282 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



barren, and quite different from either parent." When the Professor v/rote 

 his description, he was not confident that it was distinct from Gloveri. 

 Since then Miss Morton has reared Columbia -and Gloveri side by side, 

 and she says : " The difference between their larvae is marked in all their 

 stages, whilst the cocoons also differ in size and texture." But she con- 

 siders Columbia to be closer to Gloveri than to any other of the genus, 

 and she has had large experience in rearing all of them. It is known by 

 those who have handled them to be an easy thing to separate Columbia 

 cocoons from all the other Platysamias, but there seems to be some 

 difference of opinion as to what especially distinguishes the moth from 

 Cecropia. That Columbia varies somewhat with the locality where found 

 seems certain. The Quebec and Maine forms, as illustrated by Bowles 

 and Strecker, do not strikingly resemble the Michigan specimens, which, 

 Miss Morton says, are quite constant in general appearance. Prof. J. B. 

 Smith states that all the Columbias that he has seen are very much alike. 

 I sent a specimen from Miss Morton's cocoons to Dr. Brodie, of Toronto, 

 who has given Columbia a good deal of attention, and he said it did not 

 much resemble any Columbia he had ; and if he had received it without 

 data, he would have pronouiiced it a diminutive Cecropia. This to me 

 was decidedly confusing, and set me wondering if there were no points 

 of difference whereby to separate the two species unmistakably. 



When taking a general survey of the two moths, the attention is at 

 once arrested by the smaller size and darker colour of Columbia. But 

 there are gradations in these. A very small Cecropia is at times obtained. 

 The male from Mr. Elliot's cocoons is extremely dark, whilst a female re- 

 ceived from Miss Morton does not perceptibly differ in general shading 

 from some Cecropias. So, single specimens could give no certain indica- 

 tion from these differences. 



With six authentic Columbias before me, and several fresh examples of 

 Cecropia, I will take up that part of Prof. S. 1. Smith's original description, 

 where he contrasts the two species, and comment upon it in sections. 



" This species differs materially from S. cecropia. The male has the 

 antennae, palpi, thorax and legs much darker." Correct, as a rule. " The 

 short grey (or whitish) band on the hind part of the thorax is not found in 

 S. cecropia." I have a male Cecropia with an indication of it, and in one 

 of the Columbias it is not visible. " The discal spots of all the wings are 

 white, instead of dull red with a white centre." In one of the Columbias, 

 the spots are quite red. " The transverse bands of both pairs of wings 



