In the course of a comprehensive study of insects frequenting dwellings, attention was early drawn to a very handsome little Collembolan, which occurs commonly in moist situations in houses in Washington. It may often be found on window-sills, especially if there is unusual moisture from the presence of window plants, or in bathrooms, and, in fact, whereever moist conditions prevail. This species is a very handsome one, and seems, from reference to the authorities, to be undescribed. From thé manner of its holding the head, bent downwards almost at right-angles to the thorax, it would seem to fall into the genus Lepidocyrtus, erected by Sir John Lubbock. In habit it has in Europe a close ally in Seira domestica, Nicolet, which, as its name implies, is a frequenter of houses, and is separated generically from Lepidocyrtus by rather unimportant characters.

Male.—Eyes contiguous for about two thirds their width above, densely long, white pilose, with a sharply defined vertical black band about one-fifth their width; above, the two bands are confluent. Occiput shining olivaceous, white pilose. Ocellar area with a tuft of ferrugineous pile. Spot above the antennæ bare, shining black. Face shining black, except the tip of the indistinct tubercle, which is opaque; covered, except an indistinct median stripe, and more densely below, with abundant long light yellowish pile; very indistinctly concave below the antenné. Cheeks shining olivaceous, except ati anterior velvety cross-band and an indistinct spot below the lowest margin of the eyes; long yellow pilose. Palpi clavate, testaceous at base, apical half black.

Although the larger species of Argynnis which fly in the Eastern part of this Continent are known in all their stages, through the most valuable labours of Mr. William H. Edwards, there are certain problems in regard to their life history which have baffled the efforts of all the entomologists who have attempted to solve them.

A large group, containing numerous genera and species; the North American forms have been recently studied by Dr. Horn, and the following generic table is a condensation, with a few modifications, of the one given by him.

The study of forest and shade tree insects is a line of entomological work demanding especial attention in the State of West Virginia. During the past two years I have carried out quite an elaborate line of investigations and experiments on this subject. The first object was to conduct investigations with reference to the forest conditions, the distribution of forest trees, and the relation of certain kinds of forest growth to the occurrence and range of the several life zones, and minor divisions of the same in the State. Second, to ascertain as far as possible the principal insect enemies of forest growth and their habits, as well as to study the climatic and other conditions that might be favourable or unfavourable for their multiplication; or the extension of their depredations. Third, to determine by experiments and otherwise some improved and practical method of preventing the losses that are occasioned by the more destructive kinds, especially those caused by bark and wood infesting insects.

I have been collecting Lepidoptera in Orillia and its vicinity for over thirty years, off and on, and thinking that it would be of interest to my brother collectors to have an idea of the fauna of this district, I send you a list of the diurnal Lepidoptera taken by me as far as identified.

Xenoglossa patricia, n. sp.—♂. Length about 22 mm., very stoutly built; head and thorax black, densely covered with short fulvous pubescence; abdomen and legs bright chestnut red. Head broad, eyes black, orbits somewhat converging above, ocelli very large, a linear groove descending from middle ocellus, vertex obscurely tessellate; clypeus broad, yellow, its upper margin suffused with orange, and its anterior margin narrowly rufous; surface of clypeus rough so as to look like the skin of a lemon; labrum yellow, with appressed, very short, pale fulvous pubescence; mandibles long, simple, with a large yellow patch near the base, suffused outwardly into a reddish tongue, which gradually loses itself in the black of the tips. Antennæ hardly reaching beyond tegulæ, piceous, with the scape, funicle, and first and last joints of flagellum, rufescent. First joint of flagellum longer than the two following, but not so long as the three following. Sculpture of thorax cannot be seen for the pubescence.

In the report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 1888, p. 136, Miss Mary E. Murtfeldt gives some notes on the development of Ceutorhynchus napi, Gyll., which had worked serious injury to cabbage in Missouri, the species having been determined, as stated by Miss Murtfeldt, by the late Dr. C. V. Riley, at that time United States Entomologist. Prior to the publication of Miss Murtfeldt's notice, she had informed me of her “find,” and on my writing to ask her if there was not a mistake, and if she did not refer to rapæ, she replied that she, too, had not felt sure of the correctness of the determination until she had written Dr. Riley a second time with reference to the species, and the determination had been reaffirmed. This appeared to settle the matter, and I was satisfied that napi must be correct, though not before known to occur in North America.

The Canadian species of Meloidæ are few in number, but offer considerable difficulty to the student, chiefly from the fact that some of them are extremely variable in colour and size, while in the genus Meloe we meet with a group in which the specific characters have never been accurately determined. The family is characterized by the vesicant or blistering properties of its members (the “Spanish fly” being perhaps the best known in this connection), and, under the name of cantharides, blister-beetles are to be found in every drug store. To the agriculturist they are often a pest, Macrobasis unicolor often doing considerable damage to potatoes. The naturalist finds in the curious modifications of the antennæ of the males, a theme worthy of his careful study.

