BULLETIN OF TUB BROOKLYN EJff. SCO. 



of the caterpillar is very sluggish at this period, while in its oar- 

 li<T stages it is very lively. When touched it rolls itself up the same 

 as most of the other arctians. 



On July 22 th four of the imagines made their appearance, all males, 

 but what Avas my surprise to find instead of their secondaries being 1 

 red (as were those of the parent moth) two were such, and the other 

 two of a bright yellow* 



Altogether I got out 11 specimens of which 8 were males, and 3 fe- 

 males. Of the males the secondaries of four were red ( same as the 

 parent moth) while those of the other four were orange yellow. 

 Each of the three females was of a different form. The secondaries 

 of one were the usual red, the other had yellow secondaries, while 

 those of the third were black, with only a small orange yellow mark 

 of the shape of a V. In all the specimens I raised, the markings of 

 the primaries showed hardly any variation. From this it would 

 seem that but little reliance can be placed (as regards specific dis- 

 tinction) ou the colors, and markings of the secondaries among the 

 Arctians, while the primaries on the contrary seem to be constant. 

 As an illustration of this take Arctia virgo, of which I have seen ape 

 cimens with their secondaries of a bright yellow. 

 Judging by the figure in Stretch's Zygaenidae and Bombycidae of 

 N. A. (pi. 9 fig. 6) A. anua Gr. seems to be a black var. of A.. Saun- 

 dersii or A. persephone; in fact the inconstancy of the color and mar- 

 kings of the secondaries once demonstrated the question arises,are 

 not A. Saundersii, A. persephone and A. anna one and the same 

 species? 



A. phalerata we find similarly variable although I have my doubts 

 whether we have not two distinct species labelled under this name. 

 I would advise collectors when capturing the female of A. phalera- 

 ta, or of any other species to try rearing from the egg, taking great 

 pare to keep the brood separate. By defining the different forma 

 (if any) of the specimens derived from one and the same female we 

 arrive at some positive proofs as to what constitutes a species, and 

 this iis itself of far more value than hosts of descriptions of new spe- 

 cies from the imago only. 



Arctians. as a rare are general feeders, and can be easily raised on 

 common garden weeds, the radish, and lettwe. E . L , QlAei , 



Ckruea Multiscripta, Riley. — Larvae found on the upright 

 Willow July 30th; a male imago emerged on August 30th and a 

 female on Sept. 8th. r. t# pp «i. 



