60 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOaiST. 



We have here several species of Melitœa — Tharos, Batesii, Marcia, Har- 

 risii, — all of which are double brooded, and which I believe pass the winter 

 in the larval state. -The habits of Phaeton seem to be generically different 

 from these others. It belongs to the same group as M. Arthemù, of Europe, 

 and Westwood describes this species as having its larvae hatched in autumn, 

 the young brood passing the winter under a common web, and as being full 

 fed in April. 



It is just possible that the eggs of Phaefon, although laid not later than 

 June, may remain till October, and the young larvae then be hatched, and 

 that they spend the winter under a common web. But in this case they 

 ought to be full fed by the middle of April, for they must be supposed to 

 awake from their winter's sleep on the first warm days of spring, that is, not 

 long after 20th March in this region. 



At any rate here is a fair opportunity for investigation. One thing is 

 noticeable about Phaeton, that wherever it appears at all, it is very local and 

 in considerable numbers in its locality, which is rather favorable to the web 

 theory. Twenty or fifty may be taken on one spot, which is not the case 



with any other Melitsea that I know of. 



W. H. Edwards. 

 Coalburgh, West Virginia, Jan. 6, 1869. 



[The above communication arrived too late for insertion in our last issue; 

 we accordingly took the opportunity of submitting it to Mr. B. Billings, of 

 Ottawa, the only Canadian Entomologist, so far as we are aware, who has 

 met with any number of the insect in question- He writes as follows: "I 

 found the insect in a certain spot in 1866 and 1868, and in October last 

 searched for the larvae without success. In my notice (Can. Ent. No. 4, p. 

 28,) I specified the plants of the locality pretty fully, and am certain that it 

 is upon one of these that it feeds. I have compared the vegetation of my 

 locality with that of Mr. Edwards, and have arrived at the conclusion that it 

 feeds there upon a different plant, but closely related in its botanical aflânities, 

 or containing some property. common to both. I find that there are but three 

 or four species that would or could probably occur as common to the two 

 localities, and these are herbaceous. 



" Assuming that the larvae were but partially grown at the close of autumn, 

 and spent the winter in a state of lethargy under a web, it would not be con- 

 sistent to suppose that they would be attached to a plant whose stem dies 

 down at the close of the season, and would be covered with water in the 

 spring. I know that in the case of eggs this would be different, as they have 

 a greater power of resisting the effects of moisture. 



"Mr. Edwards has promised to investigate the matter next May, and no 

 doubt he will succeed. Vegetation commences with him about five weeks 



