48 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ishment I beheld, perched on the top of the carcase in the midst of the flies^ 

 a beautiful specimen of that most lovely moth, AmpMon nessus, Cram. 

 Having no net with me, I tried in vain to capture it, and, though repeatedly 

 disturbed, it returned again and again to its horrid repast. I have often seen 

 specimens of Danais arcMppus and other butterflies swarm about dead fish 

 on the shores of Lake Simcoe, but I hardly expected to find so lovely a moth 

 in such a position, in the full noon-tide heat and glare of the day ; I have 

 usually taken it hovering over the fragrant blossoms of the lilac, in the cool 

 twilight of the evening. — C. J. S. B. 



Musical Larv^. — ^No. 5 of your valuable little Journal, full of interest- 

 ing matter as usual, is before me. In regard to musical larvae of Lepidop- 

 tera, I am happy to communicate a fact from my own observations on the 

 larva of Cressonia Juglandis, Grrote (^Smerinthus jnglandis of Smith, Harris, 

 et auct. al.) We find this species in the month of September, often into 

 October, upon the " hickories" Carya alba and porcina. When the tree is 

 struck or jarred, any larvae that may be upon the leaves give utterance to a 

 note resembling the sound tcêp or tceep, produced by the inspiration of a 

 small quantity of air between the upper teeth of the human mouth and the 

 lower lip, as in the act of sucking. As this larva clings quite firmly to its 

 foothold, the jar may be often repeated, each time with the same result, 

 before the insect is dislodged. On being seized between the thumb and 

 finger a little behind the middle, it flexes the body sharply from side to side, 

 with a simultaneous emission of the sound alluded to. While writing the 

 above, my valued friend, Mr. Philip S. Sprague, of this city, has recalled the 

 fact of a similar sound being produced by the larvae of Smerinthus exccecatus^ 

 Smith, and geminatus, Say, when irritated, in the breeding cage. Mr. S. 

 has, in his own mind, attributed this sound to the motion of the mandibles 

 upon each other (quasi "gnashing of teeth?"). I presume similar occur- 

 rences have been noticed by other observers, and no doubt more thorough 

 acquaintance with many of our so-called " dumb animals" will prove that 

 " There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." — F. Gr. 

 Sanborn, Boston, Mass. 



NEW ENTOMOLOGICAL WORKS. 



A Guide to the Study of Insects, and a Treatise on those Injurious and 

 Beneficial to Crops. For the use of Colleges, Farm Schools, and Agri- 

 culturists. By A. S. Packard, jun., M.D., Salem, President of the Essex 

 Institute. Parts 3 & 4, 1868. Price 50 cents each. 

 Two more parts of this most valuable and interesting work are now before 



us. Part 3 is entirely devoted to the order Hymenoptera,^ and contain» 



