p 



1901 ENTOMOLOaiOAL SOCIETY. 83 



fortnight's vacation at Fortune's Rocks, near Biddeford, Maine, and the day after my arrival 

 I came across a fine patch of milkweed in the centre of a hayfield, the plants flourishing there 

 owing to the ground in this spot being higher than the rest and rocky, so the mowing machines 

 failed to do their deadly work. The usual array of butterflies were eager to quench their thirst, 

 and an occasional bee moth, Hemaris thysbe, darted about from flower to flower. Being close to 

 the house where I was staying I felt that now was the chance to see whether the plants were not 

 something else than " butterOy weeds," and on the evening of July 8th I sallied forth at about 

 7.15, armed with a net and two cj'anide bottles. The first insect I saw was a big dragon fly 

 busily engaged among the mosquitoes, which were exceedingly voracious. Nothing was on the 

 blossoms but a few belated ichneumons and bees when I first arrived, but about 7.20 the 

 Heliophila pallens and adonea appeared in perfect swarms, crawling all over the blooms. At 

 7.30 it began to be more like twilight and something dashed through the field and hovered near . 

 me over the plants. My first shot missed it, but it soon returned to another flower head and 

 was captured — a Sphinx gordius (fig. 48). A moment later I had another of the same kind. 

 Then a smaller dark fellow appeared, evidently a hawk moth, but new to me — Dolba hylaeus^ 

 (fig. 47.) With this and the first gordins in one bottle, and the second gordius alive in the 

 other, I was beginning to wonder what I should do if another Sphinx came along. It soon 

 came in the shape of S. kalmiae (fig. 49), so I put the three previous captures in one bottle and 

 he kalmiae in the other, when another kalmiae hovered right in front of me, but before I struck 

 at it I noticed a few steps further on another Dolha hyJaeus, and thinking this too great a prize 

 to miss on account of a kalmiae, I made a stroke through the plant and to my surprise found I 

 had not only the Dolha but tvpo S. gordius as well. Didn't the scales fly from their wings ? By 

 this time the patch was simply alive with Sphingidae, and having filled both bottles I returned ta 

 the house, but found most of the specimens had sufi'ered through being put into too small a space 

 while alive. I should have known better, but one who has been accustomed to catching perhaps 

 a dozen Sphingidae in a season is not likely to abstain from catching as many as possible when 

 occasion arises, therefore any one knowing of an isolated patch of milkweed in full bloom during 

 the flying season of the Sphingidae should go prepared. 



The following evening seemed even more, favorable, and I took my whole stock of bottles, 

 four in number, a tin box charged with cyanide, and a box with cotton wool in it, — and Mrs. Winn 

 accompanied me with another net. As on the previous night it was about 7 30 before any 

 Sphingidae showed up, about half a dozen Dolba hylaens arriving simultaneously, then Sphinx 

 gordius, these two being always first — perhaps because there were more of them. A (S. Kalmiae 

 then flew over the patch without settling down, and with a sudden raising of the wings of one 

 side darted across the field again, only to return in a few seconds. The eye could easily follow 

 this species in the partial light owing to the light brown color, and they were noticeably shy till 

 it becama almost dark, perhaps instinct taught them that their colors were not a protection 

 while hovering over flowers and dark leaves, though what enemies they have other than human 

 beings I do not know. We used the bottles one a'ter the other, and when No. 4 was occupied 

 the Sphinx in No. 1 was transferred to the cyanide box in case there might be any life left in 

 him ; then No. 2 into the box, and so on. Even then we could not kill them half quickly- 

 enough — and every minute some new kinds seemed to be appearing. Philampelus achemon,. 

 Sphinx drupiferarxtm, Deilephila lineata, Darapsa chcerilus and myron were plentiful, and a 

 single Sphnix luscitiosa. There were so many specimens on the same head of flowers that it 

 was difficult to pick out a particular one from among the humming throng. We soon found that 

 making a stroke upwards was the only way to catch one at a time, a stroke through the blooms 

 or downward over it meant at least a aozen — and pandemonium. 



Wp soon got acquainted with the habits and appearance of the different species — the little 

 yDolba hvl-ie-i being easily noticed by its small size and dark color and keeping mostly to the 



