Entomological News AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. o- VOLUME III, 1892 EDITOR : HENRY SKINNER, M. D. ADVJSORY COMMITTEE : GEO. H. HORN, M.D. CHARLES A. Bi AKI . EZRA T. CRESSON. PHILIP P. CALM K i O ' PHILADELPHIA . ENTOMOLOGICAL ROOMS OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIEN LOGAN SQUARE. [892. INDEX TO VOLUME III. GENERAL ENTOMOLOGY. Abundance of insects . . 16, 17 Agricultural Exper't Sta'ns. . 152 Alaska, insects in . . 74, 139, 256 Analytic Keys 121 Angus Collection . . . . 60, 97 Cholera and flies 210 Colorado, Ento'y of 136, 202, 246 Deformities 166 Doings of Societies 22, 47, 72, 103, 128, 164, 190, 239. Economic Entomology 97, 119, 122, 123, 152, iSr, 206, 209, 229, 261. Editorials 41, 93,95, 118, 152, 165, 179, 205, 228, 260. Edwards (Hy.) Collection . . 62 Entomological Literature 19, 42, 64, 71, 98, 123, 157, 183, 212, 235, 265. Greenland, insects in . . . . 263 Incidents of work 119 Jamesburg, N. J., insects at. . 36 Mailing insects 41 Mexico, entomologizing in in, 131 Migration 234 Mimicry 208, 233 Mt. Washington, Ent'g on 232, 243 Newspaper Entomology . .120 Notes and News 15, 38, 60, 93, 119 154, 180, 209, 232, 263. Obituary. Bates, H. W 72 Bunker, R 104 Hurmeister, H. C. C. ." . .191 Dohrn, C. A 192 Resistance to cyanide . . . 16 Variation 25 Winter insects 40 ARACHNIDA. Atypidce 147 New N. Am. species 163, 216, Theraphosida- 147 Tholyphonus giganteus ... 47 COLEOPTERA. Aspathinns ovatus 24 Hei'ibidinm, To collect . . .155 Blapstinus coronadensis n. sp. 242 Jj ruth us alhoscntellatns . . . 253 California, C. of . . . i^.jii Carabus neinora/is .... 60 Cicindcla 25 Coccinellida; in California . . 143 Cazliodes acephalics .... 253 •Corymbites ll'cidtii \\. sp. . Crioceris iz-punctatus . . .207 Cychrus 6, 61 Dorcas parallelus 73 Eleodes inter nipla n. sp. . .241 A'/w/.v colitmbiensis n. sp. . . s.j Jamesburg, N. J., C. at . . . 37 Leplinns testaceus 96 Macrodactylus subspinosns 122, 156 Mianis hispiduliis 25,; New N. Am. species 12, 13, 21, 46, 51, 70, 84, 102, 127, 163, 189, 241, 268. l\ he .\-tdins ii A'. intiTineiiins n. sp. . . . 13 R. trogasteroidesn. sp. . . . 12 Rose chafer 122. Seym nns lophanllue n. sp. . . 51 Strawberry weevil .... 262 T/ii>iol>ii<s u. sp -"51 Time of flight of Scarabaeids . -M f 7/i s /a/n.^ n. sp of • olor markings . DIPTERA. vanderwulpi &, s|>. 11 INDEX. Atrophopalpus n. gen. . . .130 A. angusticornis n. sp. . . - 131 Blepharipcza nigrisquamis n. sp So Cholera and flies 210 Criorhinia coquilletti n. sp. . 145 Dalinaunia ritiosa n. sp. . . 150 Deformities in Tachinidse . .166 Gastrophilns iiasalis .... 227 Hcematobia serrata .... 206 Horn fly 206, 261 Jamesburg, N. J., D. at . . . 37 Loewia globosa n. sp. . . . 129 Merisns in Eur. and Am. . . 97 Miltogramma decisa n. sp. . Si Myothyria vanderwitlpi n. sp. 131 New N. Am. species 47, 69, So, 102, 127, 129, 146, 163, 189, 216, 239, 268. Pachyophthahnls floridensis n. sp So Pseudohystricia e.vilis n. sp. . 146 Syrphidce, synonymy of . . . 145 Tachinida;, New N. A. 80, 129, 146 Throat bot 227 Trichobins ditgesii .... 177 HEMIPTERA. Acanthia pipistrelli .... 154 Centrodontus n. gen 201 Efticocephalus schwarziin, sp. 191 Gargara atlas n. sp no Jamaica, H. from 59 Membracidas, Studies in N. A. 108, 200. New N. Am. species 102, 108, 163, 189, 191, 200, 239. Platycotis niinax n. sp. . . . 109 J'otnia usixfa/is n. sp. . . .no Pnbli/ia Incinctura n. sp. . . 200 Stictocephala gillettei n. sp. . 108 Stictofn-lta niannorata n. sp. . 201 S. nova n. sp no Telanioiia rilcyi \\. sp. . . .108 HYMENOPTERA. Amniophila gryplnis .... 47 Animophila, Habits of ... 85 Andricus celliihirins n. sp. . . 247 A.frequens n. sp 247 Aiithophora 61 Ants, Slave-making . . . .178 Ant, strength of 259 Astiphroninia pectoralis n. sp. 107 Bombus fervidus 181 Crabro excavatus n. sp. . . . 10 C. nitidinervis n. sp 9 Cynipidas, Colorado .... 246 Cynips Q-globulus 104 Formicidse from Jamaica . . 226 Fossorial H., new 170 Hexaplasta zigzag . . . 61 Jamaica, Formicidae from . . 226 Jamesburg, N. J., H. at . . . 36 Larradas 89, 138 Larropsis n. gen 90 Liris cox alls n. sp. . . . 90, 138 New N. Am. species 9, 22, 29, 47, 69, 90. 104, 107, 127, 163, 170, 189. 197, 216, 239, 247. Odynerns aidrichi n. sp. . . 197 Ophionids, Two new .... 105 Plan iccps p/a>ia tus n. sp. . . 171 Plesiophthalmus paniscoides n. sp 107 Pseudagenia blaisdelli n. sp. . 171 Slave-making ants 178 Sph<zrophthalmus antliracina n. sp 172 Sphc.v ( Priononyx) fcmtgi- neits n. sp 170 Tachytes 263 Thynniis ccilifornicus n. sp. . 104 Xy/ocopa, Calif, species of . . 17 7. t- thus s lo s son cr n. sp. . . . 29 LEPIDOPTERA. Adirondacks, L. of .... 87 Africa, new Xeptis from . . 24* Anthocharis gknutia .... 240 . li»i n. gi'ii 258 . /. noctitifornns n. sp. . . . 258 . \rclia iiihu'ii n. sp 257 .... 218 JNDEX. in A. charic/ca 49 Arkansas L 13 Arzama obliquata larva . 195, 217 Attacus cynthia, Intrd. in U. S. 193 ( \illimorpha 52 Calocampa briicei n. sp. . . . 252 Calosaturnia mendocino . . 165 Calpodes ethlins 78 Catocala insolabilis .... 180 C. near Pittsburg, Pa. ... 168 Cithcronia scpnlcralis . 165, 232 Colias hecla 49 •Cossus brucei 165 Crambidia pallida 245 Danais archippus, swarms of . 234 Dasychira gronlandica ... 49 Datana ininisira 129 Drasteria erichto 63 Elementary Entomology 35, 53, 82, 114, 172, 198, 220. Elliot Collection 97 Erebia. soft a 255 Erebus odor a 16 Felder Collection 154 Franconia, N. H., L. of . . . 155 ; dlorcria ari~onensis .... 165 G/itp/iisia quinquelinea n. sp. . 158 G rapta v-albnm 239 Gunning for butterflies . . .211 Hulst Collection 38 Hydrcecia media/is, senilis, nniuioda n. sp 251 Hyperchiria painina .... 165 H. zcphyrea 165 Hypoprcpia niiniafa .... 246 lihthyura bifiria 5 Is a fcxinla I Larva hunting in Winter. 195, 217 Limacodidae i, 38, 62 Liincnitis arthcinis .... 17 Lotna sayi 23 Long-lived basket maker, A . 49 Lophopteryx elegans .... iSo Mameslra fuscolutea n. sp. . 250 Mclitara dcntata, eggs of . . 208 Mimicry in moths 233 pha initchellii ... 49 biafra n. var. cuntin- nata 249 A', uit'hriiira, ini.vophyt's, ni('n- bule n. sp 249 New N. Am. species 22, 46, 69, KO. 158, 162, 174, 1 88, 216, 222, 250. Nociua flavotincla n. sp. . . 252 Noctuidae, synonyms of . . . 16 Oiketicus abbotii 49 Oncocnemis in Colorado . . 136 O. extranea n. sp 251 O. nigrocaput n. sp 250 Pachylia Jicus, larva .... 4 Patnphila aaroiii 49 Carolina n. sp 222 errans n. sp. . . . 174, 175 leonardns n. sp. . . 209, 240 viaiiataaqiia 77 massasoit var. suffiisa . . 15 zabnlon 49 Papilio cresphontes .... 240 mylotes 105 polydainas 105 sinon 105 rcridroma nigra \\. sp. . . . 252 rieronia apposita n. sp. . . . 252 Protoparce cingulata . . . .217 Ptcrophora inclshciincrii . . i^ / \ntiiifis a fa/a a fa . . . .232 l\ancora slrigata n. sp. . . . 25.; Sphinx rustic a 193 Suggestions to Lepidopterists . 121 Thymelicus poweshiek . . . 232 Yentuivsonu.- Initterllics . 232, 264 Vosemitt.', coll. butt«:rt]u-s in . MYRIAPODA. Nc\v X. Am. spt-cii-s .... NEUROPTERA. Albania colKvtioii .... Nc\\- N. Am. species . <><>. i Odonata of Maiiu- . . . 8, 91, " of Massarlui-ii-Us . I \intala liytnauca IVathcmis triniacii/afa . . . Sonmtochlora r.'./AV/// . . , Tetragoneuria cynosura . . . IV White ants, Ravages of . . ORTHOPTERA. Crickets, oviposition of . 261 Mantis Carolina 47 New N. Am. species . .69, 189 ()(-canthns, species of ... 33 Orc/ic/iiniiin, change of name in 264 THYSANURA. Smynthurusb-maculatan.sv. . 169 Tcmplclonia anicricana n. sp. . 57 CONTRIBUTORS TO VOL. III. Aaron, C. 15., . . .264 Aaron, S. F., 4° Ashmead, W. H., 105 Banks, N., . . • J47 Bergroth, E ]54 Blaisdell, F. E., . 51, '43- 24' Blatchley, W. S., . . . m, 131 Brendel, E., l J Bruce. D., l6, ^6 Bruner, L, . . . • ... 264 Calvert, P. P. (see 228), . . 264 Cockerell, T. D. A., . . 4, 78, 202 Coquillett. D. W., 150 Daggett, F. S., i? Dunnington, F. P. 259 Dyar, H. G., 5, 3°. 62' l68> J75, 180, 245- Ehrman, G. A., 168 Fisher, E. R., 209 Fox, W. J., 9, 17, 36, 59, ^S, 170, i S3, 197, 226. Gillette, C. P 246 Coding, F. W., . . . 