. The American entomologist. Entomology. THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 75 The first, species we shall mention is the Rape Butterfly (Piert's rapw, Schrank, Fig. 48). This insect has been the occasion of some little speculation and great interest to ouv New Eng- land and Canadian entomologists, inasmuch as. rolors—Bkiok ami it has been introduced to this country ft'om England, and is probably one of the most per- fect instances on record of any insect being im- ported from one country to another and becom- ing completely naturalized iu its new quarters. There does not seem to be the slight
. The American entomologist. Entomology. THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 75 The first, species we shall mention is the Rape Butterfly (Piert's rapw, Schrank, Fig. 48). This insect has been the occasion of some little speculation and great interest to ouv New Eng- land and Canadian entomologists, inasmuch as. rolors—Bkiok ami it has been introduced to this country ft'om England, and is probably one of the most per- fect instances on record of any insect being im- ported from one country to another and becom- ing completely naturalized iu its new quarters. There does not seem to be the slightest doubt that this is the English species. It was proba- bly introduced in 1856 ov'o7. It was first taken in Quebec in 1859, and in 1863 it was captured in large numbers by Mr. Bowles in the vicinity of that city. As the eggs are laid on the under- sides of leaves, it was probably introduced in this form, the refuse leaves being tlirown out of some ship; after which the larvre hatched, and finding themselves in the neighborhood of their food, ate and flourished. Being, moreover, hardy little fellows, they were perfectly able to endure a change of climate. In 1864 it had spread about forty miles from Quebec as a cen- tre; in 1866 it was taken iu the northern parts of New Hampshire and Vermont; in 1868 it had advanced still fartlier south, and was seen near Lake Winnepesaugee ; and finally this last sum- mer it was taken around Boston, Mass., and a few stray specimens in New Jersey. There seems to be no doubt that this destructive in- sect will, in a few years, spread over tlie whole of temperate North America; for (he other spe- cies of tlie genus have an extensive geographi- cal range, and not being particular as to its food, it will have no difficulty on that score. Indeed, the larva and pupa seem to have an un- usual power of accommodating themselves to circumstances,—for instance, Mr. Curtis, in his Farm Insects of England, states that the cater- pillars have been found
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