THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 219 



il tate le ventre avec sa pince pour rencontrer I'endroit par ou il doit 

 s'unir a elle, &c." This is a more reasonable use of the instrument, but 

 not the only nor most important one. 



Last summer I had a good opportunity of observing the habits of this 

 insect, for every night numbers of them came into my study window in 

 the country, and lighted very conveniently upon the table at which I was 

 writing. Each one of them, before he took flight, for they were active, 

 would bend his body back and lift up the short elytra with his forceps 

 before the tvings wonld expand, and this they did invariably. They would 

 do this a dozen times in as many minutes, and not one of them ever took 

 flight without performing this manouvre. The forceps were not used to 

 fold the semicircular wings, but only to elevate the wing covers before 

 flying. I have examined a number of writers upon I<oTficula, but not one 

 of them mentions this remarkable fact, which I observed for many con- 

 n cutive nights, and I have no doubt of the truth of it. This, then, I 

 believe is the real and perhaps only function of the instrument. 



Jno. G. Morris, Baltimore. 



erebus zenobia. 

 Dear Sir, — 



On the night of the 6th of September, 1877, George C. Thomas took 

 near Racine, Wis., a fine male Erebus zenobia Cram. On the night of the 

 15th of September I captured, in similar condition, a female of the same 

 species. So far as I can learn, there is but one other instance of this 

 species being taken in North America. H. Strecker says that one speci- 

 men was taken at or near Davenport, Iowa, several years since. The 

 taking of this West Indian species at Racine is but adding another to the 

 numerous instances where Southern forms visit us. I have repeatedly 

 called attention to this peculiarity of the Racine fauna. Southern forms 

 go much further north than they do east of the great lakes ; especially is 

 this true of birds and insects. 



I send a photograph of the ^ . Expands 5 inch ; % 7 inch. 



P. A. Hoy, M. D., Racine, Wisconsin. 



[We are greatly indebted to Dr. Hoy for the photograph of this rare 

 and very interesting insect. — Ed. C. E.] 



