224 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOCJIST. 



great number. From the fresh, unrubbed condition of all those seen he 

 then thought that they could not have flown far, and that possibly they 

 might have been bred upon some of the plants on the Government 

 grounds. Since hearing Mr. Bethune's paper, however, he was more in- 

 clined to favor the migration theory. 



Mr. J. Alston Moffat reported that on Friday night, 7th Oct., immense 

 swarms had appeared at Hamilton. He was informed by a friend that 

 on that evening they had been around the electric lights literally in mil- 

 lions — the numbers being so great that he could not attempt to give an 

 idea of them, other than by saying that all the insects previously observed 

 by him were as nothing in comparison. Mr. Moffat visited the section of 

 the city where they had been most numerous, on the following afternoon, 

 and found the ground for a space of several yards around each electric 

 light pole covered with these insects, every inch having at least one moth. 

 Immense numbers had been crushed under foot, but the rest were lively, 

 and darted off in their accustomed manner when disturbed. That night 

 they were very abundant, but Sunday evening was wet and their numbers 

 were lessened. 



Mr. J. M. Denton said that in London the moths had not been ob- 

 served, although there was an electric light quite near his house. 



After the discussion the general opinion of the meeting was that a 

 migration seemed indicated, and it was resolved that endeavors should be 

 made to find out if the moths had been observed at points intermediate 

 between Canada and the Southern States. 



Mr. Fletcher exhibited some beautiful paintings, kindly loaned by Mr. 

 Scudder, of four species of Thecla, viz., sirigosa, acadica, calaiius and 

 Edwardsii, and he also showed specimens of several species of these 

 butterflies, and pointed out the points of distinction or aftinity. 



It being one o'clock, the meeting adjourned until 2.30 p. m. 



The afternoon session opened by the reading of a paper contributed 

 by Prof. E. W. Claypole, " Suggestions to Teachers on Collecting and 

 Preserving Insects," followed by two by Capt. Gamble Geddes on 

 "Several Remarkable Captures during the Summer of 1887 in Ontario," 

 and " Notes on the Genus Argynnis v/hilst Alive in the Imago State." In 

 the discussion which followed the former paper, Mr. Moffat described his 

 own capture of the ^ of Felecinus polycerator, and Mr. Fletcher de- 

 scribed the unusual abundance at Ottawa of Colias philodice. At an 

 excursion of tlie Field Naturalists' Club to Brittania, a {'iw miles from the 



