THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 17 



A SOUTHERNER ARRESTED IN CANADA. 



Towards the end of November last I had occasion — as 1 so 

 frequently have — to test the patience and endurance of Dr. J. B. Smith, 

 in order to obtain the names of some Nociuids taken here last summer; 

 which he ])romptly determined and returned. In his letter to me accom- 

 panying the list of names, he says amongst other matters : " But let me 

 ask of you what do you know concerning No. 1 1 ? This is Acoiitia apricUf 

 var. biplaga. It is a very common species in Texas and in the South-west 

 generally, and it has been found North as far as Southern Missouri ; but I 

 have never seen it any further North or East of that. Is there any 

 chance of a mistake in the locality? This northward extension, if actual, 

 would prove very interesting ; but I must confess I am distinctly skeptic- 

 al," which under such circumstances he was quite justified in being, and 

 in requiring proof of its right to bear the London label. There are in 

 Ontario two species of this somewhat extensive genus Acoiitia, {Tarache) 

 crastroides and candefacta, which are present every season and nowise 

 rare ; but I have never heard of any other species of the genus as having 

 been taken in it. 



My evidence to the genuineness of the capture here is that Mr. 

 Bice was at the time I got it constantly going the rounds of his daily 

 occupation, and that he is not in communication about insects with anyone 

 outside the city to get it from abroad. I saw him turn it with other 

 things out of his cyanide bottle, which he told me were taken in a closed 

 globe ; that is, one closed at the bottom, where small specimens get quickly 

 dried up, and have to be relaxed before they can be pinned with safety. 

 I secured it there and then ; relaxed it, pinned and spread it with 

 special pleasure, because it was to me such a novel and attractive 

 specimen. Dr. Smith acknowledged my answer to his question and 

 considered the evidence satisfactory. 



Such a find as that is well calculated to throw theories of distribu- 

 tion and exactly laid out Faunal Zones into confusion; but these, like all' 

 other human systems, are rigid things in comparison with nature's elastic 

 methods of dividing up the surface of the globe to best suit its own 

 interests. Life in nature rebels against being hedged in by lines of 

 latitude and longitude, and insect life particularly. Many interesting 

 questions are started by such a departure from the ordinary routine of 

 human observation and experience. Missouri is a long way from here. 

 Did that specimen come direct from there to here? It seems very 



