ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 103 



September specimens from eggs of an early brood, or were they from belated chrysalids 

 of the previous summer's production % It has been observed that there is a great differ- 

 ance in the time of their appearance in nature, some showing themselves in early June, 

 whilst fresh specimens may be obtained at the end of July ; the location of the winter 

 quarters of the pupse influencing the time of maturing to some extent most likely. Again, 

 if these late comers produced ova could they pass the winter safely 1 If not, then it would 

 help materially to reduce the numbers for the following season. Of Sphingidae less 

 frequently met with in this locality, Mr. Bice took specimens of Ampelophaga versicolor 

 Harr. The Tobacco Sphinx, S. Carolina, Linn., and S. Cingulata, Fab., or Convolvuli 

 of Linn. One thing secured by him, and determined by Dr. J. B. Smith, which is new 

 to the Society's collection, is a single specimen of Hydroecia limpida, Guen., whilst sev- 

 eral other Noctuids of the season's capture are not yet identified. 



THE FREEZING OF INSECTS. 



By Henry H. Lyman, Montreal. 



t v-"" In the 22nd Report of the Entomological Society of Ontario, being that for 1891, there 

 appeared a paper from my pen under the title, " Can Insects Survive Freezing ?" 



I have recently come across further records of observations upon this subject, and deem 

 them of sufficient interest to be republished. 



In looking over an interesting book of travels, entitled " A journey from Prince of 

 Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean, undertaken by order of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company for the discovery of copper mines, a North West passage, etc., in the years 

 1769, 1770, 1771, and 1772, by Samuel Hearne," published in 1796, 1 came across the fol- 

 lowing interesting notes on page 397. : — 



" Frogs, Grubs, and other Insects." 



" Frogs of various colours are numerous inthose parts as far north as the latitude 61 °" 

 They always frequent the margins of lakes, ponds, rivers, and swamps ; and as the winter 

 approaches they burrow under the moss at a considerable distance from the water, wher 

 they remain in a frozen state till the spring. I have frequently seen them dug up with the 

 moss (when pitching tents in winter) frozen as hard as ice ; in which state the legs are as 

 easily broken off as a pipe stem, without giving the least sensation to the animal ; but- by 

 wrapping them up in warm skins, and exposing them to a slow fire, they soon recover life, 

 and the mutilated animal gains its usual activity ; but if they are permitted to freeze again 

 they are past all recovery, and are never more known to come to life. The same may be 

 said of the various species of Spiders, and all the Grub kind, which are very numerous in 

 those parts. I have seen thousands of them dug up with the moss, when we were pitching 

 our tents in the winter ; all of which were invariably enclosed in a thick web, whicn 

 Nature teaches them to spin on those occasions ; yet they were apparently all frozen as 

 hard as ice. The spiders, if let fall from any height on a hard substance, would rebound 

 like a grey pea ; and all the Grub kind are so hard frozen as to be as easily broken as a 

 piece of ice of the same size ; yet when exposed to a slow heat, even in the depth of 

 winter, they will soon come to life, and in a short time recover their usual motions," 



In Dr. H. Guard Knaggs' Lepidopterist's Guide, on page 44 of the 1871 edition, 

 under the heading of " Ailments of Larvae," I find the following : — 



" Frost Bite. — It is well known that larvse, which have been so stifly frozen that 

 they might have been easily broken, have afterwards recovered. The chief thing to be 

 remembered in the treatment of such cases, is that the thawing should be effected very 

 gradually, rapid thawing being dangerous." 



