412 NATURAL HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA, 



not know ; also a Phileurus, and several Lamellicorns of genera 

 with which I am unacquainted. I have at least two species of 

 Passalus. Of all the plants about here Cnicus horridulus is 

 the best for insects ; on this we take all our large butterflies, 

 including eight species of Swallow-tails, various Hesperice, 

 Rhodocera Marcell'ma, a great number of bees, several Cimicites, 

 Elaterites, Cv/rculionites, Buprestites, Leptura, Crioceris, and 

 Chlam^s. 



I saw Papilio S'mon in plenty in the streets of Wheeling : at 

 this place I have taken five, but they are difficult to catch, 

 flying swiftly through the bushes, and rarely alighting ; they 

 must be taken as they casually pass ; it is no use to follow 

 them. There are some interesting bees and other Hymeno- 

 ptera now out, but very few Tenthredinites, and no Diptera 

 worth noticing, with the exception of one ^ne Anthrax. The grass- 

 hoppers are coming out, but there appear to be very few species. 



*S'^. Johns Bluff) June 6th, 1838. — I know you will blame 

 me for not catching fine things, but you do not know how much 

 work it takes to obtain any great number of species. Of one 

 species of Cicindela you may catch any quantity you please. 

 When the Cacti were in flower we could take abundance of 

 Trichius piger, and of a Leptura of which I know not the spe- 

 cific name. In one family of butterflies, the Hesperidoe., I have 

 had great success ; of these I have at least twenty-two distinct 

 species, but, with the exception of H. Proteus and one other, 

 they are by no means brilliant ; some of the specimens of 

 Proteus are very fine, but they all lose their tails in the bushes. 

 Of the genus Thecla there are eight species ; two of these are 

 very handsome. Of moths I have taken here about two hun- 

 dred species, besides T'meites and Tortricites ; but the species 

 are not nearly so numerous as at Trenton Falls : on one or two 

 nights they came indeed by swarms, but on many a warm dark 

 night scarce one came near. Many small Coleoptera came to 

 the lights, especially Cistelidce and Cerambycidce ; the latter 

 are chiefly little fellows, like Saperda populi, or about that size; 

 only one Longicorn is at all fine ; but Robert Foster has taken 

 a splendid pair of CalUchroma on the flowers of the palmetto. 

 M. Laporte has taken a beautiful new Rhipicera, and also a 

 species of Amphicoma, or at least something with exactly that 

 appearance ; this genus is supposed to be confined to the Old 

 World. 



