3J 



ward migration late in the growing season in congregated masses, and a northward disper- 

 sion early in the season through isolated individuals." 



It will thus be seen that Mr. Riley looks upon the migration of D. archippus as 

 something analogous to the southern movement of the birds on the approach of winter, 

 the object in both being the preservation of the species; in the case of the insect to obtain 

 a suitable place for hibernation, as well as a continued supply of food until the time of 

 hibernation arrives ; in the case of the bird to secure food when it would be difficult or 

 impossible to get it in a northern climate. The instinct of the butterfly might therefore 

 be looked upon as a true migratory instinct, in contradistinction to that of the locust, 

 which is of a lower order. 



There is another butterfly which displays this , instinct to a large extent I refer to 

 the well-known Pyrameis cardui, or painted lady. It is a cosmopolitan butterfly, being 

 found in all parts of the world — a result, no doubt, of its migratory habits, conjoined to 

 a faculty of acclimatization. Though I have never actually seen a migration of this 

 insect, I have had no doubt for years past that one did take place in the vicinity of Quebec, 

 I think in 1865 or '66. I had been looking out for the insect for several years, but never 

 saw a single specimen till one summer, when it suddenly became the most common butter- 

 fly in the neighbourhood. They could be seen by dozens everywhere. Next year it was 

 not to be found, nor did it return during my stay in Quebec, up to 1872. 



I have an idea that others of the genus Pyrameis, as well as the species of the allied 

 genera, Grapta and Vanessa, have these migratory habits to some extent. The same 

 phenomenon, that of scarcity, then extreme abundance for one season, and then disappear- 

 ance, took place with regard to Vanessa j-album. They were so abundant one summer 

 that I even saw them drinking spruce beer from the old applewomen's kegs on the Upper 

 Town Market, Quebec, while next season the only specimen I found was a poor dilapidated 

 individual which I took snugly tucked away under the coping of a fence, where it had 

 evidently passed the winter. 



As I said before, the fact of Pyrameis cardui being found in all the four quarters of 

 the globe is no doubt due to its migrating propensity. A further proof of this is found 

 in the well-known fact that our archippus, originally confined to America (though ranging 

 from Canada to Bolivia), has lately spread over some of the islands of the Pacific to 

 Queensland and Xew Guinea, and over the Azores to Europe, such extension of habitat 

 necessarily indicating great power of long- sustained flight. Since the Milk-weeds are not 

 plants of commercial value, it is highly improbable that the species has been carried in any 

 of its preparatory states in ships. The fact remains, however, that it has been found as 

 a new inhabitant of those countries. Its powers of flight will liardly be doubted by any 

 one who has attempted to catch it on the wing. But a stronger proof was the exhibition of 

 -a D. archippus some years ago, by Mr. Pearson, of Montreal, which had been captured 

 on board a ship on the Atlantic, hundreds of miles from land. 



On some Long-horned Beetles. 

 Clttus. 



By R. V. Rogers, Jr., Kingston, Oat. 



Among the Coleopterous hosts there is a family called Long-horns, or Capricorns, in 

 vulgar parlance ; or Cerambycido?, when we are talking learnedly. They derive these 

 names from the fact that they possess very long antenna? (sometimes longer than their 

 bodies), which are generally re-curved like the horns of a wild goat (the Latin Caper). 

 They form a very large family ; already 4,000 of them are known and recognized by the 

 scientific world. They comprise some of the largest, most showy, as well as most des- 

 tructive, of the beetles; one of African origin — Prionus Hayesii by name — is five inches 

 long and one broad, with antenna? of seven inches and legs of four. The Long-horns are 

 world-wide, and their abundance is in proportion to the richness of vegetation of different 

 countries, so that South America, India, Ceylon and the Moluccas contain a great number 

 of the most beautiful and the largest capricorns. 



