180 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



sometimes of a tawny brown with concolorous or yellowish reniform ; 

 sometimes of a yellowish brown with blackish powdery shades. The 

 transverse posterior line is occasionally wanting, as are the extra-mesial 

 geminate, black and fulvous spots on secondaries. Hardly two specimens 

 are quite alike, but there is no room for suspecting more than one species. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

 A correspondent calls our attention to an 



ENTOMOLOGICAL JOKE. 



Packard's Guide to the Study of Insects, p. 302, says of the Noctuae- 

 litse .■ " There is a great uniformity -in the genera of this family, which are 

 characterized by their thick bodies, the thorax being often crested, by the 

 stout and well-developed palpi, and the simple and sometimes slightly 

 pectinated antennae." 



The author of a tabular view and key of the more common families 

 of Insects, after stating in his preface that his material has been selected 

 for the most part from Packard's Guide to the Study of Insects and other 

 authors, makes the following astonishing statement as one of the dis- 

 tinguishing characteristics of the Noctuaelitae : " Thorax often crested by the 

 stout and well-developed palpi." 



How does Dr. Packard like this emendation ? What effect would this 

 have on Mr. Strecker if he should happen to see it just before dinner ? 

 Would not the next issue from Reading give us numerous variations on 

 ne sutor ultra crepidam ! 



The North American Entomologist. — Under this title a new 

 Entomological serial has lately been placed before the public, edited by 

 one of our esteemed contributors, A. R. Grote, of Buffalo, N. Y. It is 

 an eight-paged monthly, nicely printed and illustrated by occasional plates. 

 A portion of each -number is occupied by scientific papers on Entomo- 

 logical subjects, followed by articles having an economic bearing under 

 the heading of "Fruit and Farm," while the succeeding pages are occupied 

 by very useful " Book Notices." The first three numbers which are before 

 us contain some valuable scientific papers, as well as useful information to 

 agriculturists and fruit-growers. We welcome this new candidate for 

 public favor, and wish it every success. It is published by Reinecke, 

 Zesch & Baltz, of Buffalo, N. Y, at two dollars per annum. 



