1 6 [January, 



to rear the larvae failed, for they soon became sickly and gradually shrivelled 

 up without actually dying, but so as to spoil them absolutel}' for preservation 

 as specimens. — ^Iichael G. L. Prrkins (Cadet K.G.A.), -4 Dean's Yard, 

 Westminster Abbey, S.W. : Dec. loth, 1917. 



Swarms of butterflies. — The " Entomological News" for October, 1917, con- 

 tains a very interesting account of the swarming of two species of butterflies in 

 Texas, by Mr. J. L. Bernheim. It is as follows: — "On Sept. 4r,h, 1916, and 

 for several days following, near Eagle Pass, Texas, the air was fairly alive 

 with swarms of Libythea bachmanni (Snout butterfly), which were flying 

 towards the north. They occupied a strip about a mile wide eastward from 

 liio Grande, in which region the vegetation is most abundant. They extended 

 upward as far as the eye could reach, and borne by a mild breeze from the 

 south, were moving quite swiftly. During this time I made several collecting 

 trips south of Eagle Pass and at each step stirred up veritable clouds of this 

 interesting butterfly which immediately rose in the air and started north. 

 There were literally millions of them, and many of them had evidently com- 

 ])leted their allotted span of life as they were dropping from the air in large 



numbers Late in October, while collecting east of Eagle Pass, I came 



upon a small pond upon the banks of which grew several quite large mesquite 

 trees. These trees were almost covered with swarms of Monarchs {Anosia 

 plexippus). They remained until the following day, when nearly all of them 

 left within an hour or so. Two days later the willows growing upon the bank 

 of the Pio Grande were the resting place for a still larger swarm, some of 

 which remained several days.'" The illustration accompanying Mr. Beruheim's 

 note shows a swarm o^ A. plexippus resting in one of these trees. — Eds. 



Note on Coranus subapterus De G. — A specimen of C'oranus subapterus, $ , 

 captured by myself in August in the New Forest, was kept alive till the 

 beginning of October by feeding it on Aphides and Lepidopterous caterpillars. 

 I was much interested in watching its method of attack upon a young larva of 

 Spilosoma lubricipeda. It approached the caterpillar \evy cautiously, standing 

 well up on its legs, with head raised, rostrum extended, and antennae bent, 

 but with their tips pointing forward. The whole attitude indicated caution 

 and alertness. When near enough, it reached forward and gave the caterpillar 

 a sudden prick with its rostrum, at once darting backward to be out of the way 

 of the writhings of its victim, which were rapid and violent as soon as it 

 received the puncture. Meanwhile the Coronus was intently watching, and as 

 soon as the caterpillar became quiet, it again cautiously approached in the 

 same attitude as before, and gave another sudden prick, again backing quickly 

 out of harm's way. As the result of this second puncture, a large drop of 

 liquid exuded from the wound, and the caterpillar, after a few feeble struggles, 

 bi-came quiescent, and was then found to be dead. The Coranus at once came 

 up again and at leisure proceeded to suck the caterpillar, and did not leave the 

 banquet till its own body was greatly distended and that of its victim was 

 drained almost dry. Thus the puncture given by this lleduviid was sufli- 

 ciently virulent to kill by two attacks, and, in less than a couple of minutes, 

 a caterpillar quite as large as itself. 



I kept the insect in the hope of securing ova, and in this I was not 

 disappointed. Shortly before its death at the end of the first week in October 



