14 THE REPORT OF THE No. 



August 1st must have been a red-letter day in the entomological calendar 

 as I find in my notes that on that date I captured also the Zebra or Papaw Butter- 

 fly, Iphiclides ajax var. ajaa-. A strong southern wind that had been blowing for 

 a couple of days may account for these rare stragglers from the south. Speaking 

 of Papilios, it is interesting to note that the Pipe-vine Swallow-tail, Papilio 

 pliilenor, is becoming less rare in this district. This is probably due to the in- 

 creasing popularity of its favourite food-plant, tlie Dutchman's Pipe^ Aristolochia 

 macrophylla, for ornamental purposes. 



Although many species of butterflies were exceedingly common this season 

 the Monarch, Anosia plexippus, was much less plentiful than usual. I saw only 

 four specimens, and these late in the year— September 7th, 9th and 14th. In a 

 note just received from Mr. C. W. Nash he states that he saw a specimen on each 

 of the dates, September 26th, October 4th and 5th.. These butterflies, that have 

 visited us so late are probably members of the rear guard of the migrating columns 

 on their treck to the south from a more northerly summer home. 



The Entomological season was opened on April 5th this year by the finding 

 of four specimens of the Ground Beetle, Calosoma caliduni. In spite of the early 

 date, a pair of these insects were already mated. On two occasions this summer 

 I have seen the larvae of Ground Beetles attacking earthworms. The beetles were 

 finding their prey rather large, and one at least of the worms escaped. 



Some variation in the conditions has proven favourable to the production, 

 this season, of the gall Andricus operatoJa Bassett. On the ground, under several 

 oak trees, infested acoras were plentiful. In previous years it has been rarely 

 that I have found the gall, and never before attached to the acorns. The specimens 

 obtained had dropped from the acorns which had remained on the trees. 



This pointed, tooth-shaped gall is enclosed between the cup and the acorn, 

 but originates from the latter. In general the gall projects only slightly above 

 the edge of the cup. Often four or five galls are found irregularly spaced around 

 the base of an acorn. In this locality both red and black oaks act as hosts. 



From the galls, that have remained on the ground over winter, producers 

 emerge early the next spring. 



Division No. 4, Peterborough District — F. Morris, Peterborough. 



One or two items only seem worthy to be reported in this season's collecting. 

 The interruption of school work owing to influenza, in October and November, 

 necessitated the extension of the summer term till the end of June ; almost imme- 

 diately after, your director passed to examination work till late in July. Field 

 observations were very few and not of much value. 



Among the collections handed in by pupils at the Peterborough Collegiate 

 was noticed a .very rare borer in alder, Saperda ohliqua, and a member of the stafl! 

 captured three or four specimens of Phymatodes dimidiatus in the latter part of 

 May, the captures being made in his woodshed. A few days after a pupil brought 

 in a specimen of Saperda puncticollis just captured on Virginia Creeper. This 

 insect had been taken two or three times by pupils and I was very anxious to make 

 observations. Enquiries had always pointed to Virginia Creeper rather than 

 Poison Ivy as the food plant. The Science teacher accordingly hurried over to 

 examine the vine and captured four or five more specimens, as well as specimens 

 of Psenocerus supernotatus emerging from dead stems of the same plant. On 

 learning of the discovery I hurried over to our opposite neighbor's where the low 

 wall is overgrown with the plant in question. I captured over a score of the first 

 insect and three or four of the 'second. Casual search on four or five other vines 



