In August, 1879, I met with a small Dipterous fly, Drosophila ampelophila Loew, in considerable numbers, and as the subject is of interest to entomologists, I give the result of my observations. I have to thank Professor Hagen, of Cambridge, for the determination of the species and other information, and also Professor Lintner, of Albany, for a copy of his article in the “Country Gentleman” of 1st Jan'y, 1880, on this insect, and from which I have largely drawn.

Experience in exchanging Coleoptera shows that the first two and the last of these forms are greatly confused in collections. Their appearances are so similar as easily to deceive, and they are only to be separated by a close observance of two or three characters. Comma and atrimedius are abundant here, and pallipes is not rare. Comma and pallipes are usually confounded, the former being labelled pallipes; and atrimedius is often marked pallipes also. The typical comma has a black vitta on each elytron extending from the first to the fifth stria, which does not reach the apex, and may be more or less abbreviated anteriorly. The vitta on each elytron is therefore separated by a yellow suture. The scutellar stria is long. The typical pallipes has a broad black vitta on the disk of the elytra extending from the fourth stria on one side to the same on the other, and not separated by a yellow suture. It does not reach the apex and may be abbreviated in front, in which case it is narrowed towards the scutellum. The scutellar stria is short. The thoracic characters are omitted here, being so inconstant as to be of no diagnostic value. Had all the specimens of each species the typical coloration as given, recognition by this character would be easy; but the extent of variation is so great as to render it absolutely useless. While I have not yet seen a specimen of comma without the yellow suture, many specimens of pallipes occur with it where the broad elytral vitta is abbreviated and disintegrated so as to form a short, narrow vitta on each side. The vitta of comma is similarly reduced, and the separation by color becomes impossible. In other specimens of each the colors are so suffused and blended as to present no typical characters.

I have indicated in this short paper where the types of my Geometrid species are to be found, to the best of my knowledge, and I have given such additional information as I am possessed of with regard to the species. I have followed the classification of Dr. Packard, except in a few instances where I have found reasons to prefer other names. I refer to my paper, Can. Ent., 8, 152, for a review of the synonymy of certain species. Two species, one described by Dr. Harvey (viz., Endropia Warneri), have been re-named by Dr. Packard, who calls Dr. Harvey's species Apiciaria. As to whether we must put the terminations aria and ata (accordingly as the ♂ antennæ are pectinate or not) I cannot attempt to decide. I think it is advisable to bear this rule in mind when naming species, but I would not change therefore any names already in use. Especially do I think it unadvisable to place the termination after a proper name. I should call the Endropia, E. Warneri, not E. Warneraria.

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.

The reader of the Canadian Entomologist will recall the first paper on the Tortricidœ, by Professor Fernald, who has been kind enough to send me advance sheets of his Catalogue of the Family now being published in Philadelphia.

At the time when Professor Fernald commenced his studies he paid me the complinent of asking my advice as to the group of Lepidoptera he should work upon. In advising him to take the Tortricidœ, I was influenced by my belief in his patience and scientific ability. No family of Lepidoptera which I have studied, except perhaps the phycidœ, are as difficult as the Tortrices, or call for more diligent examination and careful manipulation. I had been bringing together material for a study of the Tortricidœ, and had described a few species and the genus Phaecasiophora, when Professor Fernald wrote to me. I was thus in a position to be of the slight assistance which Professor Fernald has, I am afraid, overestimated in his original paper alluded to above.

Science is much indebted to Mr. Scudder for a great deal of very dry and tiresome work in the preparation of Catalogues. We have already from his pen a list of the generic names used for Butterflies, and now in a thick octavo volume of 376 pages we have a “list of generic names employed in Zoology and Palaeontology to the close of the year 1879, chiefly supplemental to those catalogued by Agassiz and Marschall, or indexed in the Zoological Record.”

The list is beautifully and clearly printed and the proof reading has been exceedingly careful. After having gone over a number of names and after spending some hours with the book, I have found but one error of spelling. The labor of compiling the list has been evidently great, and Mr. Scudder speaks of it in terms which shows how arduous it really was. The author was helped by those to whom he applied for lists of the generic names proposed by them, however, and Prof. Marsh went to the trouble of printing the references to his own numerous genera.