traversed every day in all directions by scores of enthusiastic young Nimrods, who fire at everything that happens to be clothed with feathers, no matter how small. It is wonderful that so conspicuous a bird as a ruffed grouse could remain there a single week without being killed, and yet, there is reason to believe, that the species has maintained its ground in this spot since the days when the red men were masters of the island.

2. A rare English Butterfly, common.-Near McTavish's Monument I started a very beautiful butterfly, but after much tantalizing effort had the melancholy satisfaction of seeing it soar away out of sight. Not being an entomologist, it is quite probable that I did not adopt the proper method to ensure success. Ascending to the brow of the mountain, I saw another evidently of the same species. This also escaped. Within half an hour two others were met with, the latter of which was secured after several ineffectual attempts. It turns out to be "the Camberwell Beauty," a species whose geographical range comprises at least portions of both the old and new worlds, and upon this account may be regarded with more than ordinary interest. In some of the quotations to be given presently it will be seen that this insect is rare in Britain, and highly prized by collectors. It appears to be common in Canada. The following figure and description will perhaps enable the reader, who is not already acquainted with the species to recog. nize it.

Fig. 1.-The Camberwell Beauty (Vanessa Antiopa.) Taken on the Mountain of Montreal, 24th April, 1857.*

Description.-The general colour of the upper side of the wings of this species is a deep chocolate brown, but with the hind and side margins ornamented with a cream coloured border. Between the cream-colour and the chocolate there is a second border consisting of a band of velvet black with a number of violet-blue spots. On the front margin of the anterior wing there are two yellowish spots on the outer half. The under sides of the wings are dark brown with some curved lines of black. There is also a small yellow spot near the middle of each wing on the under side, and two others on the border. It is, further, to be observed, that the white border on the upper side is sprinkled with minute black spots, and that there are some similar small spots, but of yellow on the front part of the wing in addition to the two large ones mentioned.

This species lives through the winter, and no doubt those I saw on the mountain had not long since left their hybernating retreats. The caterpillar is black with a series of red spots on the back, and with each articulation of the body armed with tufts of spines. It feeds upon the leaves of the poplar and willow, and according to some authors, on those of the elm. In a paper read before the Cleveland Academy of Natural Sciences, in 1854, by Prof. Kirtland, "On the Diurnal Lepidtoptera of Northern and Middle Ohio," it is stated that " Vanessa Antiopa-though a species introduced from Europe, has become very common. It often in its perfect state survives over the winter, and may be seen flying during the first days of spring. The larva, which often feeds on the foliage of the Lombardy poplar, excited strong prejudice some years since against such trees, from an erroneous belief that their tenant was venomous like Cleopatra's asp."

This caterpillar goes into the chrysalis state in July, and shortly after the new brood of butterflies may be seen flying about. It is said that there is a second brood of caterpillars, and the butterflies from them, on the approach of cold weather, retire into winter quarters, and come out again in the next spring.

The chrysalis is of a grey colour dappled with black, shaped something like the body and head of a grasshopper, without the wings and legs. It has a double row of spines on its vental side, and is suspended by the small end to the under side of a rail, branch of a tree, or other convenient support.

It is said this species has been introduced into America from Europe, and perhaps entomologists are in possession of knowledge

sufficient to enable them to decide a question of this kind. Upon this point I can give no opinion, but, on referring to several works, I find that in England it is there a rare species. The following extracts, taken from the Zoologist, 1846, will shew how it is prized by the entomologists of that country.

Occurrence of Vannessa Antiopa at York.-A specimen of this rare British butterfly was brought to me alive this day, which was caught in a garden in the suburbs of this city; it and two others were flying in company with the red admiral (Vanessa Atalanta.) The captor was unsuccessful with the others, he being only provided with a rhubarb leaf, with which he knocked the one down, that is now in my possession. -Robert Cook, Colliergate, York."

"Occurrence of Vannessa Antiopa near Epping.-A female specimen of this insect was captured here on the 12th instant, and another seen. A fine female was also taken about the same time near Yaxely.-Harry Doubbleday; Epping, September 20th, 1846."

"Occurrence of Vanessa Antiopa at Winchester.-On Friday, September 4th, I had the pleasure of taking a fine female specimen of this rare and beautiful insect, near some willows; I have seen three others near the same spot.-John T. Rogers; North Walls, Winchester."

"Capture of Vanessa Antiopa near Stowmarket.-Entomologists will be pleased to hear that they have now an opportunity of witnessing in a fine and perfect state, a specimen of the splendid butterfly, Vanessa Antiopa-Camberwell Beauty. A pair of this fine species were caught on Wednesday last, in the grounds of the Vicarage, Stowmarket, which, from their rare appearance, are rendered exceedingly interesting and remarkable, their visits here appear to be at very remote and uncertain periods, for until four or five years previous to 1819, Vanessa Antiopa had not been seen for nearly forty years, when it was observed in abundance in various parts of the kingdom. In 1819, a few were caught in Suffolk, and one was taken in the following spring, which had lived through the winter; since that period it has not been seen in England. Those caught at Stowmarket were found on the mulberry-tree, near the Vicarage House, planted by Milton, during his residence with the Rev. Dr. Young, the then Vicar, and who was tutor to the immortal poet, and no doubt the wide spreading branches of this celebrated tree attracted the notice of the butterflies in their search after food. We have been informed that Dr. Probart captured one of these beautiful insects in his garden one day last week.-Ipswich Paper."

