THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 239 



On being informed of the seizures, we wrote to the Secretary of the 

 Treasury, explaining the objects of our Society in this matter, referring to 

 past usage and also to the fact that these pins Avere only used for scientific 

 purposes. In reply the Secretary holds that Entomological pins must take 

 their place alongside of other pins and pay a duty of 35 per cent., and 

 that the transmission of such packages by mail is contrary to law. At the 

 same time he kindly instructed the collector at Detroit to waive the usual 

 charges on seized goods and deliver the pins in his possession on payment 

 of duties only. We shall hence in future be prevented from supplying 

 our members in the U. S. with pins by parcel post. 



On enquiring from the collector as to whether small quantities of pins 

 might be sent by letter postage, we received in reply a copy of the circular 

 sent from the Treasury Department. As this circular speaks only of 

 packages, we presume that pins in small quantities enclosed in letters, 

 covered by the usual letter postage, will not be interfered with. 



Sheet cork, which is liable to a duty of 30 per cent., will also, we 

 understand, be subject to seizure, but since the packages we send seldom 

 exceed fifty cents in value, we do not know whether they would be 

 regarded as of sufficient importance to warrant the trouble of the corre- 

 spondence attending such seizures. On this point we have applied for 

 information, but have failed to obtain it. Any packages of this sort sent 

 in future will be at the risk of the parties ordering them. Either pins or 

 cork can be safely sent in any quantities by express, subject to the duties 

 mentioned. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



CATOCALA MARMORATA. 



Catocala marmorata may now safely be put down as one of the regu- 

 larly settled species of this locality. An intimate friend and fellow 

 hunter, in company with myself, took five examples this season, which, 

 with four I took last year, makes nine in all, which is a pretty good showing 

 for a single locality of an insect which, though seemingly diffused over a 

 large territory, is nevertheless one of the rarest of the genus it so royally 

 represents. Mr. Charles Dury, who took one last year, reports another 



