9 



forms of diurnal lepidoptera. I am the more inclined to give credit to this 

 cause, as I found recently at Nepigon and Port Arthur, where the winter was 

 quite as severe and prolonged as usual, butterflies were remarkably abundant, and 

 could be found in hundreds whenever the sun was shining. Among other inter- 

 esting captures at Nepigon, which has now become a famous hunting-ground, and 

 where the butterfly collector, careering in hot haste with net in hand after a 

 specimen, is not regarded as an escaped lunatic, as he would be in most parts of 

 the country, but as a scientist engaged in quite as praiseworthy an occupation 

 as trout-fishing — among my captures I may mention a number of specimens of 

 Plusia belonging to several different species. As I only returned a few days 

 ago I have not had time to get them identified, but I have brought several of 

 them here for inspection. They were very active indeed upon the flowers 

 of thistles and golden rod, flitting swiftly from one to another in the 

 hot sun. 



Since our last annual meeting many important additions have been made to 

 entomological literature. Mr. Scudder's grand work on " The Butterflies of the 

 Eastern United States and Canada" was completed last September. It forms three 

 large volumes, containing 2,000 pages and nearly a hundred plates and maps, about 

 forty of which are coloured. It is truly a magnificent work and a monument of 

 patient labor and careful scientific investigation. However much we may differ 

 from the author on such vexed questions as generic nomenclature, the sequence 

 of families, and the like, we must express our unbounded admiration for his ability 

 and learning, and the excellence of his work. The long pages of descriptive 

 matter are enlivened by essays on all manner of subjects connected with butterfly 

 life, written in a particularly charming style, and to each chapter is prefixed a 

 stanza or two of poetry, so apt and so beautiful, that one is lost in wonder at the 

 diversity and extent of the author's acquaintance with literature. This feature 

 of the work renders it available for all lovers of natural history, even though 

 they may take no special interest in butterflies. The author has published the 

 work at a large pecuniary sacrifice. The list of subscribers is strangely small, 

 but we hope that ere long librarians everywhere will find out that without a copy 

 of Scudder's butterflies their collection of books is very incomplete. 



Self-sacrifice in the publication of entomological literature is the order of 

 the day. A similar tale has to be told of the authors of the next two books that 

 I wish to refer to. Mr. W. H. Edwards continues to issue his lovely illustrations 

 of the "Butterflies of North America." The coloured figures of these insects in all 

 their stages are the most perfect and the most beautifully executed that I have 

 ever seen. Nine parts of the third series have now been issued, and the tenth is 

 almost ready ; but at what a cost to the author 1 In order to accomplish this 

 stupendous work he has been obliged to dispose of his collections and nearly all 

 his books — a sacrifice that would be heart-breaking to most of us. 



The other work to which I referred is the Rev. Dr. McCook's " American 

 Spiders and their Spinning Work," the second volume of which has just been 

 issued. When complete the work will consist of three large quarto volumes, pro- 

 fusely illustrated with wood cuts and some coloured lithographic plates. It is 

 written in a most interesting manner, and while thoroughly scientific, is so 

 popularly and clearly expressed that it may be read with ease and delight by 

 any one who cares to learn about the strange habits and peculiar life-history of 

 these singular creatures. When finished it will certainly be the most complete 

 and perfect work on spiders in the English language. In this case, too, the author 

 is publishing at his own expense and does not expect to be reimbursed for his 



