578 . ZOOLOGICAL LiqpERATURE. 
137, 169-171^ and 180-182) criticises the following works on 
North- American Lepidoptera, and discusses the synonymy of 
many of the species referred to : — Boisduyal et Leconte, Hist* 
Gen. et Iconogr. des Lepid. et des Chenilles de hAmerique sep*» 
tentrionale ; Morris, Synopsis of described Lepidopteya of North 
America ; and Boisduval, Lepidopteres de la Galifornie. 
John Watson indicates the use that may be made of the plu- 
mules of certain Butterflies in the determination of the species, 
and gives outline figures of these organs from speeies of various 
families. Ent. M. Mag. ii. pp. 1-2, 
Laboulbene communicated to the French Entomological Sor 
ciety an account of Wagner^s experiments upon the action of 
electricity on the pigments of the wings of Lepidoptera. Weak 
currents are said to diminish the intensity of the colours, and 
MM. Bellier de la Chavignerie and Depuiset recorded some facts 
which led them to think that the electricity of the atmosphere 
had a similar effect. MM. Bellier de la Chavignerie and Berce 
also stated that the greater or less exposure of chrysalides to the 
light has an influence on the coloration of the wings of the perfect 
insects. Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1865, p. xlvii. . 
. Moore has communicated some remarks on the parasitic fungi of insects 
in connexion with specimens foimd on Spiramia retorta and an undeter- 
mined Geometer, both horn India. Proc. Ent. Soc, 1866, p. 89. 
Greene mentions (Entomologist, ii. pp. 826-327), in reply to a question 
published in a previous number of the same journal, that in his opinion the 
females of Lepidoptera generally make their appearance earlier than the 
males, ^ind gives a list of emergences in support of this view. Birchall 
(ibid, pp. 336-338) confirms this result, and gives notes of the emergence of 
the numerous individuals of five broods of as many different species. In 
each case the greater number of the earfler specimens vf ere females j the 
number of males gradually increased, while that of the females difiiinished ] 
and in general the last individuals to emerge were males. These observa- 
tions show a remarkable equality in the number of individuals of the two 
sexes produced from the same brood. \ 
Walsh (Proc. Boat. Nat. Hist. Soc. ix. p. 312) cites papers published by 
him in American agricultural joiirnals, in which the following Lepidopterous 
insects are mentioned : — Leuoania unipunctata (Haw.), the “ Army- worm,” 
and its parasites, and an undetermined species of Solenohia (?), of which 
the larva was found under the bark of apple-trees. 
Llewellyn publishes some notes on peculiarities in the mode of occurrence 
of varieties of certain Lepidopterous insects. Ent. M. Mag. i. pp. 264-265. 
Barrett and Horton publish notes on the hybernation of various Lepido- 
ptera in Ent. M. Mag. i. p. 238, 
Bold (Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. and Durh. i. p. 127) states that Lepi- 
doptera generally were rare in the Northumberland district in 1864. He 
notices the occurrence of great quantities of the larvae of Mamestra, Agrotis, 
Tryphmiaf and Plusia in the turnip-fields (/. c. p. 124), and also the abund- 
ance of caterpillars of various kinds in the kitchen-gardens. 
