288 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



years' experience at sugaring. At light and sugar this evening I could 

 have taken some 58 species of moths, though of course nearly all were 

 represented in my collection. I have succeeded each year during the 

 last eight years in adding from 18 to 25 new Heterocera to my collection, 

 and hope to beat the record this year, but I certainly received a genuine 

 surprise this particular night. I had made two or three rounds with 

 cyanide bottle only, when on nearing one sugar station something that 

 appeared immense to me flew away from the locality. I thought at first 

 it was Polyphemus, but what could it be doing at sugar ? Then perhaps a 

 Catocala — never saw one so large. Though I had no lamp, I was satisfied 

 at last it was something new ; went into the house and got my net and 

 made several trips to the same spot — no results. I said to myself. Well, 

 I will wait for you, and sat down and lit a cigar. I was about two yards 

 from the spot where I first saw the apparition. I waited patiently for 

 about half an hour. Presently along came the same bat-like insect, and, 

 after a few circles, alighted on the post and commenced sucking in the 

 sugar along with the numerous moths — a giant among pigmies. As soon 

 as it was at rest, I knew it at once as Erebus odora. I watched it feed 

 awhile, a thing I never expected to see. After I netted it, I found it to be 

 a fine female — looked as if it had just emerged from cocoon — abdomen 

 was quite soft and scales in perfect condition. This I think, under the 

 circumstances, is a very interesting capture, as I understand all previous 

 ones made, in Canada at least, have occurred late in the fall and in out- 

 of-the-way places, and it has been supposed they had wandered here from 

 the .South ; but here is a perfectly fresh specimen, taken in the middle of 

 summer, apparently quite at home and taking his sweets along with the 

 rest of the Canadian moths. My own notion is it was bred in Orillia. 



C. E. Grant, Orillia, Out. 



Mailed Sept 1st, 1900. 



