244 General Notes. [ April, 
my return, to my great grief, I learned that the specimen had been wan- 
tonly lost. My informant in the matter is Dr. T. G. Chattle, of Long 
Branch, a gentleman of generous culture, and good observing ability. 
From his description I am satisfied it was an Argonauta, and very likely, 
though we may not be positive, the species was A. gondola. The animal 
was kept alive eight or nine days. Sometimes it displayed its arms in a 
feeble attempt to swim in its narrow confinement. Is not this the first 
instance of a capture so far north? Query, did this ancient mariner of 
the poets take it into its head to get into the Gulf Stream, and make us 
from its old-time seclusion, as some other folks have done, a centennial 
visit ? — S. Lock woop. 
A Fuicut or BUTTERFLIES. — About the first of October, while 
seated with a friend on the top of “ Pegan Hill,” an elevation of some 
four hundred feet, our attention was attracted to a continuous line of 
passing butterflies flying in a direct course towards the south, and at the 
height of thirty or forty feet above our heads. ‘The day was warm and 
summer-like, with no wind to disturb the flight of the butterflies, which was 
remarkably steady and even, like the flight of migrating birds, and very 
unlike the usual zigzag movement of butterflies. We watched them for 
nearly an hour as they appeared in view from the north and moved steadily 
onward towards the south. Sometimes they appeared singly, sometimes 
in groups of three or four, but oftener in pairs, and flying six or eight feet 
apart. Being anxious to obtain a specimen, that the species might be 
determined, we made several vain attempts to bring one down by send- 
ing our walking-sticks after them. This put them in great confusion, 
entirely breaking up their line of march, and causing them to dodge 
rapidly to the right and left, and frequently to drop down several feet ; 
although they continued on at the same rate of speed, they seemed un- 
able to regain their former even flight, but kept up this zigzag motion 
the flight did not extend over the surrounding country. Having never 
seen any notice of the migration of butterflies or their movement #% 
masse, it occurred to me that the phenomenon might happen ionia 
but at such a height as to pass unobserved. The butterflies were © 
large size and of a dark-brown color, but too distant to enable us to de- 
termine their markings. — Wa. Epwarps, South Natick, Mass. : 
The preceding sketch, received from a correspondent, describes OP 
