When in New York, towards the end of May, 1894, I paid a visit to Mr. B. Neumegen, who, though suffering considerably from the fatal disease to which, after a brave fight, he finally succumbed, received me kindly, and after a short conversation sent me upstairs to Mr. Doll to get the names of certain species which I had brought for determination.

Epirranthis obfirmaria is a swamp insect. I take it in “The Gomin” near Quebec, where, in ordinary seasons, it is on the wing from early in June till the close of that month. The following is a brief description of this beautiful insect:

♂. Expanse of wings one inch; length of body half an inch; length of antennæ three-tenths of an inch. Colour a rich, warm brown. The primaries have a broad ochreous band, widest at the costa, outlined with dark brown. In this band, not far from the costa, is a dark brown spot. The secondaries have the outer third of the same warm brown as the primaries, with an ochreous patch at the outer angle of it. The rest of the wing is ochreous, clouded towards the base. The marginal dark brown line of this ochreous portion is somewhat angulated. In the part of lighest colour in the wing is a conspicuous dark brown spot. The antennæ are pectinsted.

This new genus somewhat resembles Philonix, Fitch (= Actaspis, Mayr), and agrees with it in having 14-jointed antennæ, but otherwise is quite different. The head, thorax and abdomen are highly polished, impunctate, the mesonotum being entirely without any trace of the parapsidal furrows, and in this character differing widely from all other of the agamous genera of the Cynipinæ. The absence of the parapsidal furrows being peculiar only to the sexual genera Neuroterus (Ameristus, Færster) and Dolichostrophus, Ashmead. The third joint of the antennæ is not quite as long as joints 1 and 2 or 3 and 4 united, joints 10–13 a little longer than thick, while the last joint is fusiform, a little longer than the penultimate. The scutellum has a depression across its base, but is without distinct foveæ, and is also not separated from the base of the mesonotum by a delicate grooved line; apically it is obtusely rounded, shagreened and somewhat densely pubescent. The mesopleura have a large, rather deep vertical femoral impression. The wings are represented by very short pads which do not extend beyond the apex of the metathorax or just reach to base of abdomen. The abdomen is about twice as long as the head and thorax united, polished, bare; the second segment dorsally occupies about half the whole surface; the third segment dorsally is not quite as long as segments 4 and 5 united; the segments 4–7 subequal; while the hypopygium terminates in a long, pubescent spine. The hind tarsi are as long as their tibiæ, the claws being simple.

A few days ago I received a letter from Mr. A. V. Thomsen, Chicago, giving a new food plant for Papilio Asterias. But I can give it best by quoting part of Mr. Thomsen's letter. He says:

“Having made a very interesting observation in my study of Lepidoptera, I herewith enclose the notes regardin; the same. Aug. 26, '97, I received from Mr. Higgins, in charge of Dept. of Hardy Perennials and Wild Flowers, Lincoln Park, four larvæ of Papilio Asterias, nearly full-fed.

♀.—Length 9–11 mm.; not as stout as Cockerelli, Dun.; a few gray hairs on face and cheeks and on under side of thorax, hair bands on seg. 2–3–4, seg. 5–6 covered with hair growing rufous towards tip, legs and venter with sparse rather longer hairs; black except a T-shaped mark resting against upper edge of clypeus, spot on tegulæ, tubercles, and four anterior knees which are pale yellow. Head subquadrate, broader than high, venter witlr fairly deep, not close, punctures; clypeal and sub-ciypeal punctures larger and shallow, mandibles piceous; antennæ black at base, growing brownish towards tip, 1st jt. flagellum not as long as 2nd and 3rd combined. Mesothorax deeply and closely punctured; scutellum with large, coarse punctures; post-scutellum not smooth, shining; metathorax with a smooth, shining spot on upper lateral angles, closely and finely punctured, a narrow suture extending upwards. Abdomen finely and closely punctured; venter with large shallow punctures. Wings subhyaline, much darkened outwardly (very much more so than in Cockerelli); stigma and nervures ferruginous, a light spot before the stigma.

The Coccidæ herein described were collected by Prof. Townsend in 1896, and kindly transmitted to me for study by Dr. L. O. Howard. The collection made by Prof. Townsead will be fully enumerated in a paper to be published by him elsewhere, so the present contribution is confined to descriptions of the new species and descriptive notes on one hitherto imperfectly known. I have also included the description of a new variety of Comstockiella from Mexico, not found by Townsend.

Eggs laid April 25th, side by side, packed closely together on the twig at fork of leaf bud. The moth standing head downwards with half opened wings and “see-sawing” out a string of from three to twelve eggs. Between times it runs all over the twig as do the Tineids. Egg oblong, rounded at both ends, length .87 mm., width .46 mm. Slightly roughened and punctured like the skin of an orange. Colour at first a delicate pea-green turning yellowish. The number deposited at the base of each leaf varied considerably. Hatched Hay 3rd to 5th. At birth larva 1.6 mm., semi-transparent, light sap-green with evanescent purple shades. Body cylindrical, of same approximate size throughout, ending in a strongly bifurcate anal segment. Head light yellow-brown; 1st and 2nd epicranial and 1st clypeal setæ rudimentary, the remaining eleven primary setæ well-developed blunt bristles. Ocelli prominent, dark brown. Shield concolorous. True legs transparent, with dark claws; 4th prolegs fleshy, rimmed with brown; the others not showing.