In pursuance of our plan of laying before our readers, from time to time, illustrated descriptions of the common insects of this country, we propose to begin in this number of our journal some account of the Butterflies belonging to the genus Pieris–familiarly known in their larval state as “Cabbage-Worms.” As stated by our coadjutor, Mr. Saunders, in the first paper of this series (C. E.,v., page 4), we do not profess to bring out any new facts or information of interest and value to the experienced Entomologist, but we wish to afford to our less scientific rerders plain descriptions, with illustrations, of our more common insects, in order that any one beginning to collect and observe may be able to identify and learn something about what he meets with.

Isosoma.–So much has been lately written about this genus that it may be dismissed with a few words. The Eurytomidae, to which it belongs, were considered by Nees to be in a debatable state between the chalcidiae and the cynips tribe, and though they are now fixed with the chalcidiae, there is still matter for argument as to their maintenance by animal life, or by vegetable life, or as to how they are divided between these two means of existence.

Looking over some recent papers, by one of our most careful and distinguished naturalists, well known by his contributions to all branches of Natural History, but more particularly to Lepidopterists by his exhaustive studies on the genera of North Anreriian Bombycidæ, we were surprised to see the numerous and apparently unnecessary repetitions of the same specific name in closely allied genera and families.

In the article published in the April number on the subject of nomenclature, it is stated that Mr. Scrdder, in his Revision, has followed the same principles which govern all other departments of Zoology. It would be interesting to know what these universally adopted principles may be, for, judging from the recent publications on the subject, they must be yet unknown to a great number of those eminent in science Mr. Wallce, than whom we have no higher entomological authority, in his address to the London Ent. soc., recommends English naturalists to follow the British Association rules until others may be assented to, while these same rules find scant acceptance in Germany or France.

Anterior and posterior wings linear lanceolate, and apparently destitute of nervures. (In a single specimen of the hind wing, mounted as a microscopic specimcn in Canada balsam, a short costal nervure, a subcostal and an independent nervure close along the posterior margin, but not beginning at the base, are visible, but ordinarily I can fincl no trarce of any nervure except Perhaps the costal is visible; to all ordinary observation the wings are without nervures. Thc posterior are excised from the basal fourth of the costal margin to the apex.

It was in April of 1872, while at Plymouth, Mass., with a party of friends in search of the Mayflower Epigæa repens, that I was so fortunate as to capture a specimen of the larva of this insect. It was quite by accident that it came to my hands. A friend and myself were lounging by the roadside, for want of better employment thrusting our fingers into the light sand, when with a jerk and exclamation my friend withdrew his hand to find this larva clinging with a most determined nip to a finger; it immediately dropped to the ground, however, and so quickly buried itself backward as to almost escape us, but a moment's lively digging revealed it again, and I secured it in a pill box.

Black; head and face rufous ; palpi grayish white; antennæ. yellowish gray, annulate with black, tips, white; wings black, with a costal and dorsal white spot opposite each other just before the middle (sometimes united, forming a fascia), a white fascia (sometimes interrupted) beyond the middle, a costal white spot in the apacial portion of the wing, and near the apex an obliquely curved costal white streak; apacial portion of the wing bronzy, iridescent, ciliae grayish brown;

Mr. Wm Saunders has sent me, under the number 115, specimens of a Noctuid “from larvæ found in oak, imago July 19th,” which I regard as this species. The moth is variable in general colour and the appearance of the discal spots, and hence Guenée's description wi1l not always literally apply. The only difference of importance I can see is that the two median trapezoidal lines on the fore wings are wider apart on the internal margin than in my specimens of the European trapezina.

On the 30th of July Mr. T. L. Mead, at Coalburgh, took two females of Grapta Dryas and tied them in a muslin bag to a branch of Hop-vine. The result was a large number of eggs, laid on the leaves and in the bag. On the 5th the eggs were all hatched. The larvæ we carried through safely, and on the 21st the first ones began to change to chrysalids. In course of the next three days all were changed, upwards of sixty. Towards maturity some of the larvæ were white, as represented in the plate of Dryas, in the “Butterflies of North America.” The others were black, like the larvæ represented in plate of Comma in the same volume.

Papilio Asterias. Now sought to be changed to Polyxenes, although from the time of Fabricius to the publication of Kirby's Catalogue (1871). no other name than asterias has been in use. The species has been repeatedly figured as asterias in these hundred years, and under this name is well known to everyone who takes the least interest in these things.

The former notice of this species was very brief and imperfect, having as there stated, been made from a single specimen which had been untimely nipped from its pupa case. since then I have bred and captured other specimens. It may be G. Venustella Clem., proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1860, P. 92,and re-described by Dr. Clemens, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila, 1863, p. 216. It does not agree accurately with either of Dr. Clemens' descriptions, but it seems to be a somewhat variable species, though some of the most striking marks in my three specimens are not mentioned by Dr. Clemens.

♀. Larger thanBaltimoralis and differing at once by the parallel continuation of the transverse lines to the internal margin. The peculiar conformation of the dark median space, described by Guenée as resembling “une espéce de colé in Baltimoralis, is therefore wanting in scutellaris. Differing from crassalis, than which it is larger, by the inner transverse line being incepted on costa and joining internal margin without fusion with the outer transverse line. In coloration scutellaris is unusuallv bright and contrasted.

In a recent article in the Entomologist it is proposed to obviate the confusion in which our nomenclature is involved, by accepting the names most generally in use and allowing the law of priority (if it does not make too much trouble!) to determine all questions which may hereafter come up; ignoring entirely the claims of older authors and of writers holding different opinions from the Proposed of the scheme.

æ.–Sanguineous, shining; head, antennæ, prothorax, surroundings of scutellum, pleura beneath, four anterior legs, including their coxæ, posterior trochanters and their tibiæ and tarsi, black; sides of mesothorax tinged with blackish; metathorax coarsely punctured above with four longitudinal carinæ, the two central ones approximate, flanks less coarsely punctured; wings uniformly fuliginous, with the usual hyaline angular streak beneath stigma; abdomen long, narrow, polished, with a purplish reflection; ovipositor longer than body. Length ·37 inch.

For ten years,past I have been studying the habits of the Cynipidæ to determine, if possible, whether there are one or two broods of these insects each year.

Several years ago I discovered the flies of C. q. operator in the act of ovipositing in the young acorns of Quercus ilicifolio, the oak on which the woolly galls of this species are generally found.

I have obtained many egg-masses of this species the present season, and have had them deposited by moths reared in confinement. Even in a state of nature they are deposited quite irregularly, some fastened on one of the compressed sides, some piled on top of others, but most of them on the small end as in the closely allied Maia. The average length is 0.07, largest width 0.05, and greatest thickness 0.03 inch. They are compressed on two sides, and flattened at the apex, the attached end smallest. when first deposited they are pure cream color, with a translucent yellow spot on the flattened apex.