248 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



C. On the public road, near the village of Compton, I 

 caught a new butterfly, which exactly, even in the most mi- 

 nute particulars, agrees with the Forked (Vanessa Furcil- 

 lata) in the hinder wings, and the under surface of all ; but 

 the first pair on the upper surface are black, with only a row 

 of small, indistinct, and undefined red spots in place of the 

 broad orange band : the bright fulvous spots on the front 

 margin are wanting. 



F. It is probably not a distinct species, but only an 

 accidental variety of V. Furcillata ; or what is sometimes 

 called a lusus natures. The Banded Purple (Limenitis 

 Arthemis) is beginning to grow scarce ; but about ten days 

 ago I observed as many as sixteen of this species crowded to- 

 gether on an old log by the road side ; so close together as to 

 be almost touching in every part. 



C. I have been out in the fields and borders of the 

 woods lately, in the evening twilight, mothing, with some 

 success. A large Bombyx, the Dragon-moth (Hepialus 

 Argenteo-maculatus), was quite numerous ; belonging to 

 that division of moths called Swifts, or Ghost Moths: 

 and I was surprised and pleased to observe the striking 

 similarity, not only of shape and general appearance, but 

 also of manners, to the English species of that family. They 

 continue in one place, dancing from side to side on the 

 wing, just above the herbage, within the space of a yard or 

 two. A large female which I caught, on being pinned, 

 began to eject her small white eggs with great rapidity, 

 driving them to a considerable distance. Another time I 

 heard a fluttering at the bottom of a raspberry bush, and 

 on looking down s'aw a large insect : I threw my net over 

 it, and on holding it up to the light, found that I had cap- 

 tured a fine female Twin-eyed Hawk-moth (Smerinthus 

 Geminatus). I folded the net around the handle, and in- 

 stantly ran home with the prize ; but what was my chagrin 



