204 



THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



larva, and still more resembles the perfect insect. The accompanying 

 Fig- 20. figure (No. 20) of a pupa of a species of s£sch?ia, 



nearly allied to L. trimaculata, will give an idea 

 of the appearance of that of our Dragon-fly. 



When about to become a perfect insect, the 

 pupa climbs up some suitable plant near the 

 surface of the water and attaching itself firmly 

 awaits the last great change. In a short time 

 the skin opens down the back, and the adult 

 Dragon-fly, by bending backwards and forwards 

 for some time, emerges. It only requires to 

 remain a few hours till its wings attain their full size 

 and hardness, when it starts off on a life long 

 expedition of plunder. 



REMARKS ON RECENT NAMES GIVEN TO SOME 

 LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 



BY H. K. MORRISON, OLD CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



Looking over some recent papers, by one of our most careful and 

 distinguished naturalists, well known by his contributions to all branches 

 of Natural History, but more particularly to Lepidopterists by his exhaus- 

 tive studies on the genera of North American Bombycidae, we were 

 surprised to see the numerous and apparently unnecessary repetitions of 

 the same specific name in closely allied genera and families. 



In a single article on the Phalaenidae of California, there are in this 

 group alone ten species named Califomiaria or Californiata. If the 

 Phalaenidae were an immense group, containing many distinct generic 

 types but loosely connected by intermediate forms, so large a number of 

 species of the same name would be opposed to all precedent in nomen- 

 clature. But, on the contrary, there is no group so compact, none in 

 which the genera are so difficult to define, and united by stronger and 



