38 I Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



Mr. Johansen in his notes states that the larvae and cocoons were found 

 rather abundantly in 1914 at Collinson point and Demarcation point on the 

 Alaskan coast. The following are his notes: (Breeding record 15) 



1914, May 31 — Collinson Point — Two large larvse and two cocoons found on tundra. 

 June 1 — One of the larvse collected yesterday began making its cocoon. 

 " 3 — Four mature larvae and six cocoons found. 

 " 4 — One mature larva and three cocoons found. 

 " 7 — Four cocoons found. 

 " 11 — Five cocoons found. 



" 13 — One mature larva and eight cocoons found. 

 " 15 — Two larva? found east of Collinson point. 

 " 18 — One cocoon found. 

 " 20 — Four cocoons found. 

 July 13 — First moth emerged. 



Other moths emerged on July 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 27; August 3, 21, 28; 

 September 2, 15, 1914. 



Some of the males and females were kept alive by Mr. Johansen and his 

 notes state that copulation took place freely, and that eggs were secured, the 

 same having been deposited upon the cocoon. Pairs were noted to remain in 

 coitu for a whole day. Under natural conditions, Mr. Johansen also found the 

 eggs on empty cocoons. The females which were reared failed to properly 

 develop their wings, these latter in every case being crumpled. 



The eggs brought back by Mr. Johansen are 1-2 mm. wide, white, smooth, 

 spherical, depressed above and are stuck firmly together and partially covered 

 with hair. One patch contained over 55 eggs. 



The specimen from Barter island emerged from a cocoon found on the 

 ground on June 23. The temperature at the time varied from 36° to 46°F. 



On September 7, 1913, Mr. Johansen collected at Collinson point, among 

 old driftwood on tundra elevation, a single specimen of the larva of what is 

 undoubtedly this species. It was placed in alcohol. 



The following is a description of the specimen : 



Length, 30 mm. (I should think this specimen when alive and walking 

 would easily measure 45 mm.). Head, 3-5 mm. wide, rounded, dull brownish- 

 grey, excepting clypeus and area around antennae and mouth parts which are 

 shining black, and sides which are reddish-yellow; thickly hairy, the hairs black. 

 Body black, the tubercles with thick bunches of hairs; the lateral hairs are 

 mostly longer than the dorsal hairs and many, brown in colour, are conspicuously 

 feathered and more spreading; the lateral hairs which are not feathered are 

 spinulose and either long brown or dark-reddish brown hairs or are shorter 

 hairs orange-yellow in colour. The dorsal hairs are shorter than the lateral 

 hairs and the feathered ones are bunched together particularly so on the anterior 

 segments, the yellow hairs which also occur on the dorsum being more or less 

 hidden, excepting in the subdorsal area where they are of a brighter yellow 

 and more conspicuous. This specimen is figured on PI. Ill, fig. 9. 



Other larvae differ from the above in that all the hairs are lighter in colour 

 and in having the yellowish hairs more noticeably intermixed with the dorsal 

 feathered hairs which in these specimens are greyish. 



The larva has been described by Curtis 1 as follows: " Large and hairy of a 

 beautiful shining velvety black, the hairs being somewhat ocherous; there are 

 two tufts of black on the back, followed by two of orange." 



This brief description is, of course, of little value. Dyar who has studied 

 the larva of rossi as well as that of groenlandica states 2 that " Curtis must have 

 mixed the species, describing the moth of rossi and the larva of groenlandica." 

 Packard described the larva of 7'ossi from Polaris bay 3 . but his description does 

 not agree with the description of the larva described above from Collinson 



1 Ross' Second Voyage. 



2 Psyche, VIII, 153. 



3 Amer. Nat. XI, 52. 