108, 200 Hamilton, J., . . %. . . .253 Hart, C. A., 33 Harvey, F. 1 57, 91, Il6> l69 Hitchings, E. F., . . . . 39 1 1. .Hand, \Y. I-, 248 INDEX. • 233 Horn, G. H., . . . 25, 60, 73 Johnson, C. W., . . . -37-59 Kellicott, D. S., . . . 18, 123 Kellicott, W. E. iSo Kunze, R. E., . 97, i95> 217, 263 Laurent, P., . . . . 15, 37, 77 Mason, J. T 52 McKnight, C. S., . . 87 McLachlan, R., . . . 259 Mofifat, J. A., . 1 6 Morse, A. P., 121 Morton, Miss E. L., i Neumoegen, B. 258 Nolan, E. J 195 Ottolengui, R.., . . 223, 232. 243. Patton, W. H., 61, 89, 97, 104, 181 Pilate, G. R., 209 Robertson, C., . . . . . 263 Rowley, R. R., . . 13 Ryder, J. A., ... 210 Sharp. Miss A. M., . ,120 Skinner, H 174-222 Slingerland, M. V., 63 Slosson, Mrs. A. T., . 49- J55- 257 Smith, J. B., 1 6, 35, 38, 53, 62, 82, 94, 114, 156, 172, 198, 206, 220, 229, 250, 261. Strecker, H., ... 39, 2l8, 255 Troop,].,. • 122 Tough, J., -63 Townsend, C. H. T., 71, 80, 129, 146, 1 66, 177, 227, 234. \Yadsworth, Miss M., Walton, L. B., . . . 155 Webster, F. M 232, 234 Weed, H. E., . . . .119 \\Vnx.el, H. W., . 61 Wickham, H. F., . . 6, 139, 256 Willard, H. G., . . 232 Williston, S. W., . . -85, [45 Wright, \Y. G., 74 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION, ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. VOL. in. JANUARY, 1892. No. i. CONTENTS: Morton — Notes from New Windsor i Cockerell — Note on the Larva of Pa- chilia ficus 4 Dyar — Preparatory stages of Ichthyura bifiria 5 Wickham — Note on Cychrus 6 Wadsworth — Second Additions and Corrections to the list of Dragonflies 8 Fox — Hymenopterological Notes 9 Brendel — Rhexidius n Rowley — Notes on Ark. Lepidoptera.... 13 Notes and News 15 Entomological Literature 19 Doings of Societies 22 NOTES FROM NEW WINDSOR. EMILY L. MORTON, New Windsor, N. Y. ISA TEXTULA H.-S. Reading the last number of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS (October) I noticed a short paragraph by Mr. Dyar on the genus Isa. Dr. A. S. Packard having identified a small Limacodes for me as Isa textula, and as the moth seems but little known, I have written •a short account of the species, which I have raised from the eggs and back again through all its changes. Isa textula is a small moth nine-tenths of an inch in expanse, of a very satiny texture, with long fringes to all the wings, the color a pale wood color as light as white pine; on some specimens there is a faint indication of a t. p. and t. a. line broken and ex- tending only half across the forewings, but in many specimens this is entirely wanting. The eggs are laid singly, scattered about, and, like most of the Limacodes eggs which I have seen, are without form, looking like tiny drops of gelatine, or coagu- lated dew, invisible to the naked eye on the leaves, but on white paper having a slightly yellowish tinge, increasing with the growth of the larva within, but nothing more than a tiny, irregular shin- ing speck on the leaves, and hatch in from eight to ten days. 2 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, The young larva when first hatched are also almost invisible, and, even after the first moult, look only like a small, colorless aphis on the leaf. The third moult shows a lilac mark in the centre of the dorsum increasing with the growth, until the last moult, when it resembles a rude maltese cross, of a pinkish or purplish brown, surrounded by a yellow border with a central square dot on the elipse-shaped pea-green larva. The food-plants are the chestnuts, both horse and Castania, visca, English and wild cherry, oak, basswood, and probably other trees, as most of the Limacodes are very general feeders. On wild cherry the larvae take from eight to ten weeks to come to their growth; on chestnut a somewhat shorter period, but it depends on what may be the heat or cold more than the food- plant. I have usually fed the larva on wild cherry, as it is not infested with aphides, and during the long period of growth from egg to cocoon it does not require so much time and attention to keep the food-plant clean and sweet. The larvae spin their co- coons about September 5th to 2oth, a small, roundish, brown, pod-like cocoon, with the usual lid of the Limacodes, and the moths hatch the following season from the 8th to the 25th of July, almost always in the afternoon, and remain hanging from the lid or side of the cage, until between half past eight or nine o'clock in the evening, when the males begin to seek their mates. Isa textula hangs with its abdomen curled over its back after the manner of Pterophora diversilineata. Reading recently a number of the English monthly, " The En- tomologist's Record," I was greatly interested in an account of "assembling," and never having seen the process described be- fore in any of our journals, I will describe my method, which I hope may prove of interest, as the habits of the Limacodes seem to be so little known. I use a large gauze-wire cage about 20 x 15 inches, and 1 8 or 20 inches high, a door in the front and back, and painted a dark red or green, and place the newly-hatched female textula therein. About 8.30 P.M. I station myself by the cage with a glass tumbler and piece of pasteboard and watch for the males to come. If the Limacodes is a common one, like E. stimulea, P. fraterna, or .S. inornata, there will usually be a score or more of males suddenly appearing, fluttering about the cage, always settling on the top or side, where the 9 is resting, hust- ling each other with their wings and endeavoring to reach the 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. coveted 9 inside the gauze. Now, if you want specimens, y<>u catch them by putting the tumbler over them slipping the paste- board under and transfer them to the cyanide bottle, but if you want fertile eggs you shake the males from the glass into the cage by the door opposite the lightest part of the horizon. After the female has once paired no more males will be attracted, so you must make up your mind beforehand whether it is specimens or eggs you most desire. I never use a light if breeding is my object, as there are scarcely any moths that will mate where a light is used; this is the reason the cage is painted a dark color, as you can see even in a very dim light the pale colored wings of the tiny males as they flutter around and over the dark gauze. Isa textula is a rare moth here, and I have rarely seen more than three males attracted in one evening; a dark, still, warm evening is always better for assembling, but even if it blows quite freshly some of the Limacodes will be attracted provided your cage is a little sheltered by trees or shrubbery, on the side from which the wind is coming. With some of the Bombycidae and Sphingidae, you may keep your cage in the house; in an open window, but I have never had any success with the Limacodes unless the cage was in an open space away from the house. I do not see how Sisyrosea inornata, however small, could ever be mistaken for Isa texhda, being a very differently constructed Limacodes, a very much slenderer and lighter built insect, the thorax only one- tenth of an inch across while in inornata it measures half as much again, and the abdomen of inornata is fully twice the size of that of textula. I think it probable / textula has been confounded with Limacodes flexuosa, but Dr. Packard has also identified tliis for me, and my specimens are darker colored with shorter fringes, narrower wings, the primaries more produced at the apex, espe- cially in the 9 . The larva of S. inornata, Dr. Packard says in his "Forest Insects," was first described in the Harris Corre- spondence; it is one of the most beautiful of the Limacodes, but though I have repeatedly had the eggs from captive frmak-s, I have never yet succeeded in rearing more than two or three Ian .1 back again to the pupa. I, however, know its whole history, and will some day write it out for the readers of K\ i o.