THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 279 



colour more in evidence. The head, shield and plate are light in colour, 

 shining, and of normal proportions. The spiracles are all black ; th'e 

 tubercles are umber and do not stand out very strongly. On thoracic 

 joints two and three, I. a and I. b are hardly discernible ; II. b, III. and 

 IV. in their triangular setting are less noticeable than ordinary, the first 

 named very small, the second intermediate, and the last large, of the size 

 usually seen. On seventh abdominal segment IV. is situated at the 

 upper corner of the spiracle, indicative of a root borer. All legs light, the 

 crochets alone showing black. The head, lacking the side line, measures 

 .12 inches across; the entire length of larva is 1.7 inches. Maturity is 

 reached about August 19. 



The pupa is very cylindrical ; colour a light chestnut brown. There 

 is little divergence from the usual form, though attention might be drawn 

 to the conspicuousness of the eyes, showing darkly through the shell. 

 The anal segment is also much darker. The cremaster consists of 

 two sharp parallel spurs. Length .8 inches; duration of condition about 

 twenty-eight days. 



Previous to the pupal change the larva makes a slight attempt at 

 lining or plugging a portion of its burrow with bits gnawed from the 

 harder parts of the stalk and fastened with a few silken shreds, this acting 

 as a sort of cushion upon which the pupa rests. This has been noticed 

 occasionally with other species, but seems the rule with rutila. An 

 irregular opening for the moth to escape is made through the epidermis, 

 but this outer skin is left intact. In a few days it becomes black, looking 

 like a blister or contusion, and offers a point upon which the collector 

 may profitably work. There being no swellings and only an occasional 

 dead stalk, it is often a hard matter finding these fellows. 



Hydroecia impecuniosa, Grt. 



Never for a moment had this species been considered as belonging 

 to the local fauna ; indeed, such a rarity seemed quite out of ordinary 

 reach. The few scattering examples that had found their way into 

 collections, though showing it widely distributed, were so insignificant in 

 point of numbers that a "round-up " of goodly proportions was especially 

 gratifying. The discovery of the larva savours so of luck, pure and 

 simple, that a statement of the case may not be without interest. 



The large number of Hydrcecia larvre that were desired for compari- 

 son last season made special effort necessary, and one day when gathering 

 in a quantity of cataphrada^ which happened in this case to be boring 



