THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 35 



thoroughly correct])' named collection of the natural habitations is more 

 instructive than all the pictures or descriptions, however faithful or accurate 

 they may be. Every species of insect has a peculiar mode of working in 

 its early stages, aad there is a kind of non-deviation in the work which a 

 practical eye can trace, and say : " I can name the genus or species which 

 produced that." 1 am fully aware that every Entomologist will not coin- 

 cide with me, nor acknowledge that all Lepidopterous insects belonging to 

 any certain genus produce cocoons of almost similar form, but I believe 

 they do ; and without dwelling on the reason or specific causes for recently 

 transferring the following insects to distinct genera, suffice it to say that 

 they were at one time included under one genus. 1 will now state why 1 

 should separate them on the structural dissimilarity of their cocoons, for 

 on examining them and comparing them we discover a decided difference 

 in their forms, that is to say , the cocoon of Attacus cccropia is greatly dif- 

 ferent from that of A. polyphemus, and the cocoon of A. /una is to a certain 

 degree not like the latter, while that of A. promeihea is always differently 

 situated and formed from any of the former. To more fully strengthen my 

 argument that almost all species of Lepidoptera copy each other, in the 

 formation of the coverings made by the larva, 1 may mention that a 

 cocoon found by me at Quebec, and which, from its likeness to that of 

 Ctxropia, I took to be that insect, was afterwhrds brought home by Mr. 

 Bowles, and in due time produced Samia Columbia, a new species des- 

 cribed by Mr. S. J. Smith in 1865. I could also give similar instances in 

 the great family of Ifymcuoptcra, but I shall leave any further remarks for 

 another paper. 



NOTES ON LEPIDOPTEROUS LARVAE. 



BY W. SAUNDKRS, LONDON, ONI'. 



NOCTTJA CLANDESTINA ( Drury ). 



Young specimens of the larva of this species were found last year, about 

 half grown, under chips and logs in open fields early in May. They had 

 evidently wintered in the larval state, and had but lately aroused from their 

 winters sleep. No description of the larva was taken until May 25th, 

 when it was full grown. 



Length 1-25 inch, cylindrical. 



Head : medium sized, flattened, black, with two diverging whitish lines 



