acorn-eating species. We had not facilities for feeding the larvæ received into a perfect state; and as some of the acorns seemed emptied of the kernel, and yet the larvæ not fed to the state of changing into pupas, we presume that a stock of acorns is necessary, that when a larva has emptied one it may enter another. J. D.

The Mazarine Blue Butterfly. I wish some correspondent would oblige me with information respecting, and an accurate description of, the azure blue butterfly. Stephens (in Syst. Cat. ii. 23.) and Rennie (in the Conspectus of Butterflies and Moths, &c., 17.) give Polyómmatus A'cis as the mazarine blue, Mrs. Jermyn, in her Butterfly Collector's Vade Mecum, p. 148., gives P. Cymon: and in Constable's Miscellany, lxxv. p. 164, P. Arion is given for it. I have by me a few butterflies which I have this summer captured, and which, as far as I am able to judge, I take to be the mazarine blue. The following is the best description I can give of the fly. Wings, when expanded, 1 inch; upper surface blue, of rather a deeper shade than that of P. A'rgus, shading off into a black band on the outer edge, and terminated with a white fringe; under side of rather a leaden grey or bluish ash colour, deepening towards the scutellar and humeral angles: the superior wing has a lunated black spot in the centre, surrounded by a white atmosphere: between this and the outer margin a bent band of eyelets, with black pupil and white iris. The eyelets are generally seven in number, and differ considerably in size; but I have a specimen in which the band consists of only four eyelets all of equal size. Inferior wings; a single eyelet near the base, then two eyelets between it and the outer margin; underneath these eyelets, and towards the centre of the wing, is a very indistinct lunated spot: between this spot and the outer margin, and between the space occupied by it and the anal angle, is a band of six eyelets, the two nearest the angle being nearly confluent. The whole of the eyelets on both wings consist of a black pupil in a white iris. This butterfly is by no means common in the neighbourhood; I have never captured it but in one small field of not more than an acre in extent, sporting about the hay, with P. A'rgus, in about the end of June and beginning of July. Is this the mazarine blue, or is it not? If not, what butterfly is it? I have not seen it in cabinets nor amongst the specimens in the possession of dealers. X. Monmouthshire, August 24.

1832.

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THE MAGAZINE

OF

NATURAL HISTORY.

MARCH, 1833.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

ART. I. Notes on the Weather at Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, from November, 1831, to December 9. 1832; with Remarks on its Influence on certain Animals and Plants; including a detailed Description of a North American "Ice Storm." By R. C. TAYLOR, Esq.

Sir,

MR. BREE'S "remarks on the spring of 1832, as compared with that of 1831" (Vol. V. p. 593.), remind me that a few extracts from my "rough notes" on the corresponding season, on this side of the Atlantic, may, perhaps, possess some interest.

I have stated in a former letter, which I see you have thought worth insertion (Vol. V. p. 456.), the position, latitude, elevation, and other circumstances essential to a general knowledge of the situation from which I am writing; so I need not repeat them.

Contrary to your experience of the winter in England, ours in America was unusually protracted and severe : commencing in the middle of November, and ending with March. Snow lingered on the Alleghany Mountains until May, and some was even seen in the deep shady woods in June. Mr. Bree's observations as to the backwardness of the last spring, in Europe, equally applies to this continent. During the month of June, we experienced weather sufficiently cold to render fires in our sitting-rooms almost essential; and to cut off nearly all the young apples, peaches, and other fruits of the orchard.

As I do not register minutely the meteorological details, I

VOL. VI.- No. 32.

H

shall limit my notices to such circumstances as were most characteristic of the year which is now [Dec. 10. 1832] about to terminate.

I have stated that our winter set in with unusual severity, in the middle of November, 1831, when the cold north-west snow storms were severely felt by both men and animals. On the 28th, a large bear was killed in this neighbourhood, which had not retired to his winter quarters. I observed a woodcock on the 30th. This month, and all December, were characterised by a succession of gales and snow storms from the north-west, accompanied by severe cold, reaching to 9° below zero in the third week in December. The barometrical fluctuations at this time may be worth noticing.

During the gales, and for twenty-four to thirty-six hours preceding them, the mercury generally descended to about 28 in.; and, in the calm intervals, returned to 29 in.

Thus:- Dec. 16th, 29 in., clear; 18th, 28 in., gale; 20th, 29 in., calm; 24th and 28th, 28 in., gales and snow storms. 1832, Jan. 3d, 29.4 in., frost; 6th, 28.9 in., thaw.

During the first part of winter, the ground remained covered with snow of an average depth of about 2 ft.; and even deeper in the forests, where the sun's rays had little influence.

In some warm water-springs near my residence, I frequently noticed frogs, large tadpoles, and lizards, in a state of activity. In clearing away stones in a quarry, the winter habitations of myriads of mosquitoes were disturbed. These insects enter the fissures of the stone at the fall of the year, but cannot penetrate far enough to be beyond the influence of frost.