In the Can. Ent. for November, 1895 (Vol. XXVII., 301-307), I discussed all the evidence then accessible to me in regard to the identity of this insect. According to Prof. J. B. Smith, our American authority on American Noctuids, I showed “very conclusively that subgothica, Haw., is correctly used for our American species” (Can. Ent., XXVIII., 4). However, Mr. J. W. Tutt, who has written much about British Noctuids, in an opinionated reply (Can. Ent., XXVIII., 17), tries to prove that Haworth described a variety of tritici, a well-known European (not an American) insect. After a careful study of several authentic specimens of tritici, representing nearly as many varieties, from Dr. Staudinger, and after considerable correspondence with both English and American lepidopterists who are familiar with tritici, I became convinced that the species, in any of its numerous variations, never approaches near enough to what Americans have called subgothica, Haw., to be easily mistaken for the latter; their antennæ are quite different structurally. But Mr. Tutt states: “I can match exactly the specimens which Stephens figures, and Humphrey and Westwood copy, with undoubted genuine specimens of Agrotis tritici.” Naturally, I was anxious to see one of these specimens, and, under the circumstances, I anticipated that a request to examine one of them would be readily granted.

In Part IX. of the 3rd series of Edwards's Butterflies of North America is given a very full and beautifully illustrated history of this species from the egg to imago; but as I have bred this species during the summer of 1895, through all its stages, and as the life-history, as worked out by me, differs in certain important particulars from that recorded by Mr. Edwards, I think it advisable that I should give my experience in the rearing of this very interesting species.

The recent discovery that the grain-feeding tenebrionid, Palorus melinus or depressus of American collections and literature, was in reality composed of two distinct species, as announced by the writer in the May number of Entomological News (Vol. VII., p. 138), finds a parallel in the recognition of Silvanus mercator, Fauvel, in local collections with S. surinamensis, Linn.

Aphilanthops concinnulus, n. sp. — ♀. Length, 9 mm. Rufous, with white markings, a rather obscure broad black band extending across vertex, including most of the ocelli, its lower margin concave, mandibles darkened towards tips, mid and hind tarsi darkened. The white or yellowish-white marks consist of a small spot on each lower corner of face, a small obscure suffused spot on mandibles near base, the prothorax above, the tegulæ except extreme base, the tubercles, a large patch behind tubercles having a linear oblique projection above, the anterior margin of scutellum, a spot on each side, the postscutellum, spots at the apices of anterior and hind femora, longitudinal bands on all the tibiæ, a large patch on each side of the first three abdominal segments, a band on the fourth, a broad quadrate spot medially on the fifth. Venter immaculate. Face with the usual silvery appressed pile. General structure, wings, etc., as in quadrinotatus, but the third submarginal cell is much less produced at its apex, and the third at its base, than in quadriuotatus, this character, however, being liable to variation. The anterior tarsi present numerous gray spatulate hairs. The apex of the abdomen is of the same type as in quadrinotatus.

The genus Gnathodus, as at present accepted, includes forms closely allied to Cicadula, but differing in having only two apical cells in the wing. They are of a weaker build than species of Cicadula, and a characteristic appearance from above makes them readily distinguishable from any of that genus. The species are very variable and difficult to define. They are small, more or less slender, greenish, yellowish, or whitish Jassids, usually without distinct markings. The ocelli are distant from the eyes. The clypeus usually somewhat exceeds the genæ. The ovipositor rarely exceeds the pygofers. In the United States at least, most of the species are of very wide distribution.

While studying the habits of Gelechia gallæ-diplopappi, I have repeatedly met with a parasite, in the galls of the moth, that I have not found elsewhere.

I have submitted imagos of the species to several of our most eminent hymenopterists, and all agree that the species is new to science and undescribed. To Mr. Ashmead I am indebted for the information that it will properly come into Föster's genus Trychosis.

At the meeting (of February 3rd) of the Academy of Science, of St. Louis, Mo. (President Gray in the chair), Mr. Trelease exhibited several specimens, about three feet square, of a curious silk tapestry, taken from the ceiling of a corn-storing loft in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, by Dr. Francis Eschauzier, stating that he was informed that the larger specimen had been cut from a continuous sheet over twenty yards wide and about four times as long. The specimens, of a nearly white colour, and of much the appearance and feeling of a soft tanned piece of sheepskin, were shown to be composed of myriads of fine silken threads, crossing and recrossing at every conceivable angle, and so producing a seemingly homogeneous texture.

P. Rapæ, the introduced “European cabbage butterfly,” on its westward march across this Continent, was first taken in Nebraska on August 3, 1881. (See Can. Ent., 1882, 39.) In May, 1883, I took one male in Southern California. At that time I did not know its name, but I spread it and placed it in my cabinet as unknown. In a few years an Eastern Entomologist called on me, and at once identified it as P. Rapæ. It was yet other years before I saw another specimen in flight, though collecting diligently every season. About 1890 or '91 other specimens were observed, and thereafter every year brought them in rapidly increasing numbers, till now they are extremely abundant, flying early and late in the day, and early and late in the spring and fall, and at times, as in cold or cloudy weather, when only a very few of the native species can fly, indicating that it is more hardy than the native species, and that it will eventually dominate. As might be expected, the larvæ feed in good part on cabbage plants, but yet they are not at all dainty or particular as to food, and many other plants are used. Last year I raised some fine specimens from eggs laid on leaves of common nasturtiums, in the garden, and wholly fed upon those leaves.