THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 79 



Hagen. The Sphinges proper (there is no Smerinthus mentioned) all 

 frequent flowers. My friend, Mr. Hibbins, has taken in this locality 

 (Montreal), at a cluster of lilac bushes, during one evening's twilight, 

 examples of Deilephila chamcenerii, Sphinx chersis, Sph. drupiferarum and 

 Sph. kalmia. Mr. J. A Lintner, speaking of the Noctuid Cucullia inter- 

 media, says he has observed them at lilac blossoms associated with 

 Deilephila chamcenerii, Amphion nessus, Thy reus Abbottii and Sesia thysbe. 

 Many other instances might be cited, but the fact is well known to all 

 collectors that numbers of the Sphingidae are constantly meeting while in 

 search of food. This is also the case with the Zyganians, at least with 

 the species mentioned by Dr. Hagen, as they not only frequent flowers 

 but actually sleep on them. Edward Newman, in his Natural History 

 of British Moths, says of Zygcena minos : " In some favored spots every 

 daisy will have its tenant, and as many as eight or nine are sometimes 

 seen clustered on a single flower of the dandelion."' Of course the same 

 rule applies to the Diurnals ; I have myself taken in one afternoon, 

 between the hours of two and four, at a patch of wild asters, examples of 

 Grapta comma (both forms), G. J minus \ G. progne, Pyrameis cardui, P. 

 huntera and P. atalanta, and once took f annus, comma and cardui with 

 one sweep of the net, so closely were they associated. 



"With the Saturnidas, however, the direct opposite is the case ; not 

 taking food, they do not visit flowers, being solely occupied in providing 

 for the continuance of their species, the female waiting for the attendance 

 of the male. 



Mr. L. Trouvelot, who has bred thousands of Telea polyphemus, gives 

 a very full account of its habits in Vol. i, American Naturalist. Speaking 

 of the freshly emerged insect, he says : " The moth remains quiet all day 

 and sometimes all night, and the following day, if the night be cold ; but 

 if it be warm and pleasant, at dusk, or about eight o'clock, a trembling 

 of the wings is observed, and then it takes its flight, making three or four 

 circles in the air. The male flies only a few minutes, and then rests for 

 two or three hours in the same place. The female continues to fly about 

 the bushes, and though a virgin, she lays eggs, which are, however, of no 

 use for the propagation of the species ; she continues doing so for two or 

 three hours, and then rests all night attached to some plant, probably 

 waiting for her mate. Soon after the female has laid these useless eggs 

 the males become very active and fly in search of the female, whom they 

 soon discover, especially if there is a slight breeze and the air is loaded 

 with vapors." 



