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Florida, and called attcnlion to a peculiar character of the male, observ- 

 ed bv Mr. Hubbard. There is at base of the abdomen a deep cavity, 

 • normallv closed bv a tlat plate, filled with white, cottony hair, so closely 

 packed, that when the covering plate was forcibly opened, the downv 

 hair burst out in quantity sufficient to fill a small pill box. Xo livinii 

 specimen luul ever been observed with this cavity open, and in dried 

 si)ecimens the structure is easily overlooked, though in each case visible 

 when clcsely e.xamined. 



Prof Rilev asks whether all specimens siiow this character, and 

 whether it never occurred in the Q. Air. Schwarz savs it occurs in all 

 (^(^ seen, and in no 9- 



Mr. Smith said he had examined the structure so far as dry speci- 

 mens would allow, and finds that there is a cavity, evidently a structural 

 feature; and not the result of disease. Xo character of this nature had 

 been previously observed, but he would study the structure carefully. 



The possibility of this substance being of a fungoid nature was dis- 

 cussed bv Messrs Riley, Westcott, -Schwarz and Smith. ]\Ir. Schwarz 

 states that ]Mr. Ashmead claims to have found the !ar\a of this species 

 boring in the Japanese plum, but the insect occurs also in considerable 

 numbers where there is no Japanese plum, and there is probably alsc> 

 some other food plant. He says also that a very common species of Zr- 

 granthoecia-'^ shows a somewhat analogous structure in the shape of a 

 long chitinous pedicil at the base of the abdomen, having a long brush of 

 hair at the tip. The pedicil is fitted into a groove at the side of the ab- 

 tlomen. and the brush of hair is folded (u-er the back, and is not visible 

 in the dry insect. 



]\Ir. Smith sa}s in his studies on the Heliothincc he noticed nothing 

 of the kind, though such a structure as Air. Schwarz describes might easi- 

 Iv have escaped him. 



Prof Riley thinks he has noticed the character last mentioned b\- 

 Mr. Schwarz, in probably the same species. It is strange what elastic 

 properties some of the organs of the Lepidoptera, have. The peculiar 

 organs in Spilosoma acraea and other species were cited as examples, and 

 he says he has drawings of somewhat similar organs in Ahiia .w/iiia 

 which have not yet been described. 



Prof Peabody has witnessed something similar in the living Phakd- 

 /iifij iiitidalis. 



Prof Riley has also observed that character in the latter s[iecies. 

 (To he continued. ) 



Afterward seen by me -it is Schin'm {Lt/'irfDithoPcid) iiKin/iiKilii Haw. E( 