\tm.o<;irAi. NEWS. The larva bears not the slightest resemblance to that of Isa textula. 4 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, Note on the Larva of Pachylia ficus (L.) By T. D. A. COCKERELL, Kingston, Jamaica. Pachylia ficus (Linn.) — Length about So mm. Head shiny jet-black, except the mouth parts, which are pale greenish. Thoracic shield dull black; the short caudal horn and the anal plates are black. Spiracles blackish. Body: back dull red, sides and under part dull pale bluish green, the two colors sharply denned; with a pale red longitudinal line near the lower edge of the red color on each side. On each of the last eight segments is an obscure narrow whitish oblique line on the green sides, crossing the spiracles. Legs pale bluish green, like the underside; sides of body wrinkled. Food-plant, Ficus sp. Described from a mature specimen about to pupate, found in Kingston, July 21, 1891. The moth emerged August i3th. Another mature larva, also found in Kingston, was brought to me by Anna Ashburn on the 2d of September. The larva of this species is glaucous-green, whitish above, with a narrow yellow stripe on each side; until shortly before it changes to a pupa, when it assumes the very different coloration described above. This change of color is almost certainly protective, the red back being less conspicuous than whitish or green, as the larva crawls about in search of a suitable spot to pupate in. In Weismann's "Studies in the Theory of Descent," p. 232, there is a foot-note by Prof. Meldola, in which this change is de- scribed from Burmeister. This account does not quite agree with the Jamaica larva, and if in South America the larva really changes after the third stage, and lives on the tree and feeds after assum- ing the red coloration, it apparently affords an instance in which a phase of color has arisen as protective at larval maturity, and has become so strong in the organization of the insect as to ap- pear in some districts earlier in the life of the larva than is actually of use. It would be a curious case if it could be shown that this character had first appeared as useful, and had at length become injurious by reason of its excessive development! However, it is not so in Jamaica, and if the account of Burmeister' s larva is correct, it may still be that there are some special conditions of environment in the district where it was found, that render the red useful not only at pupating time, but also on the tree. This might be the case, for example, if it fed on a tree whose leaves turned red at a certain time. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 5 PREPARATORY STAGES OF ICHTHYURA BIFIRIA Hy. Echv. By HARRISON G. DYAR, New York. Egg. — Hemispherical or slightly conoidal, the base flat, but rounded at its edges; smooth under a lens, but under the micro- scope, covered with numerous, crowded, shallow depressions, which form by their edges narrow, roundedly, hexagonal reticu- lations. The color is dark gray before the egg hatches. Diam- eter 7 mm. First stage. — Head shining black, labrum pale; width 35 mm. Body slightly flattened, whitish, cervical shield black; a few pale hairs; joints 5 and 12 are slightly enlarged dorsally; the lateral region, and joints 5, 7 and 12 dorsally are wine-red. Thoracic feet large, pale; the abdominal normal, all used in walking. Length 2.5 mm. The larva hatches by eating a round hole in the vertex of the egg, leaving the rest of the shell untouched. It lives, singly, in a shelter constructed by spinning two or more leaves together. Second stage. — Head black and shining, the central suture deep; width 6.5 mm. Body flattened, pale whitish yellow, with narrow triplicate dorsal, and very broad lateral bands of dull wine color, as are also the humps on joints 5 and 12. Cervical shield and anal plate black; venter dull greenish; legs black. Third stage. — Head flat in front, slightly bilobed, brownish black, but paler centrally around the clypeus; a few dark hairs; width 1.4 mm. Body pale yellow, joints 5 and 12 a trifle dorsal line, broad lateral and confused triple subventral lines, all dark brown. Cervical shield and anal plate blackish; scattered pale hairs arise from smooth, low, round tubercles, concolorous with the markings. Fourth stage. — Head pale brown, shaded with black in Inmt; jaws and ocelli black; a white shade on each side of the clyprus; width 2.6 mm. Body as before, but the lateral band is faintly divided by a double yellowish line, and joint 13 is nearly all yellowish. The round, smooth, piliferous tubercles are distinctly yellow in the yellow markings. Cervical shield small, bisrctol. pale brown; anal plate not distinguishable. Hair whitish, l>»th from body and head. As the stage advances the colors become quite pale, and the appearance is much chun^-d; humps (.11 joints 5 and 12 very slight, dark purple. <'.n>und color \\luti-h 6 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, gray, becoming pale purple, a triplicate dark purple dorsal line, the central one most distinct, the others broader and diffuse. All these lines are more or less broken into mottlings. A similar stigma tal line with some purple mottlings subventrally; venter paler; spiracles black. The piliferous tubercles are normal in arrangement, much as the warts in Halesidota, row (4) small, posteriorly to the spiracles, row (7) apparently absent. The head is held out flat, as in Gluphisia. Cocoon. — Composed of several leaves spun together and lined with threads. Pupa. — Nearly cylindrical, flattened a little ventrally, gradually tapering posteriorly, but of nearly even width, no part enlarged; last abdominal segments rounded, cremaster long and slender, terminating in a knob that, under the microscope, is seen to con- sist of a row of radiating, strongly recurved hooks, which hold firmly to the silk of the cocoon. Color dark red-brown, the thorax and cases nearly black. Length n mm.; width 3.5 mm. Food-plant. — Willow (Salix'). Larvae from Yosemite Valley, Cal. These larvae had but four stages, and there are two broods in a year. Ichthyura bifiria, as well as / brucei Hy. Edw. , must come very near to /. vau Fitch, if they are not merely western forms of it, but the larva of / van is still unknown, so that it is impos- sible to compare the early stages. -o- A NOTE ON CYCHRUS. By H. F. WICKHAM, Iowa City, Iowa. ' ' Arizona has not, to my knowledge, furnished even a speci- men of Cychride;" (Dr. Horn, in Notes on the Biologia Cen- trali-Americana, monthly Proc. of Ent. Sec. A. N. S. June, 1886, p. ix.) During the Summer of 1890, while in the Final Mountains, about eighty miles from Tucson, my friend and com- panion, Dr. E. D. Peters, took four or five specimens of a Cy- chrns (^Scaphinotus), which I thought to be Snowii Lee., near a little spring. Later in the day a search by myself resulted in the finding of another specimen. Our knowledge of the distribution of Cychrns has been won- derfully extended during the thirteen years that had elapsed since l8Q2.