140 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



on the scarcity of papiuonid/e. 

 Dear Sir, — 



I have seen very few Papilionidce of any species this season up to date, 

 except q/ax, which has been abundant as ever. But of turnus, usually 

 exceedingly plenty in spring, I have seen scarcely half a dozen examples. 

 No troilus and few philenor. So Colias philodice and all Pierids have been 

 remarkable for their absence. But butterflies from hybernating larvae, or 

 hybernating imagos, in contrast with, those from hybernating chry- 

 salids, have been abundant — Melitseas, Argynids, Vanessans and 

 Satyrids. On 2nd June, 1877, I rode for several miles along a creek 

 not far from where I live, and Papilios swarmed. Passing a flat rock by 

 the side of the creek, a space on it, which I computed as not less 

 than four feet square, was studded with Papilios as thick as they could 

 stand. When they rose it was like a cloud. Nine-tenths of these were 

 turnus. Allowing one square inch to each butterfly, and'this is ample, 

 there were upwards of 2,300 butterflies in that mass. And I passed lesser 

 groups with every mile as I rode ; so that the total absence of the species 

 this year is remarkable. It would seem possible that the extreme mild- 

 ness of last winter allowed of the existence or activity of enemies (insect 

 probably) who sought out and destroyed the chrysalids, but why a/ax 



should have escaped is beyond my conjecture. 



W. H. Edwards. 

 Coalburgh, W. Va., i6thjune, 1878. # 



Dear Sir, — 



Mr. Bates is quite right in saying Doryphora will eat Solatium dulca- 

 mara and Datura stramonium ; they have preferred these to tomatoes in 

 my garden. A friend found them eating Hyoscyamus. The present season 

 seems exceedingly favorable to production of Nematus and other grubs 

 destructive of the currants and gooseberries. 



H. H. Crofts, Toronto, Ont. 



Dear Sir,— 



A single specimen of the rare Sphinx. Lepisesia flavofasciata, was 

 taken here on Lilac blossoms, May 2Sth. 



Chas. Fish, Old Town, Maine. 



