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Florida, and (.ailed attention to a peculiar character of the male, observ- 

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

 normally closed by a flat plate, rilled with white, cottony hair, so closely 

 packed, that when the covering plate was forcibly opened, the down} 

 hair hurst out in quantity sufficient to (ill a small pill box. No living 

 specimen had ever been observed with this cavity open, ami in dried 

 specimens the structure is easily overlooked, though in each case visible 

 when closely examined. 



Prof. Riley asks whether all specimens show this character, and 

 whether it newer occurred in the 9- Mr. Schwarz says it occurs in all 

 $$ seen, and in no Q* 



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. No 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 by Messrs Riley, Westcott, Schwarz and Smith. Mr. Schwarz 

 states that Mr. Ashmead claims to have found the larva 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 also 

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

 granthoecia* shows a somewhat analogous structure in the shape of a 

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

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

 domen, and the brush of hair is folded over the back, and is not visible 

 in the dry insect. 



Mr. Smith says in his studies on the HeliothincB lie noticed nothing 

 of the kind, though such a structure as Mr. Schwarz describes mighteasi- 

 ly have escaped him. 



Prof. Riley thinks he has noticed the character last mentioned by 

 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 Spilosomn acraea and other species were cited as examples, and 

 he says he has drawings of somewhat similar organs in Aletia xvlina 

 which have not yet been described. 



Prof. Peabody has witnessed something similar in the living Phakel- 

 lura nitidalis. 



Prof. Riley has also observed that character in the latter species. 



(To be continued. ) 



* Afterward seen by me il is Schinia (Lygranflioecia) marginata I law. Ed. 



