From the condition of an hypothesis the glacial epoch has been elevated into that of a theory by the explanations it has afforded to a certain class of geological phenomena. The present paper endeavors to show that certain zoological facts are consistent with the presence, during past times, of a vast progressive field of ice, which, in its movement from north to south, gradually extended over large portions of the North American continent. These facts, in the present instance, are furnished by a study of our Lepidoptera, or certain kinds of butterflies and moths now inhabiting the United States and adjacent territories.

In the very interesting paper of Mr. W. H. Edwards, published in the May number of this journal, in which another valuable addition is made to the knowledge of our Lepidoptera, by the identity therein shown of the Lycænas pseudargiolus and violacea–autumnal and vernal forms of the same species–it is suggested that neglecta and lucia may prove to bear the same relationship to one another.

♀.Fore tibiae unarmed; middle and hind tibiae spinose. By the flattened abdomen allied to cupidissima. Fore wings dark blackish brown, with the terminal space paler, somewhat olivaceous. As in exsertistigma, the orbicular is open, triangulate, bloadly pale margined, fusing superiorly with a pale subcostal shade extending from the base of the wing above this spot. Unlike exsertistigma, the orbicular and reniform are black, the ground color of the median space about them being powdered with deep yellow.

Many Entomologists are under the impression that the cocoons of this species and polyphemus are exactly alike in appearance. This is a mistake; and the collector who has been misled by writers on the subject and has got together by careful searching a dozen cocoons, expecting at least to get a small share of lunas from them, is greatly disappointed when they change to find them all polyphemus.

The shape of the fore wings is like Scoliopteryx, and the ornamentation is like that genus, while the stigmata are well defined, the course of the lines being similar in the two genera. This is a much more robust form than the European Atethmia xerampelina, and has different shaped, more dentate primaries. Eyes naked, tibiae unarmed. Eucirroedia pampina(Guen.) has the colors of Fodia.

♂. Allied to A. bicarnea Guen,; smaller and distinguishable by the evenness of the t. p. line. Fore wings dead brownish black. T. a. line rigidly oblique to submedian fold, not rounded as in its ally, and with a less prominent tooth on internal margin. A very faint yellowish shading to the line and also on the costa at inception of t. p. line, where A. bicarnea is strongly marked with carneous. T. p. line shaped as in its ally, but even, geminate, the inner line not scalloped; the component lines include a pale shading.

Head, thorax, abdomen and wings above, of a creamy white, without any trace of bands or markings. Beneath, the body and wings are also creamy white, the costa of both fore and hind wings being near the base very faintly tinged rvith yellowish pink. The legs are also slightly pinkish. Antennae pale brown. Palpi and other parts of the mouth yellowish.

This beautiful and well known European insect is now for the first time discovered in this country. I quote Mr. Sainton's description from Ins. Brit., v. 3, p. 187. “Head yellowish white. Face and palpi white. Antennæ white, annulate with fuscous. Anterior wings white, sometimes suffused with golden, with an oblique golden fascia from the base of the costa.

On the 6th of June, 1874, I found on a wild gooseberry bush four larvæ of Grapta faunus Edwards. Length of full grown larva, 1¼ inch ; form cylindrical ; head flat in front, black, furnished with two branching horns and a few scattered white hairs ; a yellow V-shaped stripe in front ; the base between the horns, the ends pointing towards the mandibles ; mandibles black.

In accordance with the predictions made at the time of its first appearance in the immediate Mississippi Valley, the Colorado potato beetle continues to extend its area of distribution. It has during the last and present seasons reached the Atlantic Coast of the Middle States, and is preparing an invasion in mass of the maritime parts of New England, which will soon be overrun with the same ease with which it has conquered the Western and Middle States. Meanwhile the farmers are anxiously inquiring for means of destroying the invader.

Dr. Weismann has lately published an account of certain experiments made by him during a course of years with a view to determining the facts relating to seasonal-dimorphism, and from them to deduce the reasons for the phenomena. As several North American butterflies are thus dimorphic. I have thought that the substance of Dr. Weismann's paper would be interesting to the readers of the Entomologist, it being too long to print in full.

In the spring of this year I commenced collecting the Nectuæof this part of Canada, and in the hope that a list of my captures, with the dates of appearance, may be of interest, I venture to send the same for publication.

Being a stranger to the insect fauna of N. America, and in the absence of anything like a manual of the Heterocera, I shouls, even with the assistance of the Brit. Mus. Catalogues and Gueneæ's work, have had great difficulty in identifying my specimens.

r have only examined the neuration of one of the species which I here place in this genus, but they are all evidently congeneric, and the neuration of L. lyonetiella while not that of L. cephalonthiella, nor of either of the three species figured Ins. Brit., v.3., does not differ therefrom more than they differ from each other. The limits of the genus are perhaps not so clearly defined as might be wished in respect to the neuration and the raised tufts on the primaries, but as the genus is at present recognized, the proper location of these species is in it.

Allied to rubi and conflua. Taken by Mr. Norman in Canada, and considered to be identical with the European rubi in former writings. Abdomen and hind wings paler than in conflua. Fore wings of a darker purply-reddish brown; t. a. line geminate, a black spot before the orbicular and usually the disc between the spots is black stained. Claviform indicated. Subterminal pale, more waved, but like conflua, differing from rubi; beneath the common line is not diffuse as in conflua.