forms of diurnal lepidoptera. I am the more inelined to give credit to this 
cause, as I found recently at Nepigon and Port Arthur, where the winter was 
quite as severe and prolonged as usual, butterflies were remarkably abundant, and 
could be found in hundreds whenever the sun was shining. Among other inter- 
esting captures at Nepigon, which has now become a famous hunting-ground, and 
where the butterfly collector, careering in hot haste with net in hand after a 
specimen, is not regarded as an escaped lunatic, as he would be in most parts of 
the country, but as a scientist engaged in quite as praiseworthy an occupation 
as trout-fishing—among my captures | may mention a number of specimens of 
Plusia belonging to several different species. As I only returned a few days 
ago [have not had time to get them identified, but | have brought several of 
them here for inspection. They were very active indeed upon the flowers 
of thistles and golden rod, flitting swiftly from one to another in the 
hot sun. 
Since our last annual meeting many important additions have been made to 
entomological literature. Mr. Scudder’s grand work on “The Butterflies of the 
Eastern United States and Canada” was completed last September. It forms three 
large volumes, containing 2,000 pages and nearly a hundred plates and maps, about 
forty of which are coloured. It is truly a magnificent work and a monument of 
patient labor and careful scientific investigation. However much we may differ 
from the author on such vexed questions as generic nomenclature, the sequence 
of families, and the like, we must express our unbounded admiration for his ability 
and learning, and the excellence of his work. The long pages of descriptive 
matter are enlivened by essays on all manner of subjects connected with butterfly 
life, written in a particularly charming style, and to each chapter is prefixed a 
stanza or two of poetry, so apt and so beautiful, that one is lost in wonder at the 
diversity and extent of the author’s acquaintance with literature. This feature 
of the work renders it available for all lovers of natural history, even though 
they may take no special interest in butterflies. The author has published the 
work at a large pecuniary sacrifice. The list of subscribers is strangely small, 
but we hope that ere long librarians everywhere will find out that without a copy 
of Seudder’s butterflies their collection of books is very incomplete. : 
Self-sacrifice in the publication of entomological literature is the order of 
the day. A similar tale has to be told of the authors of the next two books that 
I wish to refer to. Mr. W. H. Edwards continues to issue his lovely illustrations 
of the “Butterflies of North America.” The coloured figures of these insects in all 
their stages are the most perfect and the most beautifully executed that I have 
ever seen. Nine parts of the third series have now been issued, and the tenth is 
almost ready ; but at what a cost to the author! In order to accomplish this 
stupendous work he has been obliged to dispose of his collections and nearly all 
his books—a sacrifice that would be heart-breaking to most of us. 
The other work to which I referred is the Rev. Dr. MceCook’s “ American 
Spiders and their Spinning Work,” the second volume of which has just been 
issued. When complete the work will consist of three large quarto volumes, pro- 
fusely illustrated with wood cuts and some coloured lithographic plates. It is 
written in a most interesting manner, and while thoroughly scientific, is so 
popularly and clearly expressed that it may be read with ease and delight by 
any one who cares to learn about the strange habits and peculiar life-history of 
these singular creatures. When finished it will certainly be the most complete 
and perfect work on spiders in the English language. In this ease, too, the author 
is publishing at his own expense and does not expect to be reimbursed for his 
