174 FOBTY-FLRST REPORT ON THE 8 TATE Mu^EUM. 



The Cocoon. 

 Its dull brown, felt-like cocoon represented in Figure 26, U8u.ally 

 placed on a branch or in a crotch of a tree, has 

 a protuberance on its back which almost 

 exactly counterfeits a winter bud. It is pro- 

 FiG. 26 — Cocoon of Lagoa vided with an accurately fitting- hinged trap- 

 opEBcuLAEis. ^loor, whlch is skillfully built by the larva at 



the time of the construction of the cocoon, instead of being sub- 

 sequently cut by its jaws, as are man}^ of the lids of cocoons of the 

 Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, etc. For a detailed account of the pecu- 

 liar structure of the lid in the cocoons of Lagoa, and evidences of 

 design shown therein, the article on Lagoa crispata previously cited, 

 may be referred to . 



Nephelodes violans Gruenee. 

 The Bronze-colored Gut-worm. 

 (Ord. Lepidopteba: Fam. Noctuid/^.) 

 [For Bibliography, see First Eept. on the Insects of New York, 1882, p. 99.] 

 Caterpillars of the above named species were received under date of 

 March 30th, from Prof. D. P. Penhallow, of McGill Uni- 

 versity, at Montreal, which had been taken a few days 

 previously from a large number traveling over the surface 

 of the snow, and had therefore, from the unusual nature 

 of such an appearance, excited no little curiosity. Not 

 being able to recognize the species in its immature state, 

 examples were sent to Washington for comparison with 

 the alcoholic specimens in the National Museum, where 

 they were identified as Nephelodes violans — the bronze- 

 colored cut-worm,a notable demonstration of which in the 

 pastures and meadows of St. Lawrence county, N. Y., in 

 the spring of 1881, is narrated in my First Beport Ins. 

 N. Y. Figure 27 represents the caterpillar in its mature size. 

 Upon requesting from Prof. Penhallow that he would 

 obtain all the particulars possible of so interesting an 

 occurrence as the appearance of this caterpillar in winter, 

 under the conditions named, in such a northern latitude, 

 erpiiiar of ' ^^ kindly sent the following communication, from Mr. 

 ^'^ioSns.^'*' David Robertson, of Brockville, Ontario: 



Occurrence of the Larvse in Winter, in Canada. 



The larvae were first noticed on the afternoon of March 25. On the 

 previous day we had had a sudden thaw, with high winds and very 

 heavy rains daring the evening, and before morning the temperature 



