106 



•when it first commences to chirp, it gives a single prolonged 

 trill of more slowly repeated notes, when the composite char- 

 acter of the chirp is much more readily detected ; and after- 

 ward is quiet for a long while. When most actively chirping, 

 however, the commencement of a strain is less vigorous than 

 its full swell, and the notes are then repeated at the rate of 

 about 120 per minute ; it speedily gains its normal velocity. 

 The note sounds exceedingly like the distant croak of toads 

 (Bufo^) at spawning season, but is somewhat feebler. Zet- 

 terstedt compares the chirp of the European species to the note 

 of Hyla arbor ea. 



Although belonging to the saltatorial Orthoptera, this insect, 

 like the other species of its genus, is a poor leaper ; inepte salit 

 says Fischer of its European congener. But on the other 

 hand, it can run backward quite as easily as forward, — a for- 

 tunate gift, as the greater part of its burrow is too narrow 

 for it to turn in. Samuel H. Seudder. 



Hibernation of Amphipyra pyramidoides. 



In Vol. VI, No. 2, of the Canadian Entomologist, the 

 Editor, in speaking of Amphipyra pyramidoides, says : " In 

 what stage of its existence this insect passes the winter months, 

 has not yet been determined. Whether the eggs, which are 

 probably laid during August, remain dormant during the re- 

 mainder of the summer and hatch early in the following spring, 

 or whether the eggs hatch into larvae early in the fall, and the 

 larvae, while still young, become torpid and sleep through the 

 long winter months, remains undecided ; we incline, however, 

 to the latter view.'* 



Observations that I have at different times made upon the 

 habits of this moth, would lead to a different conclusion. While 

 collecting Catocalas during August (1874) in Weston, Mass., 

 I several times struck dead trees and raised a cloud of A. 

 pyramidoides which flew out from under the loose bark. 

 Tearing off the bark, I found hundreds of them, many living 

 and some mere mouldy skeletons. I paid no particular atten- 

 tion to the fact at first, but afterwards, finding many trees in- 

 habited in this manner, not only during the autumn, but also 



