THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



When you know months beforehand what plant you will require, it is 

 best to transplant them to your own grounds, and so hav'e them at hand 

 fresh and growing. By such means I have successfully handled, both 

 for eggs and for larv?e, such species as Colias ciirydice and Lyccena 

 soiiorensis, both of which species it would seemingly ha v^e been impossible 

 to manage otherwise. 



Breeding is the touchstone which tests all species of butterflies, and 

 by it must they all stand or fall. The larva is as much the individual life 

 as is the imago, and we cannot thoroughly know a species unless we have 

 seen its earlier as well as its later stages. Therefore anything which 

 simplities the management of the early stages is of interest to the 

 bioiouist. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



PROF. J. B. smith's list OF LEPIDOPTERA. 



Dear Sir : Prof. French in the January number criticises in some 

 points Prof Smith's catalogue of the Catocalse in the New List of 

 Lepidoptera. As I was primarily responsible for the list of the Catocalre, 

 will vou and Prof. French kindly allow me an explanation? ist. Prof 

 French says " var. Vireus is not a variety of Cordelia, Hy. Edw., but of 

 Amasia; and Cordelia is not the one figured by Dr. Strecker, pi. 9, f. 

 12." But Cordelia, Hy. Edw., is a synonym oi amasia. Ab. & Sm., and 

 Dr. Strecker's figure is not aviasia, Ab. &: Sm. The error comes from 

 the fact that Abbott & Smith figured two species as ^ and $ of aviasia, 

 the description being of the upper one only. The insect represented by 

 the lower figure of Abbott & Smith was distributed by Mr. Grote, and 

 figured by Dr. Strecker as amasia. Of course the name attaches to 

 the figure described, as afterwards Guenee located it, calling the lower 

 figure c07inubiaHs. The lower insect I afterwards described as sancfa, 

 regarding Guenee's name as without authority, as the description was 

 froia a picture. Whether I was right or not I will not here say, but the 

 insect distributed by Mr. Grote, and figured by Dr. Strecker as ainasia, 

 is either connubialis, Gn .,or sancta, Hulst ; while the a?nasia of Abbott 

 & .Smith is the cordelia of Hy. Edwards, as Mr. Edwards afterwards 

 acknowledged to me. Virens was put as a variety of amasia, Ab. iK: 

 Sm., because Prof. French thus located it, and I supposed he meant 

 amasia. Ab. &: Sm. 2nd. Prof. French says " there is no good reason 

 for separating the two forms of retecta.'" I am not sure what he 



