Nematocampa expunctaria, Grote. ♂ .–Pale ochreous, stained, and the veins lined with a more intense shade. Transverse anterior line arcuate, dark ochreous, continued. Median shade arcuate at disc, thence running straightly downward approximate to the transverse posterior line, continued. Transverse posterior line dark ochreous, even, distinct, slightly inwardly sinuate below vein 2. No vinous shadings whatever. Secondaries concolorous, with primaries; a single even median line corresponding with the transverse posterior line of primaries. Beneath paler, whitish; secondaries immaculate; primaries with traces of transverse posterior line superiorly, and a sprinkling of ochreous scales about the costal region. Body parts concolorous with wings. Expanse 23 m. m.

This Braconid genus belongs to Wesmael's Polymorphes, and the species described below to Haliday's subgenus Meteorus, which is distinguished from the other genera or subgenera with Petiolated abdomen, by the anterior wing having three contiguous cubital cells.

1. Perilitus Niveitarsis. N. sp.––♂ ♀.––Ferruginous, shining; cheeks, sides of thorax and apex of abdomen thinly clothed with a short, whitish, somewhat pruinose pubescence; face and mouth pale ferruginous; palpi whitish; occiput and space enclosed by ocelli, blackish; antennae entirely dark fuscous; prothorax and sutures of mesothorax blackish; metathorax rounded, reticulated and with a trarsverse arcuate carina before the middle; tegulae Pale yellow; wings hyaline, iridescent.

1. Pezomachus Pettitii. N. sp.– ♀ .–Head piceous-black, face rufo-piceous, the middle longitudinally prominent; marrdibles fuscous; antennæ longer than head and thorax, pale ferruginous, dusky at tips; thorax nearly as long as abdomen, piceous-brown, paler laterally and beneath; nodes subequal; legs entirely piceous-brown; paler abdomen ovate beyond first segment, shining piceous-black; first segment narrow, slightly dilated behind the lateral tubercles which are not prominent, apical margin pale; sometimes the heas, thorax and abdomen are entirely piceous-black,except the pale band at apex of first segment which is always conspicuous in this species; ovipostor short, about as long as first abdominal segment. Length .14–15 inch.

For many years an insect, familiarly known among farmers as “the wire-worm,” has committed ravages from time to time among the wheat crops in different parts of the Province. As the history of this insect has not hitherto been traded out, I am happy to be able to make public, through the pages of the Canadian Entomologist, the following description of its larval and pupal states.

When I decided on an Entomological tour during the past summer to the Island of Anticosti and the coast of Labrador, I fully expected to bring home sufficient material, not only to satisfy the few subscribers to the enterprise, but (after supplying them) enough to remunerate myself for the risk of the voyage and loss of time. Your readers are already acquainted with my misfortune ; still, I hope that the lost species will be replaced, as it is my intention to go over the ground again (if God spares me) next summer. Entomologically speaking, the region is totally new.

It may be necessary o state that the names which I have used for the different nervures of the wings in thesc papers are those used by Dr. Clemens, and differ somewhat from those in use by European entomologists.

Various means may be used for the purpose of denuding the wings of their scales, so as to render the neuration distinct. The wing may be process repeated slightly between two pieces of moinstened bibulous paper, and the process repeated until the wing is sufficiently denuded ; or, if this does not denude it sufficiently, the fewremaining scales may be removed with a camel's or sable hair brush.

On the 7th of June, while turning over some loose rails lying on a moist piece of ground, near the edge of a wood, I found attached to the underside of one of the rails, lying high and dry, two spincus larvæ, which, from their appearance and location, I at once suspected to be the larvae of some species of Argynnis. The wild Violet also, the food plant of at least several of this family, growing in abundance here, helped to confirm my suppositions.

For several years past, I have tried to obtain eggs from this species by confining the females in small boxes, but without success until this year, when several of these insects were taken during the third week in June, and shut up in boxes and laid aside. They were unfortunately overlooked until the 5th of July, when in one box was found a cluster of 14 eggs which were about hatching, and in another 31 in one cluster, and three detached ones near it. Those in the latter box had not been so long laid, and their colour was unchanged, and from them the follwing description was taken

Tongue dark brown; basal joint of the palpi, and the second joint externally, and on the under surface, dark brown; upper surface pale ochreous; tip white; third joint dark ochreous, tipped with dark brown. Head pale bronzy brown, with purplish reflections, each scale tipped with white. Sides of thorax and base of the wings ochreous yellow, extending along the costal portoin of the wings, gradually narrowing to about the middle of the costa.

