THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 129 



for this peculiar habit seems to be to avoid small lizards which abound 

 and which are alert to seize any flying insect." The species which have 

 been observed dropping their eggs are cybeie, seiniramis^ niyrina, bellona, 

 diana (?). Are there others ? 



NOTES ON MELITTIA CETO, WESTW. 



BY JOHN B. SMITH, NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J. 



The notes on this species by Dr. Kellicott, in the February number 

 of the Canadian Entomologist, induce me to place on record some of 

 the observations made by me during the past year and used in my annual 

 report ; and also to call attention to a very old record that in part 

 answers the question— Is the species double-brooded ? Looking over the 

 MSS. drawings by Abbot in the British Museum, I found a picture of this 

 species, and to it the following note : — •" The caterpillar of this sort lives 

 in and eats the stalk of Cymbling vines, pale brownish white, resembling 

 a maggot j spun up in the ground i6 July, bred nth Aug, Also taken 

 19th July. It flies in the day, frequents cymbling and pampion vines ; 

 not common." 



This record refers to the vicinity of Savannah, Georgia, and is definite 

 enough to prove that an early brood comes to maturity in July and 

 August, leaving quite a sufficient time for a second brood of larvae to ma- 

 ture in early October. I believe the occurrence of Dr. Kellicott's speci- 

 men in late August to be abnormal, and not a usual thing in that locality. 

 In New Jersey I feel convinced that we have but a single brood, one that 

 has a long period of flight and is of slow growth in the larval stage. 

 Near New Brunswick, N. J., the moth does not appear until the middle 

 of June, and on Long Island, as I am informed, the latter part of June 

 and early July is the date of the first appearance. A much earlier date 

 would be destructive to the species since squash vines are not planted 

 here until about the middle of May or later, and do not begin to be of 

 size to support larvai until June or July. On the 26th of June I found 

 eggs numerous, but not until July 6th did the first larva appear, and the 

 last of the eggs collected on the 25th June, hatched on July nth, giving 

 at least a 15 day period for the egg. Moths were still flying at that time 

 and continued for some days later. It is interesting to note that just 

 about the time eggs begin to hatch generally in New Jersey, Abbot 

 records his larva as full grown and ready to spin up. The record of the 



