1899] ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 99 



bare ground had finished its career, but later on Paris Green was in demand all the same. 

 The imported cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapce was to be seen in abundance, especially 

 during the latter part of the season. The moth of the climbing cutworm, Hadena arctica 

 which was such an unwelcome intruder in houses in the season of 1895, was again in 

 evidence, but in moderate numbers. 



The superabundance of the Milkweed butterfly, Anosia archippus, (Fig 62) attracted 

 general attention, even amongst those who are not in th9 habit of noticing butterflies. 

 It appeared early, and kept increasing in numbers until about the end of August ; whilst 

 specimens of it were taken as late as the middle of October. One of our members who 



lives in the country, a short distance from the 

 city, told me that he was out in a field one 

 evening when he saw them in great numbers 

 hanging to the heads of grain, and that he picked 

 off several dozens of them with his fingers. 

 Another of our members informed me about the 

 end of August, that he had been in a wood to 

 the North-East of the City with his dog, which 

 started them up by the hundreds from bushes 

 where they had settled down for the night ; and 

 he thought it something very strange, but I had 

 no difficulty in showing him from books that it 

 was a well-known habit of theirs. And yet this 

 gathering in flocks at a particular place to pass 

 the night together like birds, long before their 

 time for migrating has come, is indeed a singu- 

 lis- 63 - lar disposition for butterflies to display. (Fig. 

 63.) During daytime they care nothing whatever for each other's company, but fly aim- 

 lessly about as solitary individuals, as if they were in a meditative mood. When, with 

 night's approach they begin to congregate at their rendezvous, then they cannot get close 

 enough to each other ; but will crowd themselves in where there ia no room, to the great 

 inconvenionce of those already there, and so cause much commotion in the flock before 

 they finally settle down for their night's repose. Anosia Archippus appears to be an 

 Entomological Enigma. 



Reports of the butterflies appearing in vast numbers have been received from various 

 localities, and newspapers have reported swarms of them as filling the air, but no intima- 

 tion was given as to whence they came or whither they were going ; indeed, the observers 

 probably did not know that it was of any importance as to where they were going, or if 

 they were going anywhere at all in particular, and so missed an opportunity of adding to 

 our knowledge in this matter. 



This has been a favorable season for making observations, as they were moving in 

 masses that could be easily watched, and a definite idea obtained of their rate of travel 

 and the direction taken by them. But this is a kind of work that a central bureau of 

 entomological information can alone accomplish satisfactorily. Notice could have been 

 sent in of their having left the north, and warnings issued to every observer to be on the 

 lookout for them on their way south, and thus a connected account obtained of their 

 movements from start to finish. 



Mr. Bird's paper in the Canadian Entomologist, vol. 30, page 126, giving his method 

 of securing the larva and pupa of a variety of species of the genus Hydrcecia in their dif- 

 ferent food plants, and thus obtaining the moths in a perfectly fresh condition, which is of 

 such advantage for the correct separation of the species in this genus, created much in- 

 terest amongst collectors, and an effort was made here to follow out his directions, which 

 resulted in a good measure of success. Mr. Bice secured in large numbers H. cataphracta, 

 H. nitela and its variety Nebris, from Burdock, Giant Ragweed, Elder and Wild Par- 

 snip. Mr. Balkwill collected in Burdock principally, from which was obtained a fine 

 series of Cataphracta, with an interesting amount of variation in the depth of coloring 

 and in the conspicuousness of their ornamentation, which was gratifying to secure. 

 Thus, although the hunts produced nothing new, they gave encouragement to the hope 



