76 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The generic name Beta, proposed by Brunner in 1893 for two 

 unnamed species in his collection from Texas and Colorado, is proved by 

 a specimen sent me by him to be the same as my Phlibostroma (1875). 

 His Pseudostauronotus, proposed -at the same time and manner, is 

 identical, as a specimen sent me shows, with my Stirapleura. 



A REMARKABLE APPEARANCE OF CATOCALA 



INSOLABILIS. 



On Friday, June 6th, 1896, the first Catocalas were noticed in this 

 locality for the season. Three Ttisolabilis were taken. The weather was 

 hot — 87" in the shade at i o'clock. The Saturday following was also 

 hot, and Catocalas were abundant. During the forenoon twelve were 

 taken on trees near the house. In the afternoon twenty-one more were 

 taken on trees at some distance from the house, and in the evening, at 

 sugar, twenty-three more were captured. Of the entire number (56) fifty 

 were Insolabilis, one Nurus, three Ilia^ one Uxor, and one Marmorata. 

 Sunday the weather was still hot, and on the way to and from church 

 Catocalas could be seen on nearly every tree. The wind continued south- 

 west. On Monday the wind had changed to south-east, and the Catocalas 

 were still present, but resting higher up on the trees. This being a work 

 day, I had but little time for observation or collection. After school 

 hours, however, a few minutes were spent in the woods, and the Catocalas 

 were found hard to capture. When startled they would light high up in 

 the trees, sometimes fully twenty feet from the ground, and some would 

 even alight upon the leaves of the trees. At dusk Insolabilis came to the 

 sugar in abundance, and thirty were taken before it was dark enough to 

 need a lantern. In all, fifty-seven were taken on Monday, all but five 

 being Insolabilis. On Tuesday the wind was north-west, and not a Cato- 

 cala was to be seen. Not one came to sugar that evening. The only 

 Catocala that was seen on Tuesday was snapped out of a tree by a scarlet 

 Tanager and immediately torn to pieces. 



I have talked with other collectors of this vicinity, and all seem to 

 have secured a goodly share of Itisolabilis. 



In the parks and suburbs of Chicago there were literally thousands 

 of /«Wrt!^/7/.y during the three days. Previous to this remarkable flight 

 the species was not common, so far as I have been able to ascertain. 



Arthur J. Snyder, North Evanston, 111, 



