8 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



PAPILI9 AJAX, Var. MARCELLUS, LN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



I have lately received from Mr. C. De Blois Green a painting, natural 

 size, of a butterfly which is undoubtedly P. AJax, var. Marcelhis. Mr. 

 Burton, the captor, took the specimen on the Cowichan River, near 

 Duncan's, in Vancouver Island, where he spends part of every summer 

 fishing. It was upon one of these expeditions that the specimen referred 

 to was taken, and another one was seen during the same summer, but not 

 secured. The painting which was afterwards made by his wife is well 

 done, and there is no doubt at all about the species. Mr. Burton 

 formerly collected insects in England, but has not exchanged with any- 

 one in the United States, or even had a collection in his possession for 

 many years. There is hardly a possibility, therefore, that any mistake 

 has been made as to the actual locality where this specimen was caught. 



A point of considerable interest is, What was the food plant of the 

 larvae of these butterflies ? The Papaw, which is, as far as I know, the 

 only food plant, does not grow in British Columbia, nor, as far as I am 

 aware, further \yest than Nebraska. 



I shall be obliged if any reader of the Canadian Entomologist 

 can give any further information on the food plants of this species, or 

 suggest any probable food plant upon the Pacific coast. 



J. Fletcher. 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW PSILOPA. 



BY D. W. COQUILLETT, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Psilopa petrolei, new species. 



Black, polished, not light coloured, pruinose except the lower part 

 of the occiput, cheeks and sides of face, which are thinly grayish 

 pruinose ; halteres yellowish, the knobs white. Eyes densely hairy, most 

 approximate at middle of face. Third joint of antenna; slightly longer 

 than the second, the spine of the latter not reaching beyond the apex of 

 the antennas. Wings hyaline, tinged with gray on nearly the costal half, 

 except sometimes a spot toward apex of the submarginal cell : apex of 

 second vein nearly twice as far from the first as from the apex of the 

 third vein. Length, 2 mm. 



Described from eight specimens reared from larvje living in crude 

 petroleum near Los Angeles, Cal. 



Type No. 4,100, U. S. N. M. This description is published at the 

 request of Dr. L. O. Howard, who has prepared an article on the habits 

 of the insect. 



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