9372 Insects. 
comparing specimens taken in both countries. It is singular, too, that 
a curious variety of the male is common to both; in Canada, however 
(perhaps from the effect of a different climate), it is more frequently 
met with than in England. Two males of a bright canary colour, but 
with the usual markings of the species, were captured here last summer, 
one by Mr. Couper, the other by me; and this season I have already 
seen several similar individuals. On referring to a valuable work in 
the library of Parliament (Curtis’s ‘ Farm Insects’), I was gratified to 
find that the author mentions having in his collection a male P. Rape, 
“taken near Oldham, in Lancashire, which had all the wings of a 
bright yellow colour.” As to the pupa, in size, colour and markings, 
it exactly agrees with engravings and descriptions of the English 
chrysalis, and also in its usual place of deposition, &c. The last link 
in the chain is furnished by the similarity of the caterpillar, which also 
agrees with the best English descriptions. I took several of these larve 
from cabbage-plants in hot-beds on the 8th of June, and have reared 
four of them to maturity. When about half-grown they began to 
exhibit the characteristic markings of the species, these markings 
becoming more decided as they increased in size. 
That this insect is not native to Canada is certain from two 
interesting circumstances connected with its history. A limit can be 
set to its existence in Canada, and the place where it first appeared 
can be specified. Until within a few years the butterfly was unknown 
in this country. No description of it is found in Kirby’s ‘ Fauna 
Boreali-Americana,’ nor in ‘ The Canadian Naturalist,’ by Gosse, who 
visited Quebec, and collected here about 1839. The ‘Synopsis’ of 
the Smithsonian Institution is also wanting in this respect; and I have 
carefully examined the volumes of our Magazine of Natural History 
(‘The Canadian Naturalist,’ Montreal), without finding any notice of 
the species. This periodical contains two lists of Lepidoptera col- 
lected in Lower Canada; one by Mr. R. Bell, jun., of butterflies taken 
on the Lower St. Lawrence ; the other by Mr. D’Urban, of those found 
in the vicinity of Montreal, in 1857, 1858 and 1859. The only Pieris 
mentioned in these lists is P. oleracea, a species which may be dis- 
tinguished ata glance from P. Rape, the markings being altogether 
different. Mr. Couper captured a specimen of P. Rape within the 
city limits of Quebec, about five years ago, but did not investigate the 
subject, though considering the insect a rare one, his special study 
being Coleoptera. This is the earliest notice of the butterfly in 
Canada; and it evidently points out Quebce as the locality of intro- 
duction, and fixes the period at about seven or eight years ago. 
