A constant succession of surprises has taken place during the year 1899, owing to the absence of species and even whole genera that I have taken in previous years in some abundance, their places being occupied by forms new to me. I thought that the list of Manitoba Lepidoptera by Mr. Hanham, now being published, would be fairly complete, considering the amount of material at his disposal; but my work of last summer, so far as I have identified the result, will add several species to the list, and I have yet a number of specimens, about which I am in doubt, to submit to Dr. J. B. Smith, who has very kindly undertaken the task of naming my new things.

Sergiolus bicolor, n. sp.

Length, ♀, 8 mm. Cephalothorax and legs pale reddish-yellow, mandibles and sternum scarcely darker, basal half of abdomen pale gray, apical half and spinnerets jet black, the line separating the two slightly convex in front; venter pale gray except the apical two-fifths, which is black, but broadly indented by the gray in the middle. Cephalothorax rather slender, about one and three-fourths as long as broad, plainly longer than patella plus tibia IV., not much narrowed in front, no trace of a dorsal groove. Posterior eye-row plainly recurved, the P. M. E. round, about twice their diameter apart, and about as far from the scarcely larger P. S. E. Anterior eye-row much shorter than posterior, nearly straight, the A. M. E. slightly smaller than P. M. E., more than their diameter apart, and rather nearer to the slightly larger A. S. E., several stiff black bristles in eye-region.

Tephroclystis plumbaria, n. sp.

Belongs to the absinthiata group, and is close to that species. Of a blackish fuscous colour, wings broad and rounded, lines faint, parallel with outer margin, evenly scalloped, the outer one most distinct and whitish. Costa with small black spots at beginning of the lines; discal spots on fore wings black, lengthened, on hind wings black points. Beneath lighter, smoother, the lines showing more evenly, more broadly and lighter. Dist. of Columbia, taken July 5th. Type number, in National Museum, 4701.

This species was described from material collected by Prof. Snow in Douglas Co., Kansas, and the type is in Coll. British Museum. It is now suspected that Gortyna erepta may be the same species with Hydrœcia lunata, and it is to be regretted that an opportunity of examining the type in British Museum Coll. has been passed over. The appearance of the reniform is characteristic in this genus. In erepta it is described as “small, a white half-moon in a blackish shade.” In lunata, “narrow, white oblique lunule, margined by black scales.” The reniform spot thus seems to be identically described in both cases. In erepta the lines are described as fuscous, simple. In lunata as single and whitish. I never saw a noctuid in which the lines were white or paler than the wing, but there is a following pale shade which sometimes persists when the dark line itself becomes obliterate. It seems as though this discrepancy might be explained away.

One of the most popular families among the Coleoptera to the student and collector is that of the Cicindelidœ. Generally bright coloured and handsomely marked, quick to take flight and rapid runners, it requires some skill and considerable patience to become a successful hunter of the “tiger” beetle. Their capture is generally attended with considerable personal discomfort, as their favourite haunt is the muddy bank of a stream, the hot sand bar or dune, or the burning flat of a salt marsh, from which the noon-tide breezes on a July or August day seem to remind one of the temperature of the home of the evil-doer in the hereafter. It is in the hottest part of the day from 10 a. m. to 3 p. m., that most species of this family appear in the open.

This West Indian Pyralid occurred to me on the cemetery grounds in Key West, Florida. The larva was destructive to a large bush (Thevetia neriifolia), commonly planted there for ornament. The larva webs up a group of the narrow leaves into a tube, and eats the parenchyma from within, thus destroying much foliage and rendering the plants unsightly.