Geographically the State of Mississippi divided into what is known as the hills and the swamps. The hills comprise the middle and eastern portions of the State, while the swamps comprise the western border or the country adjacent to the Mississippi River, the larger portion of which is overflowed every year.

The insect fauna of this region presents many things of interest, there being an absence of many species found in other parts of the State, doubtless owing to the inundation and consequent drowning out in the spirng of the year. Indeed, how it is that some of the species which are quite common in this region survive an overflow lasting from three weeks to two or over three months, I leave for other to explain.