102 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



with yellow, but their brilliance disappears in drying. In company with it, but in greatly 

 inferior numbers was Celithemes Epoiiina, Drury, which used to be plentiful in one 

 locality at Hamilton. The other find was that attractive Hemipteron Lygaeus fasciatua, 

 Fab. Although milk-weeds were to be found for hundreds of yards along the bay shore, 

 there was but one spot where I saw it, and that was a small clump sitaated between two 

 cottages, and from which by frequent visits I secured seven of them. There I observed 

 on the wing as the first of the season, a few fine fresh specimens of the milk-weed butter- 

 fly, D. Archippus, Fab. 



In July, Dr. W. J. Stevenson brought to me a fresh maple tree 

 borer, Plaqionotus Speciosus, Say, (Fig. 67) the first living specimen of 

 it I have seen taken at London. I could obtain it at Hamilton by 

 the dozen where the shade trees are nearly all hard maple, whilst in 

 London they are as nearly all soft maple ; and to that as a cause I 

 have always attributed its absence here. 



During the autumn there was the usual appearance in abundance 

 of two or three species of the Cut-worm moths at light, whilst amongst 

 them was to be obtained an occasional rare, and desirable specimen of 

 other kinds. About the end of September Mr. Bice secured a number 

 Fig. 67. of that attractive Pyralid, Eudioptis hyalinata, Linn. It was on the 



29th day of September, 1881, that I saw at Hamilton my first specimen of it on the wing, 

 and eo far as is known, very few have been taken in Ontario since, and not more than a 

 single specimen in a season. This disclosure of such a marked increase in numbers is of 

 considerable importance to the community, as indicating the possibility of its becoming 

 here, such as it has proved itself to be in the Western and Southern States a first class 

 pest to the cultivators of that delicious fruit, the musk melon. In the Eleventh Report 

 of the New York State Entomologist for the year 1895, after giving an account of the 

 total destruction of some melon patches in the south, which had been cultivated for the 

 market, at page 138 it is stated : " It would appear from the limited literature ac- 

 cesible, that Eudioptis hyalinata is more especially a southern insect. I have examples 

 in my collection from Texas. It has also been taken in Michigan, is not uncommon in 

 New Jersey, and has been taken in Canada. I have no knowledge of its occurrence in 

 the State of New York." That it had not been reported from New York State was to 

 me rather a surprise, and I started the question whence came it to us 1 It would seem 

 as if it must have reached Ontario by way of the west, having found the conditions most 

 favorable for its spreading in that direction. It is the habit in some quarters to speak 

 disparagingly of " mere collectors." But an occurrence of this nature brings forcibly to 

 view the great loss, that even now, our d partment of science is suffering from the want 

 of more collectors ; for it is upon their labors and observations that we are largely de- 

 pending for our knowledge of the introduction and spread of injurious species. A know- 

 ledge of the flora and fauna of any particular district is of great general interest and 

 advantage to all students of nature, whether the individual disclosing it has any time, in- 

 clination or ability to devote to the technicalities of the subject or not, and is well 

 deserving of the grateful acknowledgements of all. 



Almost the same time as the preceding, Mr. Bice took several specimens of another 

 Pyralid, Pilocrosis ramentalis, Led. This species was represented in the Society's col- 

 lection by a single specimen taken by me at Hamilton, and named for me by Mr. Grote, 

 then of Buffalo, who had much of interest to tell me of the peculiarities of this 

 insect, one noticeable thing about it is the long scales covering the costal margin at base 

 of the front wings of the females, which can be raised so'as to disclose the membrane. 

 Mr. J. Johnston of Hamilton informed me that these two species are represented in his 

 collection by a single specimen of each, taken by him there many years ago. Recently I 

 have seen a specimen of E. hyalinata amongst some material sent to me for determinat- 

 ion by Mr. C. E. Grant, of Orillia. In September the Tomato Sphinx, S. quinquemac- 

 ulata, Hub, was. quite plentiful, which suggests some interesting queries concerning the 

 life history of this species. It is considered to be single brooded in this latitude ; but it 

 is known to mature occasionally in confinement the same season as produced. Were these 



