<S8 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOOIST. 



several collections, even in that of the State Normal, have I found Papilio 

 telamonides labeled Walshii ; this, however, was in the year 1878 and '79. 



Subsequent observations will show that it is no wonder that this insect 

 has escaped the notice of many of our best collectors. 



Late in March, 1878, while walking through a thirty-five to forty-acre 

 Pawpaw grove, near Pontiac, Ills., one bright and sunny morning, the 

 ground being thinly covered with snow, which was rapidly disappearing 

 under the influence of the sun's genial warmth, Mr. W. H. Story and my- 

 self were surprised to see a Walshii flying up ; but the air being cool, it 

 soon alighted and was taken by us, a perfectly fresh example. In the 

 afternoon two more were taken, and on every bright day up to near the 

 middle of May we could have taken fresh examples of Wahhii and Abbotii ; 

 after that telamonides made its appearance and Walshii became scarce, 

 but I might mention here that in every five examples I have ever taken, at 

 least two were Abbotii. 



In 1879, the river had flooded this entire ground, and not one of the 

 latter insects were found by us there ; but, on a high piece of ground 

 some three miles from Fairbury, I found Pawpaw timber in patches scat- 

 tered here and there for over a mile, where I took a few specimens of the 

 latter two varieties, but they were very scarce, and most of those taken 

 later on were telamonides. 



In 1880, Mr. Story saw and took several of these Papilios at Pontiac, 

 and I took quite a number, but they did not ai)pear then until early in 

 April. A remarkal)le connection between Walshii and telamonides was 

 observed that year, more than before or since ; at least half of the first 

 that appeared were in size and wings real telamonides, but the tails were 

 decidedly Walshii, and in some of these the tails were in length and shape 

 like telamonides, but had the end only tipped with white, as in Walshii. 

 Abbotii too were as much mixed, and the greatest variations in the extent 

 of the red stripe on the upper secondaries existed in them. On writing 

 these observations to Mr. Edwards, he decided that all of those with the 

 least red on secondaries, forming a stripe, must be Abbotii, and suggested 

 that I should publish my observations. 



It will be remembered that during the winter of 1879 and 1880, the 

 snow fell heavily and lay all winter until the warm si)ring rains melted it; 

 and though it was bitterly cold that winter, the ground where the snow 

 had laid had not l)een frozen. This might have had some influence on the 

 above variations. 



