146 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



the land; the natural growth of sphagnum has been killed and the 

 floral wealth of Ca\an is no more. All this I had yet to disco\er. 



The day was bright, but a cold wind had encountered me on 

 the road, that fought obstinately against my ad\ ance, hanging 

 on nn- flank ojid slinging me with its slings and arrows. In the 

 shelter of the swamp these missiles hurtled harmlessly oxer my 

 head, while I roamed about through the hush of shadowed groves 

 and across sunlit glades to the soft music of drumming partridges: 

 they seemed to be ever\where in the heart of the swamp, and 

 from time to time as I pressed forwartl I would flush one of the 

 drummers from its retreat a few paces off. After about an hour of 

 progress 1 found myself in a thick growth of cedars, and. working 

 east a few rods, emerged at a great clearing just south vi the ( i.T.R. 

 between Peterborough and Best's. Between me and the railway 

 was a wide sluggish stream of peatN-looking water — known (I 

 believe) as a municipal ditch. The clearing extended east from 

 W'here I stood for half a mile, with tlie drain on the north and a 

 hardwood bush on the south; its greatest width was about 200 

 yards. It had been co\ered with small trees, mostly cedar, poplar, 

 alder and elm; these had been nearl\- all cut down and much of 

 the debris was lying on the ground. However, a fringe of alders 

 still stood along the south l)ank of the stream, and the west end 

 of the clearing had not been so heavily slashed. 



While standing on the edge of this clearing 1 spied a large 

 Chrysomela crawling up a burnt stump among the alders. It had 

 the usual ebony pattern on its elytra; but instead of being creamy 

 white, the ground colour was a rich chestnut. At the point ot 

 capture the insect dropped to the ground, Init I was not to be 

 denied, and a few minutes' search revealed my prize under a dead 

 leaf. One swallow doesn't make a summer; it would be rash from 

 a single beetle on a burnt stump to argue a new species ot Chryso- 

 mela owing its brilliant complexion to a diet of charcoal. The 

 neighbouring alders had not yet leafed out, but I searched their 

 stems and branches carefully for o\er an hour and felt fully repaid 

 by the result: four captures and one escape of the same chestnut- 

 crimson Chrysomela; besides a dozen specimens of a beetle new 

 to me so far except in cabinets Lina lapponica (inlerrupla); both 

 insects evidently hibernated freely. 



