28 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



"Oh! And is it in October flies talk ? says he. How interesting ! After all, the one 

 subject never quite mastered is natural history. It is a,\wa,ya full of surprises." 

 ' If flies do not talk, they have some mysterious mode of communicating wiih their kind. 



One evening, when I resided in England, returning to my home I noticed a number of large 

 handsome moths fluttering around an out-building. I looked about and saw others, coming 

 from all quarters, and as far as the eye could see. I recogniztd them as males of the species 

 Lasiocawpa quercvs. Presently it occurred to me that a female of the species might have 

 come from a cocoon in my insect breeding cage. I opened the door of the out-building, and — 

 in flocked the moths. So intent were they upon paying their respects to the lady moth, who 

 was really within, that they Hew into my hands as I undid the gauze covering of the cage. 

 What called them ? A voice unheard by man — a subtle effluvium — or emanations yet more 

 strange ? We know not ; but they came from far and near, full of life and eneij^y. The 

 female chose her mate ; and the rest fluttered disconsolately away, or fell inertly to the 

 ground. 



IV. The term life is applied to the habits and mode of Hying. We say, what a strange 

 life to lead ! 



The Broad-leaved Aitev {Aster macropliyllus h.) ^rows in patches of considerable size in 

 the woods around Levis. In the month of June of this year I noticed that many of the large 

 ground leaves of the plant were folded over, from both sides, and crinkled. On opening one of 

 them I found that a larva had turned the leaf into a cool and pleasant tent for itself, and was 

 feeding upon the parenchyma of the leaf. 



This larva was about nine lines in length, and was of a pale green, with dorsal, sub-dorsal 

 and side lines of darker green. The head and second segment were jet black and glossy. The 

 fore-part of the third segment was dull brown — ori the after part of it were four conspicuous 

 white patches. At intervals, along the subdorsal lines, and elsewhere on the body, were 

 round jet black dots. The spiracles were black. The under side of the larva was pale green. 

 The claspers and anal segment were marked with black. 



On June 25th the larva span a capsule-like, white cocoon, open atone end, for the exit of 

 the moth. Its plan was to place itself on the under side of a fresh leaf, upon the midrib ; 

 then to affix its threads at a certain distance on either side of the rib, and to draw so much of 

 the leaf as lay between, into a fold or crease. Within this it formed its cocoon. 



The moths appeared on July lOth. The insect measured when displayed ten and a half 

 lines across. Its body was four lines in length, and its autennje three lines. The palpi were 

 dark brown, turned back usually. The basal part of them was spindle-shaped ; the terminal 

 point was smaller, long and pointed. 



The fore-wings were brown, clouded with darker brown towards the hind margin. They 

 had a sub-terminal line of paler brown spots bordered with black. Beyond the centre of the 

 wings was a pale brown horse-shoe like mark, not very distinct. 



The secondaries were grey with a lighter well-marked sub-terminal line, and a grey fringe. 

 The body was tufted at the extremity. The tarsi were ringed with white. 



Professor Fernald tells me that the moth belongs to the genus Trichotoplte, Clem. He 

 does not know the species.. I think it probable, therefore, that it is unnamed ; and I venture 

 to-give it the provisional name of Trichotophe Levissella. Its life is a curious one. 



I have raised from this species the parasite Hemiteles imieronatus, Prov. 



The mode of life of a Tortoise Beetle that has lately made its appearance in the neighbor- 

 hood of Quebec is a remarkable one. The larva feeds on the burdock and the thistle. It 

 moulds its exuvias and dejecta into a screen which it supports over its body by means of is 

 forked tail — thus disguising itself from its enemies, and sheltering itself from the hot sun. 

 When it goes into pupa it cements itself to the leaf. The pupa is brown and drab, and, round 



