12 
PAPILIO ANTICOSTIENSIS. 
length as those of specimens of Asteriiis, from the Eastern, Middle and Western States and 
Colorado, but shorter than those from Florida. Brevicauda was taken at St. John’s 
Newfoundland. 
I now again had the pleasant excitement incidental to endeavoring to study out bare 
descriptions, unaccompanied by figures, and in my misery I wrote to Mr. Couper, in Montreal, 
requesting him to try to see the types of Brevicauda, and compare his examples with them, or 
if that was impossible, to write to Mr. Saunders, of Ontario, Canada, who described 
it, and with whom he was acquainted, concerning the species ; after some time Mr. Couper 
wrote: “I communicated with the Rev. Canon Junes, (in whose collection are specimens of 
Brevicauda,) and Mr. W. Saunders, asking for information regarding P. Brevicauda ; up to 
this instant, no answer from either this certainly was not very satisfactory, but as I was 
not particularly anxious to make a fool of myself by re-christening old species, I importuned 
Mr. Couper to try the gentleman with another epistolary shot; in due time, under date 
March 17th, 1873, came another letter from Couper, thus : “ I have purposely delayed a 
reply to your favor of 2d, because since its receipt I wrote again to Mr. W. Saunders for the 
desired information, and my letter was written in terms which could not deter him from 
answering; however, no answer has been received;” after receiving this letter, I, of coui’sc, 
concluded that Mr. Saunders’ time was of too much value to be encroached upon, and 
requested Mr. Couper to by no means trouble him again, as his dignified silence at last 
brought me to a proper sense of my true position, and was a merited punishment to both 
Couper and myself for our temerity. 
However, I believe this is distinct from Brevicauda, and if it be not, it is an absurdity 
to retain that name ; the probability, after all, is, that Brevicauda and Anticostiensis, (if they 
be not the same,) are both varieties of Asterius ; if such is the case, they have the merit, at 
least, of being very marked and interesting ones, which, I trust, will be considered sufficient 
reason for my having figured the latter ; I did not figure the male, as I considered the female 
the most remarkable on account of the greater width of the macular inner bands. Mr. Couper 
took on Anticosti Island at the same time with this species, Colias Interior, Scud ; Pieris Frig- 
ida, Scud.; Chionobas Jutta, Hub.; Ly. Lucia, Kirby; Ly. Scudderii, Edw.; Ly. Nov. Sp.? 
Thyatira Pudcns, Guen.; Sesia Uniformis, Grote; and many other Lep. as well as Coleoptera ; 
lie starts again for same locality next month on another collecting tour ; he expects to be able 
to find the larvae of Anticostiensis, and I hope he will meet with the success he so well 
deserves. 
April, 1873. 