Jan. 14th to 21st. After two months of unusual severity, the frost moderated; and a thaw commenced, and lasted a week. The thermometer, on the 14th, stood at 54° in the shade; and in the sun, against a building, rose to 84° at noon. At Philadelphia, it reached 60° in the shade. The waters, so long consolidated in ice and snow, now descended rapidly from the mountains, and covered the Beaver Dams, forming our "first freshet." Observed one of the large black and red hairy caterpillars crawling in the road. This species is the latest to conceal itself in autumn. Some scarlet cardinal birds previously appeared on the 12th; and the ravens and crows, enjoying the genial return to a mild temperature, were loudly croaking in the neighbourhood of the settlements. The red and the great black squirrels resumed their wonted activity among the lofty pines; the harsh scream or cry of the ground squirrels was occasionally heard, and was probably uttered to attract their mates; while the persevering tribe of woodpeckers made the woods resound with their incessant hammering on

the bark of some decayed hemlock [Pìnus canadensis] or spruce. Snow soon returned.

Jan. 27th. An exceedingly cold day. In the sun, at nine o'clock, the thermometer was 10° below zero; at halfpast seven, it was 16°; and, at sunrise, was 21° below zero.

Feb. 5th. A second remarkable transition from cold to warmth took place. In the open clearings, nearly all traces of snow suddenly disappeared; the roads were broken up and miry. Early indications of spring, announced by the noisy cawing of the carrion crows, and in the arrival of a flock of of "blue birds." Mosquitoes came out of their hiding-places, and danced in clusters in the sunshine; while a solitary housefly circled round our sitting-room. For the second time, the waters of the Moshannon rose, and overspread the Beaver Dams.

Feb. 8th. This morning, a heavy rain set in after the thaw, and increased in violence throughout the day and night and now commenced the most singular, and even sublime, meteorological phenomenon I have observed in this region. It was an occurrence of unusual note, and extended over a large area in this and the adjoining state, and is commonly referred to under the name of the "ice storm." I shall be somewhat minute in describing so much respecting it as fell under my own observation, as noted at the time. Immediately on the descent of the rain, it froze, so as to envelope the trees and earth with a thick coating of transparent ice, and to render walking no easy process.

or

Feb. 9th. Such an accumulation of ice had now formed upon the branches of the forest trees, as presented a beautiful and extraordinary spectacle. The small underwood "brush " was bowed to the earth, while the noblest timbers were every where to be seen bending beneath the enormous load of ice with which their branches were incrusted, and the icicles which thickly depended from every point. The heavy foliage of the hemlock and spruce was literally encased, or rather formed solid masses of ice, the smallest twig or blade of grass being surrounded by more than an inch of ice, and resembled the vegetable substances, sometimes occurring in masses of crystal. Rain fell in torrents all this day and the chief part of the ensuing night; until there were about 4 in. of clear ice overspreading the surface of the ground. The change which this phenomenon effected in the usual appearance of the woods was striking. The bushes, and smaller trees, extending to those of 50 ft. in height, were now bent to the ground, and pressed upon each other beneath their unwonted burden, resembling, in some respects, fields of corn

beaten down by a tempest. Above, the tall trees drooped and swung heavily; their branches glittering, as if formed of solid crystal, and, on the slightest movement of the air, striking against each other, and sending down an avalanche of ice. During the night of the 8th, and on the succeeding morning, the limbs of the trees began to give way under such an unusual load. Every where around was seen and heard the crashing of the topmost branches, which fell to the earth with a noise like the breaking of glass, yet so loud as to make the woods resound. As the day advanced, instead of branches, whole trees began to fall; and, during twenty-four hours, the scene which took place was as sublime as can well be conceived. There was no wind perceptible, yet, notwithstanding the calmness of the day, the whole forest seemed in motion; falling, wasting, or crumbling, as it were, piecemeal. Crash succeeded to crash, until, at length, these became so rapidly continuous as to resemble the incessant discharges of artillery; gradually increasing; as from the irregular firing at intervals of the outposts, to the uninterrupted roar of a heavy cannonade. Pines of 150 ft. and 180 ft. in height came thundering to the ground, carrying others before them ; groves of hemlocks were bent to the ground like reeds; and the spreading oaks and towering sugar maples were uprooted like stubble, and often without giving a moment's warning. Under every tree was a rapidly accumulating debris of displaced limbs and branches; their weight, increased more than tenfold by the ice, and crushing every thing in their fall with sudden and terrific violence. Altogether, this spectacle was one of indescribable grandeur. I could not resist devoting the whole day to the contemplation, notwithstanding the continued rain, of the desolating and tremendous effects of this unusual phenomenon. It was necessary, however, to be careful to remain at a prudent distance from the falling timber. Of all the scenes in the American forests, this was the most awful I had witnessed. The roar, the cracking and rending, the thundering fall of the uprooted trees, the startling unusual sounds and sights produced by the descent of such masses of solid ice, and the suddenness of the crash, when a neighbouring tree gave way, I shall not easily forget. Yet all this was going on in a dead calm, except, at intervals, a gentle air from the south-east slightly waved the topmost pines. Had the wind freshened, the destruction would have been still more appalling. It was awful to witness the sudden prostration of oaks of the largest class. These trees were the greatest sufferers; and it seemed remarkable that the deciduous trees should be less able to bear the additional burden than the