The first collection of notes on the Aegeriadæ of Central Ohio was published in the current volume of Canadian Entomologist. Since the former notes left my hands additional observations have been made, and a few more species collected. Inasmuch as I shall have something to say of the destructive habits of the larvæ of these species; this seems to be the appropriate place to present these notes.

At the Ann Arbor meeting of our Club, in the year 1885, Prof. John B. Smith proposed as a subject of discussion “How shall we create and foster an interest in the study of Entomology?” In the discussion a rather gloomy view was then generally taken by the members regarding the general lack of interest in entomology in this country, Prof. Riley alone expressing himself hopeuflly as to the future outlook. As the best means for creating such interest the production of a popular compendium of North American insects was recommended, but the discussion only dwelt upon the diffculties in the way of producing a popular and yet valuable work.

Melia, n. gen.

Head small, sunk in prothorax, hairy. Front narrow and hairy. Antennæ plumose. Palpi minimal. Thorax stout and very pilose. Abdomen stout, tapering off.

Primaries oblong, half as broad as long, well rounded at angle. Costa straight, apex rounded. Four submedian nervules, vein 5 apparently issing out of cross vein. Three subcostal nervules, vein 5 apparently issuing out of cross vein. Three subcostal nervules, two of them forking off near apex. Secondaries nearly as broad as long, well rounded at apex. Anal angle well pronounced, like in the Notodontidæ. Median cell weakly connected by cross vein, looking like an open cell on a superficial glance. Three median veins, the fourth being replaced by a small groove or fold, which runs through entire wing from base to anterior margin, thus equally dividing it. Subcostal vein bifid near apex. Two submedian veins.

Egg.—Diameter, .04 inch, about .03 of an inch high; roundish conoidal, base broad but rounded, striated from base to micropyle, thirty-two striæ on the broadest part, sixteen of which reach the micropyle but a few are emitted just as they reach the circle; with very shallow cross striæ. Colour of micropyle whitish, a broad zone below this of purplish-red, next a narrow whitish zone about half the width of the red zone, then another red zone below the whitish, the last a little less than half the height of the egg. Duration of this period 157 days.

1. Marginal cell as long or long or longer than the first submarginal (if shorter it is scarcely noticeable). 2

Marginal cell always much shorter that the first submarginal .6

I saw the type of this species in the Britsh Museum and considered it to represent a distinct species, allied to E. grata. Prof. Smith says, Can. Ent., 134., “I have no hesitation in referring the species(?) as a suffused aberrant grata.” Now the hindwings want the band and are immaculate, hence there is no “suffusion” on the secondaries. The forewings resemble grata, but the markings differ.

As an illustration of how insects will at times survive what seem to be the most unfavourable conditions, I may state that in October last there was given to me a chrysalid of the Tomato Sphinx, P. quinquemaculatus, Harris. Having no convenience for keeping it in a natural condition, I took a bit of cotton batting and made a bed for it on the bottom of my hatchery, which is a paste-board box with a gauze cover. The location of the box is on top of a high book-case, hence it gets the full benefit of the heat of the room during winter, which was sufficient to mature some Platysamias by the 10th of April.

On the 21st September, 1891, on opening a small box of neglected insects, etc., I caught a glimpse of several minute black files as they flew out. At the time I could not imagine what they were. The next day I collected a lot of pupæ of Tachina flies and enclosed them in tin boxes to transform to imagines, but instead of the perfect fly appearing, the boxes were filled with the same small flies as I had observed issue from the opened box on the day previous, and then, as I remembered having had some of those Tachina puparia in the box, I readily understood whence the flies came.