37 



eyes and ears, but it is fortunate that such formidable hard-shelled beetles as the species 

 just mentioned do not make a habit of exploring our ears. Had the case been that of 

 some " blockhead," one might have supposed that the beetle had visited him under the 

 guidance of instinct, but in the present instance the intrusion must have been merely the 

 result of accident. 



Much as beetles injure man's property, they seldom attack his body, but there is one 

 Canadian species which most decidedly indulges in that unpleasant habit, and to an extent 

 that is perhaps unknown to many entomologists. I refer to Melanophila longipes, which 

 occur from 12th May to 12th Oct., and is usually abundant during the hot season, bask- 

 ing upon stone walls, etc. It has a fashion of lighting on one's collar and inflicting a 

 sharp nip on the nape of the neck, and then disappearing with great swiftness. I have 

 often been thus bitten, and have sometimes, by making a sudden grab, taken the beetle 

 in the act and proved his identity. Last summer several instances of persons being bitten 

 fell under my observation. While at dinner one day in a hotel, three or four sitting at 

 the same table complained that some " confounded fly " had nipped them viciously. The 

 gentleman sitting next to me was one of the victims and caught the offender, but it 

 escaped almost immediately, only allowing him to see that it was black and harder than a 

 fly. I was just going to say that it was probably a specimen of M. longipes, when I got a 

 nip that settled the question and the insect. 



A few weeks ago I was trying to convince two ladies that beetles might be handled 

 fearlessly, as they had no biting propensities, when one of them at once exclaimed, " don't 

 tell us that, for there is a nasty, little, flat, black beetle that bites me on the neck in the 

 summer." 



RARE BUTTERFLIES IN QUEBEC. 



By John G. Jack, Chateauguay Basin, P. Q. 



On the 1 6th of August last I captured in our orchard a beauitf ul female specimen 

 of Papilio cresphontes. Cram., in perfect condition and evidently not long emerged 

 from a chrysalis. Some days later (August 22) a specimen was seen and pursued 

 without success, and on the 29th another very large female was taken. As one of the 

 food plants of the larva, Prickly Ash ( Zanthoxylum americanum^ Will.) is abundant here, 

 I think they must have bred in this locality, which is about fifteen miles south of Mon- 

 treal. I think this is the first record of this butterfly being taken in the Province of 

 Quebec. Euptoieta claudia, Cram., another butterfly rare in this latitude, was taken by 

 me August 15th, 1874, near a hopfield, and is now in the collection of the Montreal Natural 

 Historical Society. I mention this as Mr. Edwards gives Canada no credit for this species 

 in his useful catalogue. 



OBSERVATIONS ON LIMENITIS ARTHEMIS. 

 By Mrs. C. E. Heustis, Parrsboro', N. S. 



I was much interested in an article in Vol. xiii., of the Canadian Ento^nologist^ by 

 Mr. W. H. Edwards, entitled, " Is Limenitis arthemis double-brooded 1" My own obser- 

 vations previous to the time of reading the article were confirmatory of Mr. Edwards' 

 theory ; but I wished to learn more of this interesting species before hazarding any re- 

 marks concerning its habits. 



I have never reared or attempted to rear arthemis from the egg, but have one speci- 

 men obtained from a full-fed larva found on the 2nd July, 1877. It went into chrysalis 

 on the 3rd, and the imago appeared on the 16th. I have seen fresh looking specimens on 

 1st July, when enjoying, with other citizens. Dominion Day in the country. Later 

 than this I have not seen a fresh specimen, excepting the example before recorded. 



I find in an old notebook the following entry : " Parrsboro', N. S., July 25, 1877, 

 captured to-day a worn and battered specimen of Limenitis arthemis, the only example 



4 [en.] 



