best illustrations of loving care would doubtless be sought in the pains and trouble 

 which the mother fly manifests in depositing her eggs, or in the solicitude of the 

 larva for the protection of its pupa. 



In my home at Truckee, California, there is a species of Cossus, which Barnes 

 and McDunnough say is "probably Cossus angrezi Bailey," which lays its eggs 

 under the bark and in the wood of the cotton-wood tree in August. The female 

 will oviposit if confined in a paper bag, and lays more than a hundred eggs; but, 

 if allowed to have her own way, she hides each egg in the wood or bark of the 

 tree. The larvae burrow into the interior of the trunk, and up to the time when 

 they wish to pupate they are entirely hidden from view. They pupate in the 

 bottom of their burrow, and if they only plan for themselves there would seem to 

 be no reason why they should delay the transformation when the time arrives. As 

 a matter of fact, however, they seem to know that the adult must have access to 

 the open air which they themselves have never breathed. Just before pupation 

 they carry their burrow to the surface and smooth the jagged ends of the bark 

 and wood of the opening so that nothing will retard the egress of the moth. They 

 do onet thing more which shows a high order of instinct, if it be not reason. The 

 diameter of the opening, just at the surface, is made a trifle less than that of the 

 burrow itself. A little thin ledge projects inward all around the edges of the 

 hole. When the adult is ready to emerge, with the large pupa-case around its 

 body, it arrives at the projecting ledge on the inner side of the opening, and the 

 case itself is a trifle too large to slip through. It is held fast by the ledge while 

 the adult pulls itself out. When the moth has escaped, bits of the end of the pupa- 

 case project outside the burrow, and the empty case may be forcibly extracted 

 before it dries. If this Cossus larva pupated in the earth at the foot of the tree 

 there would be a good reason why it should have carried the burrow to the surface. 

 As it does not pupate outside the tree, and as it remains in the open air only long 

 enough to shape and smooth the opening, may we not conclude that here is a 

 worm which cares for its adult? 



A CATERPILLAR TRAP. 



Wm. Reiff, 366 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, Mass., writes: "A very easy and 

 interesting method to obtain caterpillars of species of Argynnis and Brenthis, after 

 their hibernation, is the following: Select localities which such caterpillars probably 

 frequent and place on the ground over food plants broad boards of wood, say 

 two feet wide. They must be so far from the ground that they barely touch the 

 food plants, but will touch the grass, etc. Support the boards by means of stones 

 at their ends. In the morning between three and seven o'clock you will find the 

 caterpillars sitting on the under sides of the boards. Quite often you will find 

 besides Argynnis and Brenthis, caterpillars of Satyrinae, Agrotis, Mamestra, 

 Hadena, Leucania, etc. 



DESIDERATA. 



The following is a sample order for desiderata. I request subscribers to fill 

 it. I have a number of the desired species but am too busy at present to sort my 

 material. 



"Enclosed find a list of butterflies and moths which I would like to get for my 

 collection. Please send me your price for as many of them as you have. Walter 

 Stinson, 913 Prairie St., Elkhart, Indiana;" 



