78 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



has, after a day or two's sunshine, melted a space round it of 

 more than an inch from itself, so that it stands in a kind of 

 tube of snow.* Any dark- coloured object lying on the sur- 

 face of snow, will speedily wear a passage for itself to the 

 ground, on account of its power of receiving heat from the 

 solar rays. 



C. Such situations are the resort of the few insects that 

 are already stirring. See, around this dead maple-stump are 

 several of those serricorn beetles with soft, brown elytra, and 

 pink thorax (Brachynotus Bennettii). They eject from many 

 parts of the body, when handled, a white glutinous fluid, 

 which has a strong smell, and is perhaps intended as a de- 

 fence. Here, too, are little green Cicadellce, hopping about 

 very briskly ; and the Muscidce are as busy as bees, buzzing 

 in the sunshine, and rubbing their feet together, and then off 

 to another place : pioneers of the hosts that in a few weeks 

 will make all nature alive with their gaiety. And here is 

 a caterpillar of the Buff-leopard Moth, covered with thick 

 tufts of short hair, tawny red in the middle, and black at 

 each end of the body. It is one of the last caterpillars that 

 crawl in autumn, and one of the first that appear in spring. 



F. This insect (Arctia Isabella) is called a rare species 

 by Abbott, (speaking, however of Georgia,) who figures it 

 on the Elephant's foot (Elephantopus Scaber), and mentions 

 wild plantain, corn, and peas, as its food. His figure of the 

 caterpillar is bad, as it does not give the idea of its hairiness. 

 With us, common as it is, I do not know its food ; I have 

 often found it on the raspberry, but could not get it to eat. 

 Yonder is a fly, which, from the peculiar fluttering motion of 

 its wings, I take to be four-winged ; probably it is either a 

 moth or a Phryganea : run and catch it ; it flies so slowly 

 that you will have no difficulty, 



C. I have it ; it is neuropterous, but it does not appear 

 to be a Phryganea, as the wings are incumbent. 



