On Moths and Butterflies. 87 



only a freak of nature. In conclusion, I should like to call 

 the attention of all to the great and wondrous beauty 

 displayed in the Micro-Lepidoptera, a section unfortunately 

 too much neglected by entomologists in general. If those 

 who have not collected any of these small but exceedmgly 

 beautiful species of moths would turn their attention to 

 them— if only between the seasons for collecting the Macro- 

 Lepidoptera, they would not only be amply rewarded, but 

 perhaps, like myself, devote their whole time to this fascinating 

 section, for there is scarcely a day in the whole year but what 

 some may be found either in the lar\'a or imago state, and 

 from March to October and some times later, they may be 

 collected by dozens; on the otherhand, those who search 

 after the larger species of butterflies and moths find them few 

 and far between. For myself, I go out for the Micro, and 

 take the larger if they come in my way. 



The larv^ of both the families of the Tortricinse and 1 ineinse, 

 are found in more or less abundance upon all our forest trees, 

 as well as upon nearly all plants and grasses ; those of the 

 Tortricinee, in rolled up leaves, between united leaves, that is 

 between one leaf more or less fastened by its edge to another, 

 (the larvs living and feeding between the two), also in young 

 shoots more or less spun together. Those of the Tineinse are 

 still more abundant, and present several peculiarly distinct forms 

 of concealment, such as forming a mine in the leaves, that 

 is, making a narrow gallery between the two cuticles of the leaf, 

 feeding as they go ; others form curious cases, out of portions 

 of the leaves on which they feed, living in, and carrying 

 their cases about with them. They also change into their 

 pupse inside these cases ; and as a hint to the collector that 

 the moth has emerged, the empty pupa may be seen half out 

 of the abandoned case. Some of these curious cases I have on 

 the table here. 



The perfect insects of the Tortricinae are all moderately 

 small in size, but vary immensely in color, and some are very 

 beautifully and wonderfully marked. In nearly all the species 

 there is considerable variation— so much so that you may 

 have no less than 50 specimens and no two alike, and some 

 so distinctly different that until Mr. Wilkinson's book on the 

 Tortrices appeared, they had been considered as distinct 

 species. I had the pleasure of helping in describing and 

 collecting specimens for this work, and we bred from one and 

 the same batch of eggs many of these so-called distinct 

 species. But for extraordinarily brilliant colors and markings 

 we must turn to the Tineinae. As the humming birds are 

 admired by all for beauty of colors and minuteness of form, so 

 ought these small moths to be. 