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. the publication by Dr. Horn of his Synopsis in the " Transactions of the American Entomological Society." At that time but three species of the division Sphtzroderus were known, all from the Atlantic region, none of them ranging farther south than North Carolina. Since then the labors of Mr. Ricksecker have re- sulted in the discovery of two more species (relictus and regu- laris) from the Spokane River region of Washington, both ot these having been also taken by myself at Cceur d'Alene, Idaho, in company with the third western species only lately described by Dr. Horn (" Ent. Am." vol. vi, p. 71) as Merkelii. This shows Sph&roderus to be northern rather than northeastern in its distribution, an equal number of species having been found on each side of the continent, "none, however, being southern forms. Scaphinotus, as is shown by the first paragraph, extends into Arizona besides covering in its distribution the region assigned to it by Dr. Horn, in his paper cited, from New York south to North Carolina and thence west to Colorado a range afterwards extended some distance southwards by the discovery of C. {Scaphinotus} Snowii in New Mexico. Doubtless, the division Pemphus will remain characteristic of the north Pacific coast fauna, though Brennus supposed, until lately, to be confined to the coast fauna proper, has been shown by me (ENT. NEWS, vol. i, p. 33) to inhabit parts of Montana. The species recorded, C. marginatus, has heretofore been reported only from the stretch of coast from Oregon to Alaska, and its occurrence in Montana is of great interest, adding, as it does, another species to those common to the great central chain ol mountains and the far north. During the glacial epoch, or ju-t following it, this species probably inhabited the stretch of country from the Rockies to the coast, but the gradual northward retreat of the face of the glaciated area so changed the climate of this intervening region that marginatus was unable to retain its place. The Montana form already shows some minor differences from those found on the coast, and only time seems needed to dillrr- entiate it as a distinct species. Until the discovery of C. Rickseckeri, the species of Cychrus proper were limited in our fauna to two strictly Pacific forms, angitlatus and tuberculatus, and one from Utah, C. Hcmphillii; but the first-mentioned insect is reported by Mr. Ricksrckrr, in a letter to me, to occur as far east as Clark's Ford, Mont. , though 8 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, I believe the centre of its distribution to be the Cceur d'Alene district of Idaho, where I took it on my visit in 1889. C. tuber- culatus, reported from Vancouver Island, occurs also in the main- land at Portland, Oreg. , and Tacoma, Wash., but is still rare. A perusal of these lines will show that in this genus every one of the divisions, except Pemphus, which contains but a single species, has been found to have a distribution much wider than that known to science when last written up, and I await further developments with a great deal of interest. Cannot some of the readers of ENT. NEWS furnish -us with more notes on geographical distribution ? Too little attention seems to have been paid this part of our science, and it is something in which every one can help. o Second Additions and Corrections to the list of Dragonflies (Odonata) of Manchester, Kennebec County, Maine. BY MISS MATTIE WADSWORTH. (See ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, vol. i, pp. 36, 55, and vol. ii, p. n.) 5a. Amphiagrion saucium Burm. 1891, June 24, one 9 in road. 6c. Enallag-ma cyathigerum Charp. race annexum Hag. 1891, June 1 6, one $ in meadow. 6d. Enallagma exsulans Hag. 1891, June 26, one £ near Lake Cobbosseecontee. 6e. Nehalennia Irene Hag. 1891, June 9, one 9 in road, near meadow; June 15, three 9 9 in woods; June 19, one 9 in woods. 24a. Macromia illinoiensis Walsh. 1891, July 10, one 9 near brook. 32. This species called " Cordulia cynosura variety," in vol. ii, p. 11, is C. (Tetragoneuria) spinigera Selys. All taken in 1891 have been identified, as all others have been, by Mr. PhiHp P. Calvert, of Philadelphia. During the seasons of 1890 and 1891, additional specimens have been taken of several species noted as quite rare in the pre- ceding lists. These are mentioned below. 6n. Enallagma ebrium Hag. 1891, June 16, two £ £ in meadow. 66. Enallagma civile Hag. 1891, June 26, two $ 1 , one 9 near Lake Cobbosseecontee. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 9 13. JEschna (Basiaeschna) Janata Say. 1890, June 21, one £ taken near brook. 1891, June 5 to 15, seven 9 9 . six £ £ taken near woods; June 15, a & devouring a 9 GompJms exilis was taken. 17. Gomphus parvulus Selys. 1891, June 25, one 9 near brook. 25. Epitheca (Somatochlora) Walshii Scud. 1891, July 30, one £ in meadow near brook; August 5, one seen flying. 26. Epitheca (Somatochlora) forcipata Scud. 1890, Aug. 14, one £ in meadow. 28. Cordulia (Somatochlora) lepida Selys. 1891, June, one £ ; June 26, one 9 by roadside. 29. Cordulia (Somatochlora) libera Selys. 1890, June 19, one £ in woods. 1891, June 5 to 30, quite common in and near woods. -o- HYMENOPTEROLOGICAL NOTES.-H. By WM. J. Fox, Phila., Pa. Crabro nitidiventris n. sp. 9. — Black, shining; first two joints of the antennae entirely, line on pro- thorax above, broadest laterally, tubercles, an elongated spot behind them, dot on tegulze, spot at base of wing, line on the basal half of the scutel- lum, two transverse spots on the upper surface of the metathorax, the apex of anterior and medial femora, the tibiae and tarsi, and a large macula on each side of segments 2-5, all yellow, the extreme apex of the posterior tibiae and the apical tarsal joints, brownish. Head quadrate; clypeus, front behind the antennae, and the posterior orbits witli bright silvery pubescence, most dense on the former; head clothed with pale fuscous hairs, finely and sparsely punctured, the punctures on the cheeks very delicate, strongest on the front; vertex depressed, with a stn.n-, pear-shaped pit on each side near the top of inner eye margin; trtmtal impressed line deep; clypeus feebly carinated medially, the anterior m.ir- gin armed with three teeth, which are widely separated; apical halt of mandibles ferrugineus, the apex bidentate; scape of antenna- narrow longer than the first three joints of the flagellum united, second joint ,.| the flagellum nearly three times as long as the preceding one, and about two and a half times longer than the succeeding one. Thorax aiul sparsely clothed with pale fuscous pubescence, pertaining t« i sih ery 01 pleurae and pectus; the thorax with fine, separated punctures, very line on the pleura;; prothorax slightly emarginate above; postscutellum part. by an impressed line; metathorax with two transverse enclosures on the jo ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, upper surface, the medial sulcus very strongly marked, and is deepest basally and on the posterior face, all the sulci marked with strong fovese, the posterior face with the lateral edges marked with a series of rugae, before the apex there are several very strong, transverse striae; the top of the metapleurce marked by a series of strong foveae, which form an angle at about the middle; wings hyaline, tinged with brownish along the costa, nervures brown, the stigma black. Abdomen glabrous, sparsely clothed with pale fuscous hairs, most dense beneath and on segments 4- 6 above; last segment above with a longitudinal, medial carina, which does not extend beyond the middle. Length n — 12 mm. Two specimens, Camden County, N. J., July 5, 1891, and Il- linois (coll. Amer. Ent. Soc.). The specimen from Illinois has the middle clypeal tooth indistinct. Related to C, obsciirus and C. contiguus. Crabro excavatus n. sp. 9. — Black; head transversely quadrate; front subopaque, with fine and exceedingly close punctures; near the inner orbits, before the anterior ocellus, there is a short, oblique sulcus; vertex shining, with deep sepa- rated punctures; face very narrow in the region of the antennae, the space between the eyes at this place is a little broader than the length of the third antennal joint; clypeus well carinated, the anterior margin entire, rounded out; antennas short, the third joint about two and a half times longer than the second, and is a little longer than the two following joints united; the ocelli situated in slight, but distinct, depressions; mandibles strongly bidentate at apex. Prothorax emarginate medially; dorsulum with very strong punctures, the punctures confluent anteriorly; scutellum and postscutellum with strong, separated punctures, those on the post- scutellum feeblest; metathorax roughened, with a strong medial sulcus, which extends to about the middle, where it is interrupted by a transverse ridge, the posterior face rugose, depressed medially; mesopleurae rugose; wings subhyaline, nervures blackish. Abdomen shining, the segments depressed at base and apex, with distinct, separated punctures, beneath segments 2-5 smooth, with the exception of a series of strong punctures, which extend from side to side at about the middle; the last segment above strongly excavated; mandibles, except base and apex, prothorax above, tubercles, an elongated oblique spot on the mesopleurae beneath the tegulae, scutellum and two spots on the dorsulum at the anterior-lateral angles of the scutellum, the postscutellum, legs, the tarsi lighter, the first abdominal segment above, except the apical margin, which is black, the second above and beneath, except apical portion, all reddish brown;* scape and following two antennal joints, and a large, ovate spot on the second abdominal segment, situated at about the middle, yellow; head * This may be due to being left too long in the cyanide bottle, but as part of the antem.ae and two spots on the abdomen are yellow, it is probable that it is the natural color. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. II and thorax above clothed with short, erect, fuscous hairs; the clypeus, face, cheeks and thorax beneath with silvery pubescence. Length 9 — 10 mm. cf . — Differs from the female as follows: joints five and six of the an- tennas roundly emarginate beneath, the seventh joint slightly so; the third antennal joint very slightly, if any, longer than the fourth; the metanotum with eight or nine strong ridges, which extend from the base to the trans- verse ridge; wings darker along the costa. Abdomen strongly punctured, the punctures closer than in the female, the first segment, except the base and apex, and a transverse fascia on segments 2-5 above, reddish brown, the fascia on the third segment narrowest; beneath the abdomen is fun-h- and rather closely punctured. Length 9 mm. Described from two females and one male specimens. Col- lected by Mr. Chas. W. Johnson, in Florida, in the vicinity of St. Augustine. (To be continued.) -o- RHEXIDIUS. BY EMIL BRENDEL, M. D. This genus belongs to the second group of the tribe Trichonyni according to the arrangement of Mr. Achille Raffray, the first group having the posterior coxse distant and the first ventral seg- ment large, including the genera Trichonyx and Amauronyx, while the remaining genera, or the second group, have the pos- terior coxse contiguous, or nearly so, and (the first ventral seg- ment very short, in some hardly visible. Among the latter group my attention is called to the genera Trogastcr, Rhexidius, Oropns and Prorhexiics. Trogaster is characterized by having the first ventral segment visible (according to Mr. Raffray), while in the others it is said to be invisible, except as a button between the coxae. But this, according to my investigation, does not apply to Rhexidius and Oropus, on which, by lifting the femur it can be traced to tin- sides of the abdomen, where it is even more vnsible than in tin- middle. Thus the difference between the four genera is ratlin- inconspicuous. With the genus Trogastcr I am not acquainted, but by the description of Dr. D. Sharp, it should have an analogous I'.uni with Oropus and Rhexidius, and Capt. Casey indicated to in< the differences: the pronotum having the lateral spinou^ tul». 12 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, nearer the middle, the frontal sulcus not reaching the occipital foveae and having different forms of the antennae in the sexes. The only difference between Oropus and Rhexidius lies in the possession of a minute spinous tubercle at the sides of the pro- notum in a line with the lateral foveae. The length of the second ventral segment, which ought to be measured at the sides, not in the middle, where commonly intubation takes place, is larger, but in length not much more than subequal to the third and fourth ventrals; therefore Prorhexius is identical with Rhexidius. Now I will describe a new species of Rhexidius which makes the difference between the other two genera very doubtful, and perhaps brings them very near to Trogaster. Rhexidius trogasteroides n. sp. <3\ — The forms of the several parts of the body is exactly like Oropus; uniformly reddish brown. Length 1.66 mm. Head and prothorax granu- lated (as in Rhexidius granulosus), elytra densely punctured, abdominal dorsum nearly smooth. The head very transverse, though less so than in R. granulosus, occiput triangularly impressed at its base, occipital fovese large, near the eyes and in a line with the anterior part of the eyes; the frontal ridge and the subjacent arcuated sulcus limited half way be- tween foveae and the supra-antennal swelling, the sulcus ending in a deep puncture just in front of the respective fovea (Trogaster). Antennae as long as the head and half of the prothorax; joint i as thick as the width of the eye, cylindrical, longer than wide; 2 globular, two-thirds as thick as the first; 3 and 4 equal, rounded, somewhat transverse, much smaller; 5 projecting inside in form of a wedge, half as long outside, and three times as wide as the fourth; 6 as wide as 5, inflated inside, here as long as the first joint, and outside at the insertion as long as second; 7-10 gradually increasing in width, transverse, trapezoidal, together as long as the second, third and fourth conjointed; 7 as wide as the second; the loth, or the base of the last joint as wide as the first; n as long as the four preceding, and beyond the middle more than twice as wide as the first joint ( Trogaster). Palpi as in Oropus. Prothorax as in Rhexidius in sculpture, but the median sulcus has a deeper place in the anterior third, and the sides are rounded anterior to the line of the foveae, here sud- denly forming a sharp edge with a very short emargination producing a tubercle similar to Oropus, except that the tubercle is not as sharply pointed. Elytra as in Oropus, with four basal punctures. and the respec- tive lines, the third longer than the second, the fourth short and recurrent. Abdomen as in Oropus, with the dorsal border punctured, the penultimate ventral with a transverse impressed line; 9 unknown. Three specimens were discovered on Chestnut Ridge, Pa., by P. Jerome Schmitt, who deserves great honor as a circumspect entomologist. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 13 A comment as to the generic differences is unnecessary, but there are two more specimens, £ and 9 , which were discovered in Franklin County, Pa., by my friend, H. Ulke, who kindly loaned them to me a year ago; they are in his cabinet, and may bring these genera still nearer together. Rhexidius intermedius n. sp. Uniformly brown. Length of $ 1.5 mm.; $ 1.66 mm. $ . — Head as transverse as in Oropus, somewhat punctulate. Antennae, without the last joint, as long as the width of the head, the last joint as long as the first and second together. Eyes very much smaller than in Oropus; occiput perpendicularly declining toward the neck in an angu- lated line from the sides to the middle of the base. Prothorax little wider than the head with a twice interrupted median sulcus and a straight trans- verse sulcus, which is triangularly dilated in the middle, ending in pubes- cent foveae laterally situated inside of a slightly ovate depression, the base strongly punctured, the disc slightly uneven, impunctate; no crenulation or a spine at the sides. Elytra as in Oropus. Abdomen at the base in the middle depressed, the depression divided by a short carina; the bor- ders of the first visible segment divergent; the first three visible segments equal, one-quarter of their width long, fourth and fifth shorter; ventrals nearly equal in length. <$. — Has the ninth and tenth joints of the antennas shorter, more trans- verse, and the last longer than in the female. Head, prothorax and elytra, more visibly punctulate. Eyes somewhat larger. Prothorax with the median sulcus not interrupted, but abbreviated in the anterior third. Ab- domen as in the female, but