The larva of Thyreus Abbottii possesses a peculiar interest to the Entomologist, as it is the only species of which the sex is supposed to be indicated by the coloration. Frequent reference to this is found in works of different authors, and nowhere have I seen any doubt expressed about the validity of the distinguishing markings between ♂ and ♀ (vide Harris' Ent. Correspondence, p. 284; N. Y. State Museum Report, p. 114; Can. Entomologist, 1874, p. 146).

Mr. W. H. Edwards, in his article on Argynnis myrina, published on page 189 of Vol. vii, of the Canadian Entomololgist, says that in all the species of butterflies which he has made observations on, except Apatura clyton, the females emerge as early as the males, and in the course of the same article he mentions having “bred from the egg four of our larger species of Argynnis, viz., diana, cybele, aphrodite and idalia.”

My kind correspondent, Mr. O. Meske, of Albany, sends me a male specimen presumbly belonging to this species, which we referred originally to the Cuban genus EuscirrhopterusGrote, and (from a female) considered congeneric with E. Poeyi Grote. THe specimen now sent has an undivided frenulum and is unquestionably a male. It does not show, however, the aberrant wing structure of Euscirrhopterus.

Eyes hairy; antennæ pectinate. Thorax and wings grayish fuscous, color of trifolii; basal half line white, t.a. line geminate, widely seperated; t.p. line consisting of a series of white points; subterminal irregular, terminal line black. Orbicular spot large, white ringed with dark centre; reniform constricted at the centre, white margined with a dark filling.

This species is placed in this genus provisionally. It is certainly not a true Asychna. Indeed, almost the only character common to all the species which Mr. Stainton places in this genus is their ornamentation, and in this respect Laverna? gleditschiæella is an Asychna,whilst this species is far from it. This species (pulvella) differs widely enough from all the others in ornamentation ; but structurally it approaches this genus so nearly that rather than construct a new one for it, I place it here provisionally.

The various preparations which have been recommended by different writers seem to be successful enough in attracting nocturnal Lepidoptera, while the poisons employed for quieting them seem to fail in one or more essential particulars. Cyanide of Potassium, whether alone or prepared with Plaster of Paris, does not act with sufficient readiness to prevent strong-bodied moths from fluttering so long as in a great measure to spoil the beauty of their vestiture, while the application of chloroform at night is attended with considerable inconvenience.

For a long time that school of Entomologists which has for its basis the view that there are but few genera in the Butterflies and Moths, and that the more minute characters which these insects offer are not of sufficient value to support genera, have held an almost undisputed sway in the scientific literature on the subject. The first opponent of these views was Jacob Hübner, whose works form the subject of the present paper. A single author, in the comparatively obscure town of Augsburg, in Germany, Jacob Hübner fonnd no adherents to his views, and his works fell into obscurity.

In a collection sent by Mr. Belfrage from Bosque Co., Texas, are 15 generally fresh specimens of this genus which i have carefully examined. The type of hydromeli ♂ is numbered 527 (violet label). the ♀ 246 (red label). The orange dots following the fuscous blotches of the subterminal line are less evident in the male, and at the base of the wing the orange powdering is less prominent. I am inclined to consider seven specimens, two males, five females, captured from May 3rd to May 21st, as typical.

In No. 4, Vol. ii, of the “Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences,” Dr. H. A. Hagen gives an interesting paper on this moth and its parasites.

After a brief review of the previous literature of the species, Dr. Hagen says : “If columbia should happen not to be a distinct species, it must be either a variety of some other species or a hybrid of two species.”

The form of the palpi is that of Anybia langiella St., as represented Ins. Brit., v.3, but the wings are a little longer than those of langiella are there represented, though the hinder pair have the same form. The neuration of the fore wings is that of L. epilobiella(fig'd loc. cit.) except that the apical vein is obsolete in the single specimen examined by me ; that of the hind wings also resembles that of epilobiella; indeed, if the dorsal and submedian veins were represented in the figure of epilobiella, and the sub-apical or discal branch was produced forwards into the cell,the neuration would be that of this species.