AUGUST 
261 
F. — Have you examined the Milkweed by day^ as well 
as in the twilight of evening ? 
C. — Yes ; I have found it on sunny days swarming with 
insects of all orders ; many day-flying moths frequent it^, 
and different species of flies and bees. I took from it a 
dipterous fly, very much resembling a Sphex in shape ; the 
abdomen clubbed^, or subglobular, and joined to the abdomen 
by a slender petiole : the head is large ; and the mouth has 
a projecting tube, like that of a gnat (Conops Rujipes?), 
I also took a little Ceramhyx, black, with bright yellow 
curves on the wing cases ( Clytus P ) : and a pretty 
little Sphinx, the Six-spotted Blue Hav/k-moth {Alypia 
Octomaculata), But it is chiefly the resort of crowds of but- 
terflies of almost every species that is now about ; but more 
particularly the Fritillaries ; of which a large and handsome 
species is numerous^ the Great Spangled Fritillary f Argynnis 
Cybele ), 
— This much resembles the Silver-spot (Argynnis 
Aphrodite), and for a long time I supposed it to be the 
female of that species; but having seen the latter in coitu, 
I am convinced they are two distinct species : the Great 
Spangled being distinguished from the other by its superior 
size^ brighter tint of colour, and by the less number of black 
spots on the wings. 
C. — I have seen the Camberwell Beauty ( Vanessa An- 
tiopd) about, within a few days. This noble butterfly has 
not been seen before, to my knowledge^ since the first days 
of spring. The Tiger Swallowtails have disappeared about a 
fortnight. A Grey Comma ( Grapta C. Argenteum ) has 
been evolved from the chrysalis I mentioned to you, having 
been in pupa thirteen days. I saw, the other day, a very 
fine butterfly, the Archippus (Danais ArchippusJ ; the 
largest species I have yet seen. It fluttered along slowly 
