placing before public attention in my book, Insect Variety.

Viewed in this new light, the presence of auditory organs and welldeveloped eyes place the Orthoptera first in this list; and these would be followed by a group of the Homoptera, the Cicadidœ, where we find the auditory organs are highly developed, but sight less potent. Next to these appear to come Lepidoptera, where the Nocturni stand first as having well-defined auditory organs, and the Diurni second from reason of their excellent optic organs. Then would follow Coleoptera, which as far as Europe is concerned, certainly give evidence of possessing auditory apparatuses in two of their groups, the Lamellicornia and, Longicornia, although in the latter the visual organs are imperfect. As far as I can learn, the species of Hymenoptera, Neuroptera and Diptera, have the auditory sense, if present, much less potent; but sight, smell and touch are evident and variously developed. This perfectly harmonizes with Newman's circular view, given in the Entomologist, vol. iv., p. 236.

I find that unless we use neurational characters to separate the genera of Phycidœ, that it will be impossible to classify the species with accuracy. All characters drawn from the periphery, the appendages of the body, will be found subject to very gradual modifications, but I do not think we can afford to reject any of them, because of their relative want of stability. Indeed the neuration in the Lepidoptera seems to be as useful as in the Diptera, although there are certain cases (as I long ago pointed out with regard to Thyridopteryx) where it varies not only in the species, but in the opposite wings of the same specimen. I think that we must regard as generically distinct from Penmpelia the North American species Pravella, which has 8, instead of 7 veins to the hind wings (see Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. 4, 694). For this species, the structure of which I have quite fully described, I propose the generic name Meroptera. I also find that our two species, found in Texas and Colorado, and which probably mine the Agave, viz., Bollii and Dentata, are distinct from the European types of Zophodia, to which Prof. Zeller referred Bollii, the type of the new genus Megaphycis. In the structure of the palpi, shape of the wings, greater size and length of body, our two large species differ strongly.

The veins of the wings in the moths are usually considered to fall into four main branches. I would, however, consider them to afford only two series; vein 1 of the German Entomologists belonging to the median series, and vein 12 to the sub-costal series of venules. In describing the neuration of Euherrichia (= Herrichia Grote non Staudinger) I have accidentally written “sub-median” for “median.” Generic characters in the Noctuidœ are offered by the disposition of veins 6 to 9 on the fore wings and of the median series on the hind wings, from which vein 5 is sometimes (Spragueia) absent. In addition there is the presence of an accessory cell to be noted on primaries, which is caused by the peculiar position and course of the subcostal series of venules.

In the January number of the Canadian Entomologist I described two new species of this interesting family under the names of Isosoma Allynii and I. Elymi. Professor C. V. Riley, to whom a pair of the first were sent, writes me that they belong to the genus Eupelmus instead of Isosoma. From a re-examination of my specimens I think he is correct, and the species will be known as Eupelmus Allynii, instead of as first described. They have 11 joints to the antennæ, and the prothorax short.

Since writing the descriptions above referred to I have had a number of wingless insects hatch from my wheat straws, and it is now evident that the description of chrysalids, and perhaps larvæ, as given under Isosoma Allynii, can not apply to that species, but to these wingless specimens. In a recent letter Professor Riley states that he has bred wingless specimens of an Isosoma from wheat received from Kentucky, and it is probable these are the same. I am inclined to think they belong to Isosoma Elymi that I obtained from the stalk of Elymus Canadenis, though it will be difficult to say positively without more specimens of Elymi or winged specimens of the other.

I have described the genus Tripudia in the Can. Ent., but the characters are not obvious until we know the neuration, which I am satisfied will give us distinguishing features from Eustrotia and Thalpochares. Compared with these the front is narrow and a little bulging; the vestiture is scaly, and there is a ridge of scales on the occiput. The lashless naked eyes, the slender unarmed tibiae agree with its allies. The wings are entire and there is a velvety band on the primaries, not legible, however, in two minute, pyralidiform species which may not be different, my flavofasciata and Mr. Edward's versuta. The species are only known to me as yet from single examples, and are from the South. Limbata has the hind wings orange; the rest fuscous or blackish, silky.