The April number of the Entomologist contains a commnunication from my esteemed friend Mr. S. H. Scudder, with reference to the yellow male variety of this species. In it he asks several questions which I shall endeavour to answer, adding some other particulars to make my notes as complete as possible.

I think that entomologists will agree with me in considering P. rapæas one of the most interesting insects existing on this continent, not only with refercnce to its destructive habits, but also on account of its recent introduction and rapid dissemination over the country.

Second joint of the labial palpi with a distinct tuft at the apex beneath, Head and palpi silvery white. Second joint of the labial palpi brownish gray except, at the tip. Antennae, thorax anterior winqs pale brownish-gray, in some lights silvery or golden, Thorax with a longitudinal median white streak producd gradually, widening along the dorsal margin of the anterior wings to the basal third, when it is interested by a somewhat oblique costal white streak. Another oblique costal white streak about the basal fourth; a third one longer and narrower, situated beyond the middle of the costa. and a fourth and large one near the apex, and extending into the ciliae.

This genus approaches Gelechia, but not so nearly as Anarsia, Parasia,&c., the hind wings being sublanceclate, and not emarginate beneath the apex, and having a different neuration. Dr. Clemens describes four species. only one of which, H. chalcofrontella, is known to me. Gelechia glandulella, Riley, belongs here. The genus is divisible into two branches.

A. In which the median vein of the hind wings gives off one branch before the transverse vein and a furcate branch behind it, and the curved apical branch.

The present list is based upon a paper on the genus Catocala recently published in the Transactions of the American Entomological Society. The sequence of the species there adopted is here retained, with an unimportant change in a single instance for convenience of reference. The species are grouped according to the colour and design of the hind rvings. Such an arrangement must, to a certain extent, be arbitrary, yet little violence seems to be done to the general affinities of the species by its adoption in this genus.

Microctonus Agilis.N. sp–♂. Piceous, shining; clypeus and mandibles testaceous; palpi whitish; antennæ longer than head and thorax, slender, fuscous, basal third pale; pleura beneath, rufo-piceous; tegulæ whitish; wings hyaline, iridescent; nervures and stigma fuscous, the latter large, lanceolate; marginal cell longer than stigma, lanceolate; legs, ineluding coxæ, pale honey-yellow, extreme tips of posterior tibiæ dusky; abdomen smooth, shining, depressed, first segment tinged with rufo-piceous, gradually dilated to apex. Length .10 inch.

The study of the geographical distribution of Insects acquires additional interest by its connection with astronomical calculations, and with geological researches. From them it is understood that the earth was once covered with snow and ice from the poles to the tropics, and that the like event may recur in the future, and restore the hemispheres generally to the freshness and newness which they possessed at the close of the glacial period. The beginning of the cessation of this period corresponds with the origin of the present distribution of insect life, or with the commencement of the ascent of the individuals from the tropics towards the poles.

The species of this genus bear some resemblance-especially the smaller species-to Lithocolletis: but they may be distinguished by the attitude in repose in most species, and by the developed maxillary palpi in all. They usually sit (especially the larger species, for I have not observed it in some of the smaller ones), with the anterior part of the body elevated upon the anterior and middle legs, whilst the posterior legs are applied to the sides of the abdomen, the apex of which touches the surface upon which they rest. In some of the smaller species, the maxillary palpi are small, and sometimes almost concealed by the labial palpi. This is the case in Gracillaria robiniella (Parectopa robiniella Clemens), and G. lespedezæfoliella (P. lespedezæfoliella Clem.), upon which Dr. Clemens erected the genus Parectopa, as not having any visible maxillary palpi.

The former description of this species was made from a single old specimen, on which no tufts were visible (having no doubt, been removed in setting the specimen, which was, however, otherwise undenuded.) Since the publication of that description, I have bred the species, and the tufts in the fresh specimen are distinct, and the insect unquestionably belongs to this genus. The following description of the fresh specimen is more accurate than the preceding one. I have changed the specific name, giving it that of the food-plant.