THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 199 



How are you off for Schaphinotus elevatas up there in Ontario ? A 

 few days ago, in half an hoar, I took thirty from under old railroad ties 

 lying along the track. I was sufficiently elevated with my success for one 

 day, and ceased further operations, lest I might exterminate the species ! 



J. C. Morris, Baltimore, Md. 



important captures. 

 Dear Sir, — 



I made, as I think, a very important capture on the 26th of August 

 which you and some of your readers may be interested in knowing, viz., 

 two fine, fresh and absolutely perfect examples of Catocala marmordia 

 Edwards. This is, I think, unquestionably the handsomest of all our 

 known species of Catocala. I was not a little surprised, and as might 

 well be imagined, delighted beyond measure to find two suchlmexpected 

 stranger-. My friend, Mr. Charles Dury, of Cincinnati, informs me in a 

 letter received from him a few days ago that he also took one this season 

 in his locality. A figure and "description of this truly regal insect may be 

 found in Strecker's work, Plate 9, No. 6. In a note accompanying his 

 description he says : " One can but regret that so little concerning this 

 fine species is known; the original description contains no further remarks 

 than ' from Yerka, California,' and we can only hope that time, which 

 ' at last sets all things even, 1 will enable us to receive specimens and learn 

 more concerning this superb insect." 



My specimens are both males ; they were found on the trunks of two 

 separate trees (White Wood or Tulip tree), fifty or sixty feet apart, about 

 five feet from the ground, and both were started before I noticed them, 

 but their flight was very short — only darting around to the opposite side 

 of the tree, where they remained perfectly quiet until I covered them with 

 the bottle. 



The peculiar brown dash or band which obliquely traverses the 

 primaries near the posterior extremity, is more dense in my specimens than 

 is represented in Strecker's figure. Mr. Dury says in his it is quite black. 



The abdomen of Mr. S.'s figure is, as he tells us, nearly imaginary ? 

 the specimen he had to work from not having any remaining, and he was 

 not certain even as to which sex it belonged. The abdomen of mine is 

 very much like parta, but heavier, and a shade darker. Length of body 

 iy 2 in.; diameter of abdomen in middle, 3^ lines. Anal brush white 

 beneath and blackish above. 