Copablepharon Longipenne, n. s.

Eyes naked; tibiæ spinose. Fore wings clear light buff yellow with an outer line merely a succession of minute dots, at usual place of s. t. line. Hind wings fuscons with pale fringes. Head and thorax yellow; pectus and palpi whitish. Beneath the whitish wings are clouded with pale fuscous. A little slighter than Absidum (= Aedophron grandis of Strecker). Montana Coll. B. Neumoegen, Esq.

Copablepharon Subflavidens, n. s.

Eyes naked; tibiæ armed; fore tibiæ with a very slight claw in addition. Primaries pure light yellow, immaculate. Hind wings pure white, immaculate. Abdomen white; white beneath. Montana, Coll. B. Neumoegen, Esq. Size of the other species. C. Album is also in the collection before me.

The Gazophylacium of Jacob Petiver, Apothecary in London (died 1715) is a very rare book, as the plates and the catalogues were printed and published at different times between 1695 and 1715. They were collected later and published by Mr. Empson, an officer of the British Museum and a natural son of Sir Hans Sloane, in 1764, in London, with the title, “Jacobi Petiveri Opera, etc., or Gazophylacium, 2 vol. fol.” A small volume in 8vo contains the original sheets published by Petiver between 1695 and 1706. The library of the Museum of Comp. Zool. at Cambridge possesses a copy presented, June 1765 by Emanuel Mendez da Costa, Librarian of the Royal Society, to Thomas Knowlton. The collection of J. Petiver, at least the Lepidoptera, is still preserved in the British Museum, and was seen by me in 1857. Every butterfly is placed between two thin plates of mica, fastened with a small band of paper around the margin, and glued with one flying slip to the pages of a book in quarto, so that every species can be examined above and beneath.

Among our American species of Anthomyidæ, none have hitherto been known as leaf-miners. Several are depredators on the roots of garden vegetables, as indicated by the specific names of Anthomyia ceparum, A. Brassicœ and A. raphani (the onion fly, cabbage fly and radish fly); some occur in excrementa, and one, a few years ago, was discovered as preying upon the eggs of the Rocky Mountain locust. During last year and the preceding a species (A. batœ) which had been almost unknown since its publication in 1860, has been seriously damaging the leaves of beets, in England, by mining them in tortuous channels and large blotches, causing them to shrivel, dry up and die. In two counties alone, 1,624 acres of mangolds were infested (Ormerod). This last summer some Anthomyiæ larvæ were discovered by me in Middleburgh. N. Y., extensively mining the leaves of the garden beet (Beta vulgaris). Judging from published descriptions and figures, I believed it to be identical with the European species of the same habits, and that it had been a recent importation thence.

As if the apple tree with its sixty or more insect enemies were not sufficiently afflicted, a distant relative of the Canker-worm has been making itself so notorious in Georgia, as to give apprehension of the total destruction of apple orchards in the locality infested. The insect complained of is Eugonia subsignaria Pack., a measuring worm which at times has been a veritable nuisance upon shade trees in New York and Philadelphia.

In pursuance of my duties as a Special Agent of the Census Office (in the fruit interest), and through subsequent correspondence, the following facts were obtained from Mr. Adam Davenport, of Fannin County, in the State named. In his first communication, received some months since, it is stated that the worm made its appearance upon Rich Mountain, a spur of the Blue Ridge, about four years ago, attacking forest and fruit trees; and that it had since spread over a large area, doing great damage. Apple trees in June last were as destitute of leaves as in mid-winter, the fruit growing to the size of marbles and falling off.

The following genera seem to fall in between Heliothis and Plusia. They appear to be distinctively American, and there is nothing like them in the European or Asiatic faunæ, so far as appears in literature. The white species inhabit the West and South-west; and the fore wings are remarkable for their lustre, the markings consisting often of black dots, in this recalling Emydia and certain Lithosians.

Bessula Grote.

