28 BULLETIN OF THE BROOKLYN ENT. 600. 



5. Cocoons are without doubt of use to conceal from enemies. 

 1st. Because, though noticed, they do not appear to birds like 

 anything edible. 2nd. Because, if recognised as being edible, 

 the tough parchment gives safety. 3rd. In many cases, because 

 the odor of the pupa is not apparent through the air tight casing, 

 and ants, mice and moles are not aware of the existence of the pu- 

 pa, which otherwise they would secure. 



6. Cocoons are probably of use in retaining the vitality of 

 the pupa. Silk is one of the best of nonconducting substances. 

 And electricity and the vital power seem to be akin. It seems 

 probable that the nonconducting cocoon must serve to keep the 

 vital force from waste during the long season of comparative in- 

 activity. The experiments referred to above under heading 4 

 have as well proved that imagines emerging from pupae which 

 have been taken from their cocoons are deficient in vitality. 



„ GEO. D. HULST. 



NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



In the "Verkandlungen des Vereins fuer naturwissenschaftliche Unterhalt- 

 ung zu Hamburg of 1876" issued in March 1878, Mr. J. Boll of Dallas, Tex. 

 has a very interesting paper on the Dimorphism and varieties of several 

 N. A. Lepidoptera- His notes on Colias Eurythenie, B'dvl. Col. Ariadne, W. 

 H. Edw., and Col. Keewaydin, W. H. Edw. are of special interest; he also 

 forms the opinion that they are but forms of one species. 



In the Anuual Report upon Exploration and Surveys in the department of 

 the Missouri by E. H. Ruffner, for 1878, Mr. H. Strecker describes Argynnis 

 Kriemhild, no v. sp. from Rio Florida, Colorado ; it is evidently closekv allied 

 to A. Bellona, Fab. and A. Epithore, B'dvl. 



In the Bulletin of the U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Ter- 

 ritories, Vol. IV. No. 1 Feb. 5th 1S78, Mr. A. R. Grote describes a number of 

 new Noctuidae, chiefly from California. 



In Mr. H. Strecker's catalogue "Butterflies and Moths of North America' ' 

 part I, p. 95, reference is made to the dark form of Lycaena Violacea, W. H. 

 Edwards, with the remark that it is the prevalent $ form in Virginia. This, 

 would not seem to be the ease, the dark specimens found, as far as known, 

 belonging to the S sex. I have two specimens in my collection, both 6 3 . 

 kindly sent me by Mr. Edwards, who informed me that he does not remem- 

 ber ever having seen a dark 2 . 



FRED. TEPPEB, 



