﻿62 Journal New York Ent. Soc. [Voi. iii. 



NOTES ON A COLLECTING TOUR IN CONNECTICUT. 



By R. L. DiTMARS. 



The Naugatuck River district of Connecticut is a collecting ground 

 so rich in material that it seems queer to me, of it's not being mentioned 

 more by our local collectors. For the last four years I have made short 

 trips to the Capitol, Hartford, and hearing so much about the beautiful 

 Naugatuck Valley, determined to spend my vacation in that district. 



Last July found me in the heart of the Naugatuck Hills, at the little 

 village of Greystone, about four miles from Waterbury. Here the hills 

 are about 900 to 1,000 feet high, covered with a rich vegetation, and 

 probably offer some northern forms in the line of Lepidoptera. 



Besides being interested in entomology, I am also interested in 

 herpetology, and was highly delighted when informed that the rattle- 

 snake was found in this district, and it is a fact that where the deadly 

 Crotalus is found, collecting is apt to be very good, as it shows that 

 few have been in that locality. My first specimen taken in this district 

 was a fine fresh specimen of Siiieriiithus myops, which flew into my win- 

 dow on the night I arrived. 



The first few days were devoted to collecting in the valley, and 

 here I noticed the larvae of Limenitis disippiis feeding on the willow. 

 Papilio asterias and troiliis were abundant, tiiniiis more rare, only one 

 variety glaiiciis was seen ; P. cresp/iontes was rare ; Pio'is rapes was not 

 seen at all ; Argynnis cyhele was very abundant, idalia rather scarce, 

 iiiyrina abundant, both in the valley and on the mountain side ; Satyriis 

 alope and nephele were rather common. Deb is portlandia seemed very 

 scarce, only one battered specimen was seen during my stay. 

 Heterocera were well represented ; it was on a very warm day at noon 

 that I happened to be passing along an unused road, and in stepping 

 into the shade to rest noticed across from me a little dell in which the 

 milk-weed was flowering ; seeing something dart past and enter, I fol- 

 lowed and found it to be a specimen of Hemaris diffinis. \\\ half an 

 hour ten good specimens were bottled, after which I could see no more; 

 so after taking some very large Argynnis cybele, left the place, intend- 

 ing to return next day ; the next day I did return and for an hour looked 

 for Hemaris and caught only one, the last one taken during my entire 

 stay, although the weather continued much the same and I hunted dili- 

 gently. 