Vestiture hairy. Eyes naked. Front full, without excavation or tubercle, the infra-clypeal plate plominent. Tibiæ spinose, the fore tibiæ with a claw. Thorax untufted. Antennæ simple. Fore wings dull. Aspect of the Arctiid genus Pareuchaetes. One species from New Mexico, Luxa, Grote. Primaries very light and fady yellow. The t. p. line indicated by a curved series of faint ochrey dots. Two cellular dots and one or two more in place of t. a. line. Beneath costa and apices dusky yellowish. The coloring is very pale and the dotted markings tend to become lost. Consult: Papilio, I., 176.

8. On Young Caterpillars Eating their Egg Shells.

Mr. Scudder, Butterflies, p. 101, says, after describing the way in which the caterpillar eats out of the egg: “The taste he has gained of egg-shell seems to allure him; for, strange as it may seem, although placed by the provident parent within immediate reach of choice and succulent food, he will not taste it until he has devoured the last remmant of his prison-walls. Strange food this for a new born babe! The act, however, is plainly a provision of nature by which the tender animal is rid of a sure token to his enemies of his immediate proximity.” Surely here is an error in fact, and a wrong conclusion whatever the fact may be. I read the above statement on the 25th July last, and at once went to my garden to search for eggs of Libythea Bachmanni, on Hackberry leaves. The young caterpillars of this species are green, of a shade so near that of the leaves they feed on, that it is very difficult to discover them. Even where the tip of the leaf has been eaten, and their presence is suspected, it is easy to overlook them. I found at once three eggs and one young caterpillar. The egg from which this caterpillar had come was present at the base of the leaf on the extreme tip of which the little creature rested. A hole was in its side near the top, and no more had been eaten than just enough to permit egress.

The number of described species of this Arctian genus is increasing, and from my own collections in New York, I do not believe that our Eastern forms are at all well known. Among the most interesting recent discoveries in in Arizona is E. zonalis, Grote, a form in which the abdomen is banded with crimson and black and unlike the other species in this respect.

Egg.—Barrel-shaped, the ends narrowing equally and rounded; the base flattened over a little space; from the edge of this start nine vertical and straight ribs, at first low, but gradually rising in elevation and after the middle rapidly, till at the top they are very prominent, and terminate abruptly about the rim of the depressed summit; these ribs are thin and grooved on both sides perpendicularly to the surface of the egg; between them the surface is a little excavated, and smooth; color green. Duration of this stage 5 days in May, 3 to 4 in July.

Young Yarva.—Length .08 inch; cylindrical, tapering posteriorly from 4th segment; each segment rounded; color greenish-brown, semitranslucent; furnished with ten rows of black curved hairs, of which two are close together on middle of dorsum, two are lateral above spiracles, one is partly in line with, partly below spiracles, and one below this; on 2 is a sub-oval black chitinous patch, with four hairs on either side the medio-dorsal line, three others in vertical line below the patch; 3 and 4 have five hairs on each side in vertical line, but from 5 to 12, while there are five hairs, they form two lines, the 1st, 3rd and 5th being in front part of the segment; the anal segment shows two hairs on the side, and a black dorsal patch, on either half of which are about five hairs; two small hairs over each foot and proleg; on 2 to 4 the hairs are curved forward, on the other segments back, but on all the lowest row is turned down; so on 2 to 4 the next row is turned down; head rounded, black, with a few black hairs. Duration of this stage in May 4 days, in August 3.

In my notes in the March number of the Can. Ent., the idea is conveyed that this species obtained from the wild Canada rye grass, may prove to be identical with the wingless form obtained by Prof. Riley and myself from wheat stalks, and which Prof. Riley has since named in the American Naturalist, I. Tritici. At the same time doubt was expressed as to their identity, because at the time of writing there were still larvæ in the grass straws, while I. Tritici pupated in the fall, both in the breeding jars and in the field. Since the article mentioned has appeared, I have obtained from my grass stalks several more specimens, and I believe the two forms to be entirely distinct. A specimen was sent to Prof. Riley, upon the receipt of which he wrote as follows:

“It is undoubtedly distinct from I. Tritici, as is shown not only by the greater length, stouter body, darker color of the antennal scape and constancy of the winged form, but also by the punctuation (most markedly), by the shape of the mesothoracic scutum, and by the color of the mesoscutar parapsides. It comes in fact nearer to Hordei than to Tritici, though, as you say, it is well distinguished from the former by the punctnation.”