32 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



When quite fresh the wings are clear white and black, and rather opaque, 

 but with exposure speedily become sordid, yellowish and less opaque. 

 Veins all are honey color. Discal spots thin black, touching the costa, 

 but separated from black base, and yet more widely from dark margin ; 

 at the cross vein in centre is the lunule, narrow, obtusely angled, the 

 angle clean cut and pointing toward the head. Discal spots on second- 

 aries small, black, never with any lunule or central mark whatever. 

 Habitat, Southern California. Types in author's museum. 



This species has heretofore been run in with H. Nevadensis, Stretch, 

 but must be separated because of the red tufts on thorax, the white spots 

 on abdomen beneath, the color of the nervules across the black margin, 

 the angled lunules on primaries and absence of lunules on secondaries, in 

 all of which the differences are persistent and without intergrades. In- 

 deed, there appears to be as great difference between H. Calif omica and 

 Nevadensis, as between Nevadensis and the Eastern Maia. 



Notes on the Life History of Hemileuca Californica. 



This insect is quite local, being found in comparatively few places, 

 but is fairly abundant in such localities as it frequents. Like many other 

 species of Lepidoptera, it is often abundant one year, and nearly wanting 

 the next. This present season it has been more scarce than I have ever 

 before found it. 



It is first seen on the wing in the latter part of October, males and 

 females appearing at about the same time, and it continues about three 

 weeks. The flight is labored and clumsy, so that they often fly against 

 sticks or twigs, yet vigorous and sustained. It flies only in the heat of 

 the day, and by three o'clock, or at the first whiff of cool afternoon air, it 

 hangs up for the night. The line of flight is undulatory, with a wavy up 

 and down motion, and slow, so that it is very easily taken in the net, or 

 it may be often caught in the hands. 



The insect does not feed at all, nor drink, but spends the whole time 

 of its few days of life in the business of reproduction solely ; its large 

 body contains sufficient nutriment to sustain it a sufficient length of time 

 to enable it to fulfil its destiny. They are rather handsome when fresh, 

 but a clumsy flight among weeds and bushes speedily ruins ali good 

 looks. The male is gay with his showy red anal tuft, and his deeply 

 pectinated antennae show off beautifully as he flies slowly past with them 

 gracefully arched in front of him. If caught when fresh, he flaps his 



