THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 37 



few threads. The nearly mature larva turns over the side of the leaf, and 

 loosely stitches down the edge, but there is at no time a roof spun, nor is 

 there any roof except what the turned leaf makes. 



Such a list of blunders shows heedless and ignorant compiling. 

 Another class shows want of knowledge of the butterflies. Thus, D. 

 Portlandia is compared with N. Ca?ithus, " which it resembles quite 

 closely." It has but a very distant resemblance to Canf/ius, differing in 

 size, shape and markings. So Portlandia is compared with N. Eurytris, 

 just as erroneously as in the other case. 



As to polymorphism, the phenomena are ignored everywhere, and the 

 names of the forms often, as per Preface, but sometimes the names are 

 given. 



It certainly is proper that such a remarkable peculiarity in the life 

 history of a species should be recognised, and the different forms indicated 

 by name. Indeed they are by lepidopterists. Often they are more dis- 

 tinct from each other than are many allied species. " Mr. Sprague informs 

 me that the first brood of G. Comma is dark in color, while the next is 

 lighter." What Mr. Sprague means is this, that the brood proceeding 

 from eggs of the hibernating butterflies (form Jfarrisii), is the dark or 

 summer form ( Dryas), and the late brood, from eggs of JDryas, is Har- 

 risii. " I think however that specimens having the peculiar rusty under 

 surface to the wings are confined to particular localities, hence, judge that 

 perhaps different food plants produce varying color." Now these rusty 

 examples are the females of the form Dryas, this species being in the 

 summer form sexually dimorphic, as well as seasonally. I have repeat- 

 edly showed the distinction between the two principal forms of Comma, 

 Can. Ent., vi., 157; x., 69; xiv., 189. Also in But. N. A., vol. i, a plate 

 is devoted to each form, and each sex is figured on both surfaces. The 

 dimorphism of both sorts is universal wherever Comma is found, and food 

 has nothing to do with it, more than has locality. 



Under the head of G. Interrogationis, we are told that there are two 

 broods, in June and September, and that " Mr. Edwards states that he 

 has raised both forms Fabricii and Umbrosa from one brood of larvae, but 

 that Mr. Sprague, who has had a wide experience with our native species, 

 informs me that he has invariably found the dark form is the early or sum- 

 mer form, and the lighter the later. Consequently very early in the spring 

 he has caught Fabricii, this being the autumnal form which hibernates." 

 The dark form is Umbrosa, the name indicating the color, and is the pro- 



