It is over a decade since the writer made a critical examination of literature in relation to the aerial movements of insects (See N. Y. State Museum Bulletin 274, P. 59-129, 1928). Subsequent data has tended to confirm rather than to weaken the conclusions incident to that study.

For a number of years, a line has been drawn between animals which merely live in water but obtain atmospheric air for respiration, and those truly aquatic forms which depend upon oxygen removed from solution in the water surrounding them. In making a study of the latter type of organisms, we recently noted that there are two distinct methods of respiration correlated with rate of blood circulation.

In 1935, the writer published a preliminary paper on some alternative hosts of oriental fruit moth parasites, in which Glypta rufiscutellaris Cress. was recorded from an unknown leaf-tier on hawthorn in 1934. This species has since been identified by Dr. J. H. McDunnough as Epinotia sp., presumably laracana Kft. In the summer of 1935, G. rufiscutellaris was again reared from this host and an attempt was made to induce the emergents to parasitize oriental fruit moth larvae. Unfortunately, all but a single unfertilized female were destroyed by ants, but the survivor successfully parasitized newly hatched fruit moth larvae which were exposed in the cage on July 20 and 21, 12 male Glypta emerging from this material on August 19 to 25.

Many papers have been written about caddis cases, treating these movable shelters from the standpoints of choice of materials (Brues 1930, Dodds & Hisaw 1926, Lloyd 1915, Lutz 1930, Simpson 1903), of repair (Marshall & Vorhies 1905), of ontogenetic initiation (Murphy 1919, Copeland & Crowell 1937), and of phylogenetic origin (Milne & Milne, 1938). The last of these references, a paper by Sleight (1913) and the work of Dodds & Hisaw cited above, give some attention to the relation between case-building and the physiology of the larva inhabiting the structure, but much remains to be studied in this connection.

The insect collection of the Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology, at present comprising some 250,000 specimens, had its inception in the insect collection of University of Toronto Biological Museum. This collection was started by Professor William Hinks, first Professor of Natural History, when he established a natural history museum in 1853. At that time various collections of insects, mostly confined to exotic material, were donated or purchased.

In the present paper, besides descriptions of a few species which appear to be undescribed, I offer some critical notes on certain statements made and conclusions arrived at by Dr. Jay Traver in the taxonomic portion of Needham's Biology of Mayflies. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the value of a work such as the above can only be ascertained by constant checking of the keys and descriptions in connection with the examination of typical or topotypical material.

1. Wings with distinct infusations

Wings without infuscations

2. Apex of the second vein of the wing very little or not at all infuscated; the other infuscations mainly confined to the veins, faint on the membrane; head large; frons swollen, lemon yellow in fresh specimens; hairs and bristles on ventral part of head and thorax and on legs very fine, golden; abdomen short; (Figs. 37, 64) citreifrons Malloch ( ♂ ) Apex of second vein distinctly infuscated; other characters not as above

The latest revision of the North American Basilarchia (Gunder, 1934, Can. Ent. LXVI: 39) recognizes three races of archippus Cramer (1779, Pap. Ex. I, t. 16 a, b) i.e. a. archippus inhabiting southern Canada and the Atlantic states as far south as North Carolina and west to Illinois, a. floridensis Strecker (1878, Cat. p. 143) found from South Carolina to the tip of Florida and a. obsoleta Edwards (1882, Fapilio 2: 22) occuring in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

Male: Ground color dark brown ; head broader than thorax at humeri; frons opaque, brownish pruinose, especially on the frontal plates, around the ocellar triangle and along the margins of the eyes grayish pruinose in some lights, above the antennal bases narrowly reddish; face retreating, grayish pruinose, parafacials and cheeks with a silvery sheen, the latter about one-third the eye height, two reddish brown lines appear in some lights. dividing the face from the parafacials; two dark brown bars from antennal pits to eyes; oral margin quite noticeably produced, narrowly dull reddish on the rim; clypeus dark brown and prominent; mouthparts dark brown, palpi black; antenna and arista dark brown, the latter nearly bare; occiput gray pruinose, silvery between the paracephalic sutures.

