21 



Vcrmiculata, the second is quadrate or nearly so, the third ovate. F'ringe 

 at apex of both wings anal angle white. In the fringes this form re- 

 sembles Vcrmiculata, but in the space between the central and terminal 

 group of spots it is like Hopfferi. Described from 5 (? s from Arizona, 

 received from H. K. Morrison. 



NOTES ON LEPIDOPTERA. 



Papilio Antimachus, Drury.— Several specimens of this rare and remarka- 

 ble butterfly are now known to exist in collections, though until within the past 

 few years nothing was known of it beyond the type specimen now in the collec- 

 tion of the Hon. Wm. Macleay, of Sydney, N. S. Wales. This was purchased 

 at the sale of Francillon's collection for the enormous sum of /30 sterling. In 

 the Hewitson collection are now two others, taken by Mr. Rogers and Miss 

 Diboli. The former of these cost Mr. Hewitson £20. Other examples are in 

 the cabinets of F. J. Horniman; C. Ward, of Halifax; H. Grose Smith; Thomas 

 Chapman, of Glasgow; B. Neumoegen, N. York; Herman Strecker, of Reading; 

 Honrath, of Berlin; and C. Aurivillius, of Sweden. A battered example was sold 

 at Stevens' rooms, London, for ^5. Probably about fourteen examples are 

 now known. The home of the species is the West coast of Africa, from Sierra 

 Leone to the Gaboon River, where it flies in the hottest sunshine. 



Henrv Edwards. 



Pachylia ficus, L. is very destructive in its larval stage to the Eucalyptus 

 trees planted in various parts of the State of Vera Cruz, Mexico. In some 

 districts the whole trees are stripped of their foliage. It is somewhat singular 

 that the larva should leave its general food, which is the leaves of Ficus and 

 kindred genera, for those of an imported plant, of a very different natural 

 yrder. ^- ScHAUS, Jr. 



Denudation fox Study.— Will some of the readers of Papilio who have 

 succeeded in denuding the wings of Butterflies without injuring them for the 

 study of their neuration, favor me with their methods ? 



I desire to prepare a series of wings in this condition, but have so far failed to 

 discover a good process. E. M. Aaron. 



Notes on Agrotis vorax, n. sp.— The body light brown or gray, the lower 

 side of a beautiful pale greenish metallic hue, with two parallel rows of black 

 points lengthwise. About middle of August I observed the caterpillar forming 

 an "army worm," thousands marching, or rather wriggling across roads and 

 stones and fences to attack a new tree, after having left a former one leafless; 

 they choose young ash trees, making their way up the green stem, of about four 

 to six inches thickness. ' While feeding they are continually shaking one end of 

 their body, either holding on by fore or by hind legs. 



The larva is chocolate color, scarcely over an inch long; emaciated, thin, in 

 spite of all feeding. The next thing observed about them was that, coming to 

 the ground in thousands, skinny and meagre, they bored themselves into the 

 hard'' soil, leaving a small sandy tumulus outside. Forming afterwards such 

 a bulky chrysalis and heavy moth, one might conclude they continue their 

 feeding under ground. On September 4th the moth made its appearance from 

 my clfrysalids in captivitv. In October only they were observed generally 

 abroad and came for shelter to the houses about the time of a snow-storm on 

 the 4th'of October. James Behrens, San Franci-sco. 