the junction of the fourth and fifth segments transversely impressed. o NOTES ON ARKANSAS LEPIDOPTERA. By R. R. ROWLEY, Fort Smith, Ark. Five hundred miles to the southwest of Curryville, Mo., where the writer has spent half a score of years in the study of Ento- mology and Geology of a most interesting region, is the " Bor- der City," Fort Smith, Ark. A residence here since the middle of September has given him but limited opportunity to niter into the study of nature, but he could not, if he wished, close his eyes on the fairy-like creatures that flit from blossom to blossom in this city of flowers. The first finds. were two splendid larvae of that magnificent moth, Citheroniaregalis, on a persirnmon tree, whirr, from indications, a number of other caterpillars had been feeding; t\vo larvae of Eacles imperialis on maple; two of Ccratomia 14 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, amyntor and one of Telea polyphemus on elm; larvae and cocoons of Actias luna on pecan, and one wandering caterpillar of Dei- lephila lineata. A fine pupa of Macrosila cingulata was found in a sweet-potato patch and several ragged images, brought to the class-room by pupils, indicate an abundance of this beautiful moth. The first butterflies noticed were Neonympha sosybius, flitting aimlessly about the streets, and occasional specimens of Papilio philenor and Limenitis iirsula. While Colias eurytheme was quite common, C. philodice, Pieris protodice and P. rapes seemed much less abundant. In October, Callidryas eubule, Terias nicippe, T. lisa, Na- thalis iole, Euptoieta claudia, Phyciodcs phaon, Pamphila huron, P. phylceus and Pyrgus tessclata were plentiful, the first two spe- cies at cultivated flowers and the others at the blossoms of He- lenium tenuifolium, a thrifty weed about the streets and roads here. Three fine examples of Colias ctzsonia were taken at flowers, one Grapta inter rogationis in the woods, one Paphia troglodyta at mud, four Junonia ccenia by the roadside and on flowers, sev- eral specimens of Pyrameis cardui, one P. huntera, two Erisia texana, a few Phyciodes tharos and a number of Danais archippus on Helenium tenuifolium blossoms. A single 9 Agraulis vanilla was taken on Geranium flowers in the shade, about five o'clock P.M., late in October. One dark specimen of Pyrgus, probably a variety of Tesselata, was cap- tured November yth. The last butterflies seen, were Terias lisa, T. nicippe, Pyrgus tesselata and Nathalis iole on the i6th of September. Spring and Summer will doubtless add many more species to this list. The food-plant of Iole here is probably Helenium temiifoliiim. For assistance in the identification of a few of the species men- tioned above, the writer is indebted to Mr. Wm. H. Edwards, of Coalburgh, and Dr. Henry Skinner, of Philadelphia. For the determination of a plant to Prof. Geo. Vasey, of Washington, D. C. " An electric insect killer is the latest novelty in that line. It is formed by a cover of wire> gauze, which is placed over a lighted candle. The gauze is an electric circuit, and when insects touch it they are killed." 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 15 Notes and. Ne^vs. ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS OF THE GLOBE. [The Conductors of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS solicit, and will thankfully receive items of news, likely to interest its readers, from any source. The author's name will be given in each case for the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] To Contributors.— All contributions will be considered and passed upon at our earliest convenience, and as far as may be, will be published according to date of recep- tion. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS has reached a circulation, both in numbers and circumfer- ence, as to make it necessary to put " copy1' into the hands of the printer, for each number,, three weeks before date of issue. This should be remembered in sending special or im- portant matter for certain issue. Owing to low subscription rate, " extras" will be charged for, and when they are wanted, it should be so stated on the MS. along with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged.— ED. A SUBSCRIBER has sent us a remittance with name and address not given on subscription blank accompanying the same. We make it a rule to acknowledge the receipt of all remittances, and beg to be advised by those who have sent in their subscriptions and have received no ac- knowledgment.— TREASURER. OWING to the sickness of the editor, we are unable to publish a plate with this number of the NEWS. Correspondence attended to soon. AFTER many unexpected and unavoidable delays, the new Check List of Lepidoptera of Boreal America, by Prof. John B. Smith, has been com- pleted, and is now ready to mail to applicants. The price is $1.00 per copy. WILL the contributor who favored the NEWS with the interesting paper " On the species of Oecanthus Serv." kindly communicate with the editor, as his letter has been mislaid and his name is not attached to the manu- script of the paper referred to ? A VERY good suggestion comes to us from a progressive subscriber, viz.: to give each month a list of species added to the insect fauna of North America. This information will be appended to the " Literature" column, and we trust that it will be an improvement that will be appre- ciated by entomological workers. A NEW VARIETY OF PAMPHILA. — Paitiphila »iassasoit, var. suffusa Laurent. The describing of the many variations of Lepidoptera caught in the field is of value as well as of interest to the entomological world, but the attaching thereto of a name to burden our already over-crowded catalogues, seems to me to be little less than an entomological sin, but where the form described teems in numbers, or is known as a local varia- tion, I think the same should be given an appropriate name. In the Pamphilas, particularly, there are several such forms or variations occur- ring among the species found around Philadelphia. One of tlu-sc. l\un- phila massasoit, var. suffusa, makes its appearance about July 4th. It is 16 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, found in low meadow- or swamp-lands. The variation consists principally in the yellow markings of the under surface of the posterior wings being almost obliterated by a suffusion of dark brown, while the under surface of the anterior wings is of a uniform dark brown, the light colored margin found in the normal form being entirely wanting. About one in every ten specimens caught will be found to be snffusa; the variation is gener- ally found among the males, but also occurs in the females, but more sparingly where it occurs in the females. The insect is without the usual yellow spots on the upper surface of the wings. — PHILIP LAURENT, Phila. SYNONYMS OF NOCTUID^E. — Mr. W. H. Patton has given in ENTOMO- LOGICAL NEWS, vol. ii, p. 206, a synonym of ^Homohadena infixa Wlk." which requires correction. I have seen Walker's type, in the British Mu- seum, and find it exactly like the type of Mr. Grote's H. kappa, which is also in the British Museum. H. incomitata and H. badistriga are both as good species as are usually found in the Noctuidae, and come at exactly opposite ends of the synoptic table in my revision of the species (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. xiii, 399). Harvey's type is not rubbed, and I have seen any number of specimens just like it. That Xylophasia infixa Wlk. probably referred to a species of Homohadena I indicated in my revision of Xylophasia (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. xiii, 446), but was not able to fix it positively. It would be interesting to know upon what Mr. Patton bases his synonymy. — JOHN B. SMITH, New Brunswick, N. J. Prof. KELLICOTT'S " Note on Exceptions" brought vividly to my mind the number of interesting varieties of Caberodes confusaria that had es- caped from my collecting-bottle by its remarkable powers of resisting the action of cyanide. I have often sought for an explanation, but without definite results. In my observations, Hymenoptera and Diptera are the most sensitive to the fumes of cyanide, which I have thought might arise from their nervous activity producing rapid respiration. Water beetles as a rule are slow to yield to its influence, which is probably the result of their having a supply of pure air under their elytra which would last for a while. Newly-hatched beetles may remain for a whole day in a strong bottle and revive again when exposed to the air, the result of their partially dormant condition. Caberodes confusaria is an active in- sect, and therefore ought to breathe rapidly, and so get the full benefit of the poison, but in its case neither the principle nor the poison works satis- factorily.