S?50 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



become a chrysalis of a drab hue, tinged with green in 

 some places ; the pointed projections of the head curving 

 towards each other. 



F, — It is the larva and pupa of the Grey Comma 

 (Grapta C. Argenteum)^ and will probably attain the per- 

 fect state in a few days. 



C. — A delicate little Dragon-fly (Agrion '^ ) with 



a red body, may be seen in some numbers on fine days, sail- 

 ing slowly over the spring in the pasture, occasionally resting 

 with erect closed wings on the weeds and grass : and I have 

 taken a still prettier species near the village, with the abdo- 

 men banded with black and bright sky blue alternately : 

 (Agrion Puella). These are elegant little creatures. 



F, — One would suppose that they are incapable of any 

 long continued exertion ; they appear so frail, and fly so 

 languidly. Yet this may not be the case. Once, in coming 

 through the Gulf of Florida, on a calm afternoon, on looking 

 over the side of the ship, I was surprised to see close to the 

 surface of the water, a little Agrion, much like the first you 

 described, now and then alighting on the side of the vessel, 

 then flitting ofi^, and playing over the surface. We were 

 then twenty miles from the nearest land, and the ship had 

 not been within ten miles of land for many days, ha^ang 

 been last lying in Mobile Bay, many miles from the town. 

 At length it alighted under the counter of the ship, and I 

 did not see it again. 



C. — What are these curious excrescences growing on the 

 bark of this old stump ? 



F. — They are a species of Fungus (Boletus Igniarius), 

 called the Hoof Boletus, from a resemblance which they often 

 bear in shape to a horse's hoof: they may be seen from the 

 size of a walnut to a foot or more in diameter, varying in 



