46 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February 



of Deilephila liuenta larvae calls to mind a similar occurrence in 

 this section in 1897. which, judging from reports from other locali- 

 ties in the great western dry belt at that time, was probably of far- 

 reaching extent. From even as far south as the Rio Grande Valley 

 came a newspaper report, with the usual journalistic coloring, say- 

 ing that millions of large striped worms, large as a man's finger, 

 each with a horn on the end of its tail, were marching across the 

 country in a body. These worms had never been seen there before, 

 and no one could classify them. They did not stop nor turn back 

 when they came to the Rio Grande River, but deliberately took to 

 the current, and tlio-'e that were not swept away continued the line 

 of march from the other side. This of conr-e. is the reporters 

 sensational description of an extraordinary appeirance of some 

 sphiugid caterpillar, possibly that of I), lineit<<. 



While 1 was engaged in netting Catocalas about a wooden station 

 building of the railway at Green River, Utah, in August of the 

 same year, a resident who observed me ventured the information 

 that I should have been there in June. " for the whole desert wa 

 then alive with big green striped worms.' 



The foot hills about Salt Lake City were, during the same period, 

 over-run with countless myriads of the larvae of D liueata. They 

 always preferred as food plant Clarkia rhomboidea. Rosa fend- 

 l.eriana and Salix longifolia. Duringthe previous year (1896) these 

 larva? Avere quite uncommon, but the moths were abundant I re 

 member counting thirty ol the latter about a single electric lamp at 

 one time, but during the season just past (18981 1 failed to find a 

 single larva of this species, and but very few of the moths. - G. 

 WESLEY BROWMM-. Salt Lake City. Utah. 



THE remarks in the December number of THE NEWS, about the 

 prevalence of the different species of Pieris, interested me very 

 much, because I find among my field notes -dine observations of the 

 same nature. 



In 1895 P. oleracea was everywhere in the vicinity of Salt Lake 

 City, from the. bottom of the valley to the neighborhood of nine or 

 ten thous ind tVet above sea level. Since that tine it has steadily 

 decreased until, during the last season, it has been almost a rarity 

 her :, and as it has disappeared, P. rapae, which was not abundant in 

 189a, has increased prodigiously. P. protodiee. -o hra- 1 can judge, 

 has remained of about the same numbers, being every year common 

 hut at no time specially plentiful, f have often wondered what are 

 l lie conditions that govern the limitations of lhe-e specie?. G- 

 WKSLEY BROWMNC;. Salt Lake City. I'tah 



NOTE (IN CiiuYsxjPHANrs HKLI,<>II>I>. In 1S!>:> I leeeived from 

 Ci'ih s(>me>|Hvimens of Chrysophanus helloides, and in September 

 of the same year took at Roby. Ind., 7 specimens of what I at the 

 timeof capture thought wa^ ('. li/r/>/>/t/< "* VVhen spread I com- 



