82 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May. 



This species is mentioned by Wallace in his work on the Malay 

 Archipelago in the following language: " Its upper surface is of 

 a rich purple, variously tinged with ash color, and across the 

 fore wings there is a broad bar of deep orange, so that when on 

 the wing it is very conspicuous. This species was not uncom- 

 mon in dry woods and thickets, and I often endeavored to cap- 

 ture it without success, for, after flying a short distance, it would 

 enter a bush among dry or dead leaves and however carefully I 

 crept up to the spot I could never discover it till it would sud- 

 denly start out again and then disappear in a similar place. At 

 length I was fortunate enough to see the exact spot where the 

 butterfly settled, and though I lost sight of it for some time, I at 

 length discovered that it was close before my eyes, but that in its 

 position of repose it so closely resembled a dead leaf attached to 

 a twig as almost certainly to deceive the eye, even when gazing 

 full upon it." I have noticed the following interesting quotation: 

 "J. A. de Mandelsloe, who made a voyage to the East Indies in 

 1639, tells us that not far from the Fort of Ternate grows a cer- 

 tain shrub called by the Indians Catopa, from which falls a leaf, 

 which, by degrees, is supposed to be metamorphosed into a but- 

 terfly." This was one hundred and ninety years before the 

 butterfly was described by Horsfield. — Ed. 



A TRAP FOR CAPTURING COLEOPTERA. 



By T. B. AsHTON, Tonganoxie, Kansas. 



A good method of capturing many valuable species of insects, 

 for the purpose of enriching the cabinet of entomologists, is to 

 make from builders' past-board a funnel two feet in diameter and 

 three feet high, with the apex one and a half inches in diameter. 

 Eighteen inches from the top of the funnel and one-third of its 

 circumference in front should be cut out, leaving an opening. A 

 wire should be fastened around all the rim to keep the funnel in 

 proper shape. Two loops should be made in the wire six inches 

 each side of the centre of the top of the funnel to fasten it in 

 position when in use. The seam in front of the funnel can be 

 lapped and held together with glue. A coat of glue, or varnish, 

 should be spread over the inside of the funnel so as to render it 

 more slippery to the feet of insects. The funnel may be of any 