— I. ALSTON MOFFAT, London, Ontario. I THINK a "wave" of Erebus odora must have struck Colorado this Summer. I have occasionally met with this species in the State before, but not more than one example in a season. This year, however, was a notable exception; one day last June I took one on the sidewalk at Colo- rado Springs; the same evening I found one on the platform at Canon City Depot. The next morning I reached Salida just at daybreak; during the two days I stayed there I took about a dozen pretty fair examples. These were resting on the lamp-posts, or on the ground close by. It was 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NKUS. iy quite a rainy time in this part of Colorado, and I saw fragments of a good many in the mud. The lamp trimmer told me they had been quite a nuisance for more than a week, flying into houses and stores where tliere was a bright light, in many instances causing alarm (lie called them hats). On my return from southwest Colorado, two weeks later, our train stopped at Salida at 9 A.M. ; during the "twenty minutes for refreshments" I looked round under the lamps. In a coal-box, near one, were two battered ex- amples of E. odora, but on the lamp-post, about seven feet from the ground, was a specimen of the silken, gray beauty zoiobia, the first I had seen alive. I have visited this district many times in the last seven years, and my late friend, W. S. Foster, a keen collector, resided there tuo years, yet we never saw either species there before, and I feel pretty cer- tain that their occurrence this year is something unusual. DAVID BRUCEj Brockport, N. V. A SPECIMEN of Xylocopa. received from Mr. H. F. Wickham, bearing the label Fort Yuma, Cal., turns out to be the Cuban A"", cubaccola Lucas. To the best of my knowledge, this species has not been recorded from any other locality, although it occurs, probably, in Mexico. The following table will assist in determining the California!! species of Xylocopa: Abdomen bottle-green, bronzed ; front in $ with a strong projection. Length 22 — 25 mm. . . . californica Cr. Abdomen bronze-purple ; frontal projection almost obsolete, having the appearance of a faint tubercle. Length 18 mm. . purpurea Cr. Entirely black 9 \ c? °f cubaccola entirely fulvous, with fulvous pubes- cence; e? of orpifex with the face and clypeus yellowish. Ventral abdominal segments strongly carinated ; clypeus with the punctures becoming somewhat obsolete medially; rf" fulvous. Length 9 cf 18—23 mm. . . . cubaecola Luc. Ventral segments of the abdomen faintly carinated ; clypeus equally punctured throughout; <$ with the thorax clothed with pale pu- bescence. Length 9 c? 17— i S mm. . . orpifex Sm. WILLIAM J. Fox. WHILE on a trout fishing trip on the Nepigon River last July we broke camp some forty miles up river, after three days' of showery weather, and, with birch-bark canoes, started for Red Rock, the 1 [udson I'.ay Company'- post at the mouth of the river. There are a number of rapids around which canoes and camp equipage must be carried, and at whirl) tin- dil- ferent meals are usually cooked, while the Indians are making the port On July 1 4th, a hot day following the rains, we were p»rtaging around Cameron Pool and rapids, when one of the party, who had descended the higher land to the bank of a little creek, came rushing back with an ordinary fish landing-net containing ten fluttering Lii'it he had caught with one stroke. Of coin were mined, but the entomologist of the party, upon investigation, found the ashes, where camp fires had been made upon the banks of the creek, completely cov- 18 ENToMoLocicAL NEWS. [jariuafy, iered with this beautiful butterfly, one space of about four and a half feet in diameter being entirely hid by a gorgeous coloring of purple, black and white, which shone beautifully in the bright sun. The first stroke of the net disturbed them, but 47 specimens were taken as they hovered about without moving from the spot, and over 100 were taken within a space of 30 feet square. They seemed to be attracted by the brine or water thrown from the pans after freshening bacon and salt pork at the camp fires. Paddling down the creek we passed another congregation of like proportions, but we had a forty-mile canoe voyage to complete by ten o'clock that night in order to catch a steamer at Port Arthur, so they were not disturbed. It is not often an entomologist stumbles upon a sight so beautiful. — FRANK S. DAGGETT, Duluth, Minn. Perophora mclshcimerii. — This elegant case bearing larva was taken at Sugar Grove, O., September 26th, feeding on oak. The single larva examined differs from that described by Harris in the absence of the an- tenna-like appendages at the side of the head; this is also characterized by Packard in "Forest Insects." It is also slenderer than others de' scribed, nor are the "spiracles so situated as to be visible from above,'- except the last pair. The prothoracic segment is not dark like the head, but concolorous with the whole anterior third, i.e., pale brown with diffuse lateral stripes. The case, too, whilst of the same general type as that figured by Harris, is a more finished piece of architecture. One side, the floor, is elliptical and plane; the opposing piece, the roof, is also elliptical, but both longer and wider and cut with the mid-vein in the longer diam- eter, so that when the edges of the two are sewn together it arches up, forming a roof; the mid-vein thus forms the ridge of the roof; this also projects at the ends constituting the verandas over the round openings. The dimensions are: length, 28 mm.; width, 8mm.; height, 6mm.; di- ameter of openings, 4 mm. I have not seen the artificer at work. It would certainly be interesting to observe how, with the simple tools at his disposal, so wonderful a house is built. I imagine that the plan of procedure is about as follows: two closely parallel leaves are selected; these are spun together along the elliptical outline of the finished product, the plane one being first strength- ened by a silken lining; then by cutting away the leaves about the outside the case is set free. — D. S. K. Identification of Insects (Imagos) for Subscribers. Specimens will be named under the following conditions: ist, The number of speci- mens to be unlimited for each sending; 2d, The sender to pay all expenses of transporta- tion and the insects to become the property of the American Entomological Society ; 3d, Each specimen must have a number attached so that the identification may be an- nounced accordingly. Exotic species named only by special arrangement with the Editor, who should be consulted before specimens are sent. Send a 2 cent stamp with all insects for return of names. Address all packages to ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, Academy Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. ig Entomological Literature. ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEiGER (Leipzig), Nov. 2, 1891. — The lateral eyes of spiders, by K. Kishinouye, figs. On the anatomy of the male sexual organs of the Honey Bee, by G. Koschewnikoff. TRAVAUX ET MEMOIRES DBS FACULTES DE LILLE. I, No. 4, 1891. — The wax of Bees (analysis and adulterations), by A. and P. Buisine. LE NATURALISTE (Paris), Nov. r, 1891. — Protective resemblance in Eu- ropean Lepidoptera, by F. Plateau; figs. Description of new Lepidop- tera,* by P. Dognin; Lafajana n. gen. Development of Hydrophilns piceus, by L. Planet; figs. — Dec. i, 1891. — Diagnoses of new Lepidop- tera,* by P. Dognin. Habits and metamorphoses of Corczbus amethys- tinus Oliv., by Capt. Xambeu. COMPTE RENDU. SOCIETE ENTOMOLOGIQUE DE BELGIQUE, Oct. 3, '91. — Two new species and a new genus of African Lepidoptera,* by F. J. M. Heylaerts; Gymnelema n. gen. Melanges Entomologiques: VII. Diagnoses of Coleoptera from the Congo,* by A. Duvivier; Djabiria, Phrynctoides n. gen. Dichotomous table to aid in determining the Bel- gian species of Coleoptera Heteromera (last part), by L. Coucke. Enu- meration of the Hemiptera of Belgium, by E. Coubeaux; Heteroptera. Papilio tnachaon var. marginalis, by M. Robbe. NOTES ON CALOSPASTA Lee., by G. H. Horn, M.D. (reprint from Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. xxix, pp. 99-102), Oct. 27, 1891. A synoptic table of the species is given. C. histrionica, C. morrisoni, S. Cal., n. sp. REVUE DES SCIENCES NATURELLES DE L'OUEST, 4, October, 1891, Paris. — General considerations on the classification of the Acarines, fol- lowed by an attempt at a new classification, by Dr. Trouessart (to be con- tinued). COMPTE RENDU. SOCIETE DE BIOLOGIE (Paris), Nov. 20, 1891.— Or- ganization of a thoracic ganglion in some Coleoptera of the tribe Melo- lonthina, by A. Binet. A peculiar Acariasis on Paduan fowls produced by a new Acarine species, Lophopies patavinus, by P. Megnin; figs. On the intermediate host of Echinorhynchus gig as in America, by C. W. Stiles \_Lachnosterna\. ENTOMOLOGISCHE NACHRICHTEN (Berlin), xvii, 21, November, 1891. — Some remarks on the German species of Calathus* by C. YcrhoHl. List of a collection of Coleoptera from Cordoba in Argentina, by Dr. Frenzel. On doubtful species of Rhizotrogus, a clear answer to Hen 1 •:. Brenske, by Dr. G. Kraatz.— No. 22, November, 1891 .--A new contribu- tion to the knowledge of the German Saldcc* by C. VerhoefT. Dipt* ru collected by Herr F. Grabowsky in Hartz Mountains, by V. von K order- * Contains new species other than North American. 2o ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, New Singing Cicada; from Cameroon collected by Dr. Paul Preuss,* by Dr. F. Karsch; Trisiiiarcha, Nablistes. n. gen. DENKSCHRIFTEN DER KAISERLICHEN AKADEMIE DER WISSENS- CHAFTEN. MATHEMATISCH-NATURWISSENSC.HAFTLICIIE CLASSE, Ivii. Wien, 1890 (1891). — Comparative Studies on the Germ-band (Keimstreif) of Insects, by V. Graber; 12 plates, 38 figures. ERGAENZUNGSHEFT ZUM 68. JAHRESBERICHT DER SCHLESISCHEN GE- SELLSCHAFT FUR VATERLANDiscHE CULTUR. Breslau, 1890 (1891). — Con- tributions to the knowledge of the European Zoocecidae and their distri- bution, by G. Hieronymus. VERHANDLUNGEN DES NATURHISTORISCHEN VEREINS DER PREUS- SISCHE RHEINLANDE, WESTFALENS UND DES REG.-BEZIRKS OSNABRUECK. xlviii, i. Bonn, 1891. — Biological Aphorisms on some Hymenoptera, Dip- tera and Coleoptera, by C. Verhoeff; 3 plates. OFVERSIGT AF FINSKA VETENSKAPS-SOCIETETENS FORHANDLINGAR, xxxii, 1889-90. Helsingsfors, 1890 (1891?). — Contributions to the know- ledge of the Coleopterous Fauna of Southwestern Siberia — Curculionidae,* by J. Faust BERICHTE DER NATURFOKSCHENDEN GESELLSCHAFT zu FREIBURG I. B., v, i. Freiburg I. B., 1890 (1891). — On reproduction of the Diplopods (Chilognatha), by O. von Rath; i plate. AXTI DELLA R. ACCADEMIA DELLE SCIENZE DI TORINO, XXVI, 2, 1890- 91. — The European species of the genus Chiysotoxum Meig.,* by Dr. E. Giglio-Tos; i plate. JAHRBUCHER DES NASSAUISCHEN VEREINS FUR NATURKUNDE, 44. Jahr- gang. Wiesbaden, 1891. — Observations on the manner of living and de- velopment'history of some indigenous species of beetles, by Dr. Budde- berg. Macrolepidoptera of the lower Rhine country, 2d part, by A. Fuchs. Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Japan, 2d supplement, by H. von Schoen- feldt. LA NATURALEZA, 2d series, II, i. Mexico, 1891. — Description of indig- enous Coleoptera, by Dr. D. Eugenio Duges (for new species, see post)\ 2 plates. PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, 2d series' III, i. Sept. i, 1891. — Description of the larva of Dascy/lus darhisonii Lee., and a record of its life-history, by J. J. Rivers; i plate. New species of Scarabseidae, id (see post). BULLETIN OF THE BUFFALO SOCIETY OK NATURAL SCIENCES, v, 3, 'gr. —List of the Macrolepidoptera of Buffalo and vicinity, by Edw. P. Van Duzee. * Contains new species other than North American. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 21 LIST OF LEPIDOPTERA OF BOREAL AMERICA, by John II. Smith, as- sisted by Henry Skinner, M.D., Geo. D. Hulst, Ph. D., C. H. Fernald, Ph. D., C. V. Riley, Ph. D. Philadelphia, Amer. Ent. Soc. 1891, 124 pp., 6020 species listed. CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS A MONOGRAPH OF THE NOCTUID.K OF TEM- PERATE NORTH AMERICA. — Revision of the species of Mann.-stra, by John B. Smith (from Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns. xiv, pp. 197-276, pi. viii-xi), Wash- ington, 1891 (for new species, see post). DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW CYNIPID/E IN THE COLLECTION OF THE ILLI- NOIS STATE LABORATORY OF NATURAL HISTORY, by C. P. Gillette, is«.,i ; i plate (see post). JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA, I, i, Kingston, November, 1891. — Notes on the transformations of some Jamaica Lepidoptera, by T. D. A. Cockerell. NEW SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING LITERATURE. COLEOPTERA. Calospasta histrionica Horn, Proc. Amer. Pliilos. Soc. \.\i.\, p. 100, San Diego, Cal. C. morrisoni, p. 102, So. California. Biiprestis jimenezi Duges, La Naturaleza, 2cl series, II, p. 7, fig. 10, Jalapa. Melanophila nigra Duges, 1. c., p. 8, rig. II, Tupataro ( Guanajuato). Acmczodera moesta Duges, 1. c., p. n, fig. 17, Guanajuato. A.jncn p. 14, fig. 20, Acapulco. A. sinalocnsis, p. 14, fig. 21, Motag,-, SinaKa. Chrysobothris sobrina Duges, 1. c., p. 19, Guanajuato. C. arinala, \>. 19, fig. 29, Chiapas. C. i^nofa, p. 20, fig. 30. Tupataro, Guanajuato. Agrilus albofasciatus Duges, 1. c., p. 23, fig. 35, Guanajuato. Borrei, p. 24, fig. 36, id. A. Sa/Ifi, p. 24, fig. 37, id. p. 26, fig. 39, id. A.parviis, p. 26, fig. 60, id. A. hiniaci ?. p. 40, id. A.fossulatus, p. 27, fig. 41, id. . /. xcxnutculatu f, p. 27. ''.- id. A. rnbrovittatus, p. 28, fig. 44, id. A'. ca/i^i>n>s r, p. Tupataro. A. 'igneosigiiadis, p. 29, fig. 47, id. • !'• 30, fig. 48, id. A. tHpatarcnsis, p. 31, fig. 59- "'• '• I'- • fig. 51, id. A. A'cririnansi, p. 3-', fig. V, "'• '• I'- 3'i 53, Guanajuato. A. tarrascus, p. 33, fig. 54, Michoacan. p. 33, fig. 55, Guanajuato. A. naints, p. 33, tig. 56, Tupataro. inhieHS, p. 34, fig. 57, id. A. nonts, p. 34, fig- 5s, i(1- fig- 59, id- 22 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, Taphrocerus leoni Duges, 1. c., p. 35, fig. 61, Siloa, Guanajuato, Mi- choacan. T. Kerremansi, p. 35, fig. 62, Tupataro. Brachys chapusi Duges, 1. c., p. 36, fig. 63, Tupataro. B. hexagonalis, p. 36, fig. 64, Guanajuato. Lygirus Bryanti Rivers, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (2), III, p. 97, Lower California. LEPIDOPTERA. Carphoxera n. gen. (Acidalinoe) Riley, Insect Life, iv, p. 112. C. ptelearia, p. 112. Maniestra delerminata Smith, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. xiv, p. 209, Col. M. desperala, p. 221, Me., N. H., Cal. M. invalida, p. 225, Cal. M. u~scripta, p. 228, Cal. M. quadrata, p. 248, Cal. M. circumcincta, p. 253, Cal. M. longiclava, p. 265, Col. M. orbiculata, p. 266, Col. HYMENOPTERA. Diastrophus scutellaris Gillette, Bull. 111. State Lab., N. H. ?, p. 192, 111. Antistrophus silphii, p. 192, 111. A. laciniatus, p. 194, 111. A. ntfits, p. 195, 111. A. minor, p. 196. A. bicolor, p. 197, 111. Acraspