294 THE CANADUN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



" DIE SATURNIIDEN." 



Sir, — In comment upon my friend Dr. Dyar's kind notice of my 

 classification of the Saturniides, I would say that I believe the stinging 

 spines of Hemileuca and Aidomeris may have developed along different 

 lines from an initiatory existence in a common ancestor. I place, there- 

 fore, the origin of these groups lower down, approximating, in my "tree." 

 Hemileuca seems to me to have differentiated from the lower and primi- 

 tive type (which latter is Agliid and has retained more of the Ti?ieides 

 characters) by the achieving of the Saturniid character of the forking of 

 IV, and IV,. This character is of the first importance and indicates the 

 original divergence of the primitive group. In my " tree," I show by the 

 relative heights the relative specialization of the subfamilies. With regard 

 to Aglia, it does not seem to me to be necessary that the larva  should 

 have reacquired, but merely retained, the anal tubercles which have be- 

 come lost in Citheronia. The latter is a degenerate type. In my "tree," 

 I have carried Citheronia beyond the base of tne Aglia stem, to show its 

 independent devolution \ but only a little way beyond, because, in a 

 vertical view, Citlieronia represents the lowest Saturnian form, retaining 

 vein VIII., which both Aglia and Aiitomeris have lost. I place 

 Autonieris higher than Hemileuca, which Dr. Dyar has not noticed, 

 Aidomeris and Aglia are more specialized in other directions, but have 

 retained the primitive location of IV,. All these points have been con- 

 sidered in my " tree." A. Radcliffe Grote, A. M. 



RARE BUTTERFLIES. 



Euptoieta Claudia. — Toronto, 1893 (am not sure of month, but think I 



took it in July). 

 Libythea Bachmani. — Caesarea, 12th August, 1896. 

 Satyrus Alope. — Niagara Falls, Canadian side, 14th July, 1896. 

 Colias Caesonia.— Toronto, 13th, 20th, and 27th June, 1896. Fairly 



common. 

 Papilio Ajax. — Toronto, -27th June, 1896. Saw several specimens, but 



only took the one. Saw first one on 14th June. 

 Pieris Oleracea. — Estiva — Caesarea, 12th August, 1896. 



Arthur Gibson, Toronto. 



Mailed November 3rd. 



