198 THE entomologist's record. 



possession, and I never saw one that varied from the type in colour, 

 which is a rich red, Avith the wing-cases somewhat lighter and 

 inclined towards buff. I have not had so miich experience with K. 

 surcfuturiata, but there are twenty-one pupte before me now. They 

 all have the abdomen dark buff', inclined towards brown, and the wing- 

 cases of a decided olive-green. I can quite understand that both 

 species feed upon various plants. I have taken occasional imagines of 

 J'\ siicrcnturiata where there was no Artcinisia, and I understand that 

 in Scotland K, >iubfidrata larvae are found upon ragwort (Scnccio). I 

 should not attach much importance to this, however, as many species 

 of KupitluTiar are more or less polyphagous. — W. G. Sheldon, 15, 

 Alexandra Koad, Croydon. 



Eddryas stae-johannis. — A REPLY. — In the Kntoimihii/i.H's Record, 

 vol. vi., p. 249, is an article by Mr. Grote on the above species, in 

 which the author makes some speculations as to what Mr. Walker's 

 belief or knowledge was, ridicules my citation of a label which I 

 found on the specimen, accuses me of giving undue value to labels 

 found in the British Museum, and suggests that the labels in this 

 Institution are not to be received or credited without special investi- 

 gation as to their authenticity. It seems rather absurd, after reading 

 Mr. Grote's article carefully and digesting its bearings, to refer to 

 Walker's description, in Part 9 of the LUt <if LcphJoptera, etc., p. 144, 

 and to find in quotation marks, " Taken on the door of the church of 

 Horsleydown by Mr. Bydder." In other words, the label now on the 

 specimen, and quoted by me, agrees perfectly with what W^alker him- 

 self wrote, and Walker not only knew where the insect actually came 

 from, but also who took it. This also accounts for the name of the 

 insect, for "St. .John's" is the church at Horsleydown. Further- 

 more, it may be interesting to note that Mr. Grote speaks without any 

 personal knowledge in the matter.*' He refers only to a letter 

 from Mr. Schaus, and upon this basis, and upon a number of 

 imaginary considerations, he fills two pages with sarcastic and other 

 remarks on this subject. I have nothing at all to fear from any 

 critical investigation or study of anything I have written, and as I do 

 not claim infallibility, am always ready to admit errors where they 

 are demonstrated. — J. B. Smith, D. Sc, Agricultural Exp. Station, 

 New Jersey. 



These remarks by Professor Smith clear up certain points defi- 

 nitely with regard to a species which has created much interest. It 

 is quite clear that the specimen was not named from, nor taken near, 

 the St. John's river, Florida, as suggested by Professor Grote, but that it 

 was really named from, and captured on the door of the church of, 

 St. John's, Horselydown,f a church within five minutes' walk of the 

 scene of my daily labours. Another point is quite certain, viz., that 

 it was an imported specimen. Within a mile, as the crow flies, of all 

 the largest London docks, the nature of the locality where it was 

 captured leaves no doubt of its importation, and hence its American 

 origin is exceedingly probable. There only remains one difficulty 



* This? is hardly so. Professor Grote distinctly writes :^" In 1867 1 examined the 

 late Mr. Walker's type of Kudnjmt stae-johnnnix, and recognised in the specimen a 

 representative of a distinct species, etc." — Ed. 



+ This is spelt " Horselydown," not " Horsleydown," as Prof. Smith says Walker's 

 label is written. — Ed. 