Dr. Willis J. Gertsch has called my attention to three undescribed races of North American Lycaenidae contained in his collection of Rhopalocera which was made when he resided in Salt Lake City, Utah and has kindly supplied me with many of the specimens making up the type series.

For several years correspondents in Arizona and California have been sending out an Euphydryas taken at various localities in Arizona as “hermosa” which is obviously not that species. Hermosa Wright (1905, Butts. West Coast, p. 157, No. 179) was described from southern Arizona which may account in part for the misidentification. It is figured by the author (Plate XIX figs. 179, b, c) and does not appear to be rare in collections.

“Tumble-bugs” have been interesting to human beings for centuries. As these chubby insects roll their balls across paths, roads, and walks, persons stop to puzzle, and whether country boys, soldiers, golfers, or scientists, all are fascinated by the ball-rolling habit of these creatures.

Both insects and man show marked preferences for certain strains or varieties of plants when these plants are used as food. This fact has been known for thousands of years as it applies to man, and has been just as true with respect to insects, though not fully appreciated. Go to any market where plant products are sold and you will find certain preferences (shown for special varieties; in fact, it will be difficult or impossible to sell other varieties of the same plant which, from the standpont of nutritive value, might be equal to the ones in demand.

There has been to date, to the knowledge of the writer, no published list of the species of Aphididae common to the Maritime Provinces of Canada. It is proposed in the following contribution to make a beginning to such a list, with the hope that it may prove useful to interested taxonomists.

Female. Compared with one from Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 27 (S. Graenicher), it differs thus: the coarsely punctured shining clypeus without a distinct median groove; tegulae very dark brown (instead of clear red) ; stigma and nervures black or almost so; third discoidal cell more produced at end; hair on anterior border of hind tarsi conspicuously yellowish; basal hair-band of second tergite very broad; the abdominal band clear white. Anterior wing 7 mm. long.

Expanse 27-31 mm. Palpi short, stout porrect, vestiture heavy, light brown. Head: front maroon, vertex light brown. Thorax and tegulae red brown, collar light brown; abdomen gray-brown, reddish laterally. Primaries very distinctly maculated, bright reddish brown, veins marked with silver gray, (heavily through terminal area), speckled sparingly with dark brown ; basal line dark maroon edged outwardly with white, very close to base; space to t.a. line maroon; t.a. line dark red-brown, edged inwardly with white; four distinct outward scallops between costa and inner margin, costal pair slight, that between vein I and cell very pronounced with heavy white inner edging and with point of scallop slightly extended outwardly, that between vein I and inner margin, moderate.

In 1934, Knowlton and Rowe (2) recorded five species of Simuliidae from Utah, including Simulium (Simulium) vittatum Zett., and four species described as new: namely, S. (S.) brevicercum, S. (S.) nigresceum, S. (Eusimulium) pilosum, and S. (E.) utahense. In May and October, 1937, G. F. Knowlton kindly forwarded to me for examination about seven hundred specimens of blackflies collected in various parts of Utah and Idaho. A study of this material showed that nine described species and six species new to science were represented. The distribution records and descriptions of the new species are given in the following pages.

Resembling Sanctanus sanctus (Say) but with the vertex blunter, the male styles with apical third with parallel sides, apices truncate and quite deep notch on outer margin. Length 5-5.75 mm.

In the course of my studies of the Eucosmids of Nova Scotia I find that there are several species in the spiraeifoliana group which, while very similar in general appearance and maculation, can be readily separated on characters found in the female genitalia and to a lesser extent also in those of the male. Mr. C. Heinrich in his Monograph has figured the female genitalia of spiraeifoliana Heinr. and aemulana Heinr. and these figures, while rather reduced in size, are quite recognizable. Both species occur in southwestern Nova Scotia and along with them are two other species, apparently undescribed. I offer descriptions of these, together with figures of the female genital plates of all four species for the sake of comparison.