From the above extracts it will be seen that this insect, which is quite common in Canada, is regarded as an object of the greatest interest in Britain. The English specimens have the border pure white, and ours, although unquestionably the same species, is, therefore, one of those instances in which a difference of several thousands of miles in the geographical range of a

species is marked by a change sufficient perhaps to classify it as a permanent variety, but not to authorise a distinct, specific appellation. It is wonderful that so delicate a thing as a butterfly should be so widely distributed, and yet, another of our species, "The Painted Lady," Crynthia Caqdui, occurs in England, France, the Brazils, Africa, Iona, and New South Wales.* The "Red Admiral," Vanessa Atalanta, above mentioned, is another British butterfly which abounds in this country, and there are many others of which, it is to be hoped, some practical entomologist will volunteer to give an account in this Journal.

3. The Isabella Tiger Moth. (Arctia Isabella.)—Another interesting little object was the caterpillar of the Isabella tiger moth, easily recognised by its warm furry jacket, and by the peculiar distribution of the colours of its body, black at both ends, and red in the middle. When touched, it suddenly rolls itself up into a round ball, and remains motionless until the danger is past. Without understanding the wonderful transformations of insect life, who could fancy that this little mass of fur, in shape like a lady's boa, is destined in a few days to become a beautifully painted moth, no longer creeping on the ground on 16 short legs; but soaring through the air upon four delicate scale covered wings. Yet nothing is more true than this, that every caterpillar begins life as real bona fide caterpillar and ends it, provided the ordinary course of nature is not interrupted by some accident, as a winged insect. This moth is described by Professor Emmons in his work upon the insects of New York, as having the," thorax tawny and brownish abdomen tawny, deeper colour beneath, and marked with three rows of black spots, about six or seven in each row, running on the back and middle of the sides. Forewings tawny, and marked with a few black scattering spots; hind wings nearly transparent, slightly tawny, and marked with six tawny spots; legs black or dark brown."

Professor Emmons says that the caterpillar feeds "upon sundry kinds of herbs ;" but he does not inform us when it goes into the chrysalis state, or when the moth makes its appearance, and as I am unacquainted with the subject, I cannot, I am sorry to say, give any further information upon this point.

The caterpillar of the Isabella tiger-moth, although itself a most harmless little creature, is often made the victim of other insects

• Wollaston on the Variation of Species, p. 32.

In a former number some account was given of the ichneumon flies, and of their mode of providing for their young, by depositing their eggs in the bodies of the larvae of the wheat midge. All caterpillars are more or less subject to the same scourges. In the valuable little work published, Dr. Fitch, "On the noxious, beneficial and other insects, of the State of New York," the following interesting paragraph occurs.

"The knowledge and skill which these ichneumon and other parasitic hymenopters often shew in their proceedings are truly wonderful. Every person will recollect the larva of the Isabella tiger-moth, (Arctia Isabella,) the large caterpillar with stiff even-shorn hairs of a tan color, and black at each end of his body, which crawls about our yards, and often enters our dwellings, and will probably have observed the fact that if, when crawling, he is rudely touched, he suddenly stops and doubles himself together for a moment, and then straightens himself again and resumes his journey. The long stiff hairs with which he is protected, much like a porcupine, we should think would render it impossible for an insect enemy to place an egg anywhere upon his skin. Mr. P. Reid tells me he once saw one of these caterpillars crawling with a hurried eager step across a dusty road, with an ichneumon fly pursuing him, striving to cling upon his back, but falling off in consequence of the rapid motion of the caterpillar. The fly finding itself frustrated in its every effort, next, as if humming to itself the refrain, 'It will never do to give it up so,' flew a few feet forward of the caterpillar, and turning, darted back with all its energy, hitting the caterpillar square in his face. The caterpillar thus roughly assailed suddenly stopped, and bent himself together in his accustomed manner, and in an instant the fly alighting upon his back, appeared to fix an egg at the margin of one of the breathing pores, which had become fairly exposed by the caterpillar doubling his body thus together. In a moment the caterpillar was recovered from his shock, and was crawling rapidly forward again, when the fly struck him a second time in the same way, and thus he was stopped, and had an egg deposited in his side three times before he reached the tall grass beside the highway, in which he was secure from further molestation."

4. Terrestrial Mollusca.-While turning over the stones in search of geological specimens, I found during a single visit to the mountain no less than five species of land shells. Three of these were easly determined-a fourth appears to be a described

B