26 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



are eagerly sought after by collectors. My spare time this season was 

 spent in collecting Catocalas. In this part of the country they may be 

 found from the first of June till the first of November. Amasia and 

 ultronia are seen first; I took a fine amasia on the 29th of May, and an 

 ultrojiiaon the loth of June. Cara and several other species may be 

 found as late as the first of November. 



Oak woods, where the trees are young and sufficiently scattered to 

 admit the sunlight, are the most favorable places for collecting. In a 

 small piece of woods of not more than four acres, I captured thirty-two 

 specimens, among which were thirteen different species. I was unable to 

 visit the place more than eight times ; probably many more could have 

 been taken had my visits been more frequent. My collecting was done 

 in this manner : On approaching a tree I examined the trunk carefully up 

 as high as the first limbs ; if a Catocala was seen, and low enough down 

 to reach, I used a paper box (collar box) to secure the prize, but if high 

 up the net was brought into requisition. If I failed to find one, I gave 

 the tree a vigorous shake, and if one was lurking anywhere about the 

 trunk it was sure to start up and fly, generally but a short distance, when 

 it would settle, and by cautiously approaching the tree I found no diffi.- 

 culty in securing it. Sometimes two would start up from one tree, 

 generally male and female, and in such a case it was no easy matter to 

 follow both of them ; still I generally managed to secure them. As I 

 examined trees I marked them with chalk to save the trouble of working 

 the ground twice over. 



Catocalas, like the lappet moths, usually alight on objects that har- 

 monize with their own colors. Those with light grey fore wings were 

 found on white oak (Qiierais alba), and those with dark wings, like 

 cpione and cara, on black oak ( Querais 7iigra). 



In a late number of the Entomologist, Mr. Grote gave us a list of 

 the Catocalas, fifty-nine in number ; he now adds four new ones to the 

 list. My impression is that additional species will be found in the northern 

 and middle States. 



