[February 1883. BULLETIN BROOKLYN ENTOM. SOC. VOL. V. 83 
On the occurence of Amphicoma. 
Extract from a letter. 
I found*Ainphicoma [Dasydera} ursina Lec,, which has always been 
very tare, ‘last year'in numbers from June 17th to June 30th on one of the 
large sand Dunes west of San Francisco, within a mile of the Ocean beach. 
I visited the place three times and found that up to 10 a. m., whilst the 
cold, foggy wind was blowing, but few were visible,a few were caught squat- 
tirg on the sand. — When the wind lowered somewhat and the sun came 
out, dozens of them made their appearance, flying very low over the 
long, flat expanse of perfectly clean sand. — 
Their flight, like that of various Sphingidz consisted of very rapid 
darts: sometimes, however, they would fly in a long straight line, but 
always with great rapidity and from six to ten inches above the sand. — 
Though armed with a long-handled net, I found them difficult to cap- 
ture. — Several times I caught a female pursued by two males. — Several 
times when captured on the sand they would endeavor to bury themselves 
out of sight. — Have always considered this insect rather rare, and think 
the fact of seeing upward of a hundred of them ina single locality, the 
result of a successful brood rather than owing to eny general abundance 
of the same. — On Julv 16th I visited the place again and found but 
one specimen alive, though numerous remains of others were visible, and 
seemed to indicate that the season, for this species, was over. 
Ban ee ickSecker: 
Exactly under the same circumstances Amphicoma (Lichnanthe) 
Jupina Lec. has been found several years on the sand in Coney Island 
during the month of June, either creeping on the wet sand near the 
water marks or dead about half a mile distant from tne sea, A few years 
ago I found 50 dead but perfect specimens nicely dried by the sun on a 
small sandhill. 
The time of their appearance is very limited, about two weeks in 
June; and just as limited is the special locality, on the shore near the 
Ocean Hotel, a few hundred feet long, where the live specimens were 
found and the dead ones just behind that part of the shore, driven up the 
low sandhills by the wind. 
I have been on Coney Island to look for them about fifty times, 
but succeeded only five times to secure them. 
I always considered these handsome coleoptera driven by the wind 
from the Jersey coast, as they were usually found after a heavy storm from 
Southwest — but it is still possible, that they are indigenous to the Island. 
F. G. Schaupp. 
