132 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



cies oi Argynnis, Melitcsa and Limenitis, were the most common, 

 and some of them exceedingly brilliant in color. The genus 

 Endamus was especially well represented among the Hesperidae, 

 E. proteus Linn, being most noticeable on account of its num- 

 bers, the long tails of its hind wings, and the surprising swiftness 

 of its flight. 



At P'ortin, a station nine miles below Orizaba, the difference in 

 level being 700 feet, a number of species were taken which were 

 not found at the higher altitude. Among them was a long-beaked 

 Libythea, a genus which is represented in all the eastern United 

 States by but a single species, and a large and beautiful Caligo, 

 which, at that height, was very rare, but two specimens having 

 been seen. At a still lower level, however, it is said to be one 

 of the commonest of species. 



To the average Mexican a collector of " chinches" or " bugs," 

 was a somewhat novel sight, and many were the curious eyes 

 which followed my every movement. At night, especially when 

 I set out to seek what I might find about the electric lights, I was 

 sure to be followed by a motly crowd of all ages, sizes, sexes and 

 conditions. They would watch me capture a specimen or two 

 with the net and then each one would rush after the largest and 

 finest moth to be seen and endeavor to catch it with his hands. 

 The moths were usually taken from the sides or walls of houses 

 near the lights. The houses were mostly of stone, plastered and 

 whitewashed on the outside, and jut right onto the street with no 

 yard intervening. The light, reflecting from the walls, would 

 attract the insects and often fifty or more of them were to be seen 

 on the sides of a single building. I usually captured the smaller 

 moths by inverting over them a wide mouthed cyanide bottle 

 into which they would flutter quickly, and in less than half a 

 minute would be dead. The larger ones were captured with the 

 net and chloroformed. Of course every specimen caught with 

 the hands was ruined, and when the natives went after them or 

 brought me fluttering specimens with half the scales knocked off 

 their wings, I would shake my head and inform them as best I 

 could that when thus captured the insects were sure to be "rote," 

 i.e. broken, and therefore worthless. Then the older persons 

 would cease trying to catch them, but it was hard work to keep 

 the boys back when a large or showy specimen settled near them. 



Oftentimes they would attract my attention to a large moth 



