94 ORNITHOLOGIST | 
der black dorsal line, and two broad undulating 
black lines on either side. 
Anteriors: Costal margin nearly to the middle 
of the nervules, light fawn color; posterior mar- 
gin, dark brown or blackish, with three or four 
black longitudinal lines, originating at the discal 
cell; discal spot, white; two or three undulating 
black lines, alternating with white ones, extend 
along the marginal space, nearly parallel with the 
margin, to the sub-costal veinlets, and from 
thence almost at right angle with, and to the 
costal margin; the marginal space near the tip is 
occupied by a black patch from which extends a 
long black line nearly to the discal spot; fringes, 
brown, spotted with white. 
Posteriors, pale brown or buff; a blackish 
band extends across the wing, followed by a 
blackish line, crenated anteriorly; margin black- 
ish, lighter at the anal angle. 
Under side, fawn color; two or three irregular 
black lines, crenated anteriorly, extend across 
both wings, following the same course as the cor- 
responding ones on the upper side; an irregular 
line runs from the tip of the anterior wing to the 
outer of these lines, the space enclosed by the 
line at the tip, being a greyish brown, as is also 
the anterior edge. 
- Expanse about four and one-half inches; flies 
in May and June. 
Mature larvee, which appears in September, is 
about three and one-half inches long, of a pale 
green color, with seven oblique white lines on 
either side of the body; caudal horn, greenish. 
This larvee may be distinguished from all others 
of this family by the four short, notched horns 
on the shoulders. 
Transformations, subterranean. Pupa, dark 
brown, smooth, with the tongue case not ap- 
parent. 
Food plants: American elm and linden. 

Notes from Michigan. 
BY R. H. WOLCOTT, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 
The following captures are, I think, worthy of 
record, although not made by myself : 
On the 1st of July, last year, while after Meli- 
trea Pheetons, with Mr. L. 8. Livingston of this 
place, he captured a curious specimen, which Mr. 
Strecker identified as his var. superba, described 
in his “Catalogue of the Butterflies of North 
America,” of which but few examples have ever 
been taken. It is now in Mr. Strecker’s posses- 
sion. 
July 15th the same collector took, at Ada, a 
village a few miles east of this city, an Apatura 

[Vol. 11-No. 6 

clyton, Bdl., Lec., approaching var. Proserpina of 
Scudder; and on Aug. 21st., at the same locality, 
a nearly full grown larvie of Libythea bachmani, 
Kirtland, on the ground beneath a hackberry tree, 
(Celtis occidentalis). This tree is a food plant of 
both the last mentioned species and grows ata 
few points in the county, sparingly, however; 
but Iam unable to learn of any previous capture 
of Apatura clyton and of but one instance of the 
taking of the Libythea, in this section of the state, 
which was during the summer of 1883, when an- 
other local collector, Mr. Clinton Osborne, cap- 
tured one rather poor specimen, at or near the 
same locality as mentionéd above. The two are 
generally southern species, being rare as far north 
as this. 
Food Effect Upon Color. 

TBS Al. Wien ter 
Collectors of the large moths, such as Samia 
Cecropia and Telea Polyphemus soon notice the 
wide variation of color in these species of moths, 
the first ranging from a light grey to almost a 
deep blue-black; and the second from a light 
fawn color to a very reddish hue. The lighter 
colored types lose the brilliancy of their markings 
and are not nearly so handsome or attractive as 
those of greater depth of coior. To a breeder of 
moths it becomes essential to get the best results 
to know something of the effect of food upon the 
color of the plumage. 
This is a subject upon which too little is 
known, and opens an interesting field for study. 
Both 8. Ceeropia and T. Polyphemus in the lar- 
val state are found subsisting on a great variety 
of foliage. The caterpillar of the Cecropia moth 
I have found feeding upon wild plum, apple, 
alder, wild cherry and bayberry leaves; and that 
of T. Polyphemus upon oak, wild cherry, butter- 
nut and sumach leaves and the tender fronds of 
ferns. I have experimented a little in the way of 
feeding the larvee and the result has satisfied me 
that a person familiar with food effects can tell 
from the color of the mature moth when cap- 
tured what the larval food was. 
Experience has taught me that larvee captured 
in the fields flourish best upon the foliage of the 
plant upon which they are found. When once 
the caterpillars have created a taste for wild cher- 
ry it is next to impossible to make them take 
kindly to apple leaves; and if they do not sit and 
starve rather than submit to the change, they 
will fast until hunger forces them to eat, and this 
fasting season tends to dwarf and injure the per- 
fect insect. But started from the egg a brood of 
larvee may be divided up and placed upon differ- 
