96 Journal New York Entomological Society. C^^o^- x^'^- 



him several apparently full-grown larv?e and a quantity of the food 

 plant. Some days after his departure as I entered the hotel after 

 a morning of collecting the telegraph operator met me with a solemn 

 face. Lowering his voice he told me that I would find a telegram 

 slipped under the door of my room. Then he hesitated, and looking 

 more and more solemn said in hushed tones : " I fear it brings bad 

 news, something about a famine. I think." The dispatch read thus 

 as nearly as I recall it, '" Food nearly gone, fear they will die. 

 Please send food at once, H. G. D." My mind was relieved ; I 

 hastened to explain matters to the sympathetic telegrapher and 

 started out for the mangroves and nourishment for my starving 

 namesakes. 



Many letters passed between Dr. Packard and myself concerning 

 an odd Bombycid moth which I took at Franconia. It somewhat 

 resembled a Centra and was always referred to in our letters as "the 

 C^rnra-like moth." It was seen by several lepidopterists but seemed 

 new to all. One even thought it might be a noctuid near Bombycia. 

 The good professor was intensely interested in the matter and finally, 

 feeling he must solve the problem, wrote to me suggesting the denud- 

 ing some of the wings of the moth to observe the venation. I had not 

 been a scientist long enough at that time to accept this suggestion 

 gracefully. I clung to my beautiful unique and urged its preserva- 

 tion. That its real name and proper place in the insect world might 

 never be known made it even more interesting to me, and I said so, 

 " speaking as one of the foolish women speaketh," as did, according 

 to Scripture, the wife of long-suffering Job. Dr. Packard protested 

 and persisted. He wrote May 5, 1892: "It is most interesting, can't 

 be a noctuid, seems in most respects to be near Gliiphisia. Now, as 

 to the venation, by rubbing one fore wing a little on the under side 

 I can make a camera drawing and thus settle satisfactorily, I trust, 

 its position. If it were mine I should do this even to a unique as 

 I don't believe in preserving specimens merely to look at. So I ask 

 if you will let me rub off the scales, beneath, of one wing and await 

 your reply." I could not resist the appeal, consent was given, the 

 soft lining of one of my treasure's forewings removed, venation 

 examined and the moth christened Ccniridia slossonice. It was 

 afterward found to be a variety of Gluphisia severa Hy. Edw., but I 

 believe is still thought worthy of a varietal name, my own, given by 



