50 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



BRIEF NOTES OF A TRIP TO POINT PELEE, WITH 



ADDITIONS TO OUR LIST OF CANADIAN 



BUTTERFLIES. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



During the summer of 1882, we paid a flying visit to Point Pelee, in 

 company with some friends who were interested in Botany. This point 

 of land extends directly south into Lake Erie, near the eastern boundary 

 of the County of Essex, and is among the most southerly points in the 

 Province of Ontario. On the west side of the Point the land is chiefly 

 marsh until near the extremity, and is a prolific hunting ground for sports- 

 men in search of water-fowl ; it is also a breeding place for millions of 

 Neuropterous insects. The east shore is sandy, and between this and the 

 marsh are several farms and a considerable area of uncultivated arable 

 land more or less covered with woods. 



We reached Essex Centre, on the Canada Southern Railway, the 

 nearest point of access by rail, at 7 p. m., on the 28th of June, where we 

 hired a vehicle and driver for three or four days, and drove that evening 

 over an excellent road 18 miles to Leamington. The night was spent 

 here and an early start made the next morning for the Point. A drive of 

 about three miles brought us to the base of the Point, and after a 

 journey of about eight miles farther, we reached the upper extremity. 

 . The day was warm and pleasant, and during the last portion of this 

 drive we saw more Dragon-flies and other Neuropterous insects than we 

 had ever seen in our lives before ; they literally swarmed everywhere, 

 especially in sunny spots. They flew in our faces and buzzed about 

 our ears as we were driving, and settled on our clothing in considerable 

 numbers. After catching all that could be conveniently carried, we 

 amused ourselves by swinging the net in different directions, catching a 

 few dozen and then letting them fly again. Among the most numerous 

 species were Libellula basalis, L. tri7naculata.,L. extista, Diplax i?itacta, 

 and D. rtibictindula, with some others undetermined. During the drive 

 there also floated past us on rapid wing several specimens of Papilio 

 cresphontes and one or two P. maj-ceUiis, but they flew with the prevailing 

 wind directly over the swamp, where pursuit was impracticable. As we 

 passed a sunny spot in the woods, approaching the end of our journey, a 

 small dark-colored insect was seen hovering about some flowers growing 



