BULLETIS oFTUE BROOKLYN EXT. SOC. 19. 



have a purplish reflection. The scales are set so close as to render the 

 wing black, th< nigh n< >t so cl< >se but that the outline of the transparent por- 

 tion of the wing may be readily traced. The scales covering the transpa- 

 rent portion of the wing are so loosely attached that it is very difficult 'to 

 save the insect in its beauty, as the vibratory movement of the wings, with 

 which the imago accompanies any effort to move, is sufficient to detach 

 them all except those along the nervules, and the smallest flight leaves 

 the wings completely transparent. To preserve them with the transparent 

 portion covered with scales, the imago must be taken as soon as the wings 

 have fully developed. This is best done by covering the insect with a 

 glass containing chloroform vapor so dense as to instantly overpower the 

 imago and then leave the insect for several hours in a cyanide bottle (to 

 prevent its returning to life and to give the wings more time to harden 

 thus preventing bleeding when the insect is spread on the drying boards). 



From the above it will be seen that the time required by the insect 

 to complete its transformations is 35 days. Here the insect has four, and 

 in long seasons five, broods, the last passing the winter in the pupa state. 

 Still, the insect after its first appearance in the spring, may be found in all 

 stages of development throughout the season owing to the facts, that the 

 females spend several davs in laving their eggs, and that a few larvae of 

 each brood are retarded in their development so as to be much behind 

 the majority of their brethern, and finally some remain longer in pupa 

 than the rest, sometimes even holding over from an early brood till the 

 next year. 



The larvne are subject to much variation in the "ground color"' of 

 the body, though the special markings remain the same. Thus the 

 '•ground color" may pass faun the usual "pea-green" through olive green 

 to quite dark brown. Again the same larva does not always retain its 

 original "ground color" throughout its transformations; i.e. a brown lar- 

 va in one moult may be pale green the next one and vice versa. 



Hemaris marginalis dies by day as well as during the twilight of 

 morning and evening and has been taken by me in the middle of the day 

 on wild and cultivated flowers. The larva has been found by me on the 

 following plants, all of which are members of the "Honeysuckle family". 

 Symphoricarpus raeemosus. Michx. (Snowberry), Lonicera sempervirens, 

 Ait. (Trumpet Honeysuckle) also on two other species of Lonicera, 

 (the smooth leafed species); Diervilla trifida, Moench, (Bush Honey- 

 suckle) and Trirsteum perfoliatum, L. (Fever-wort). 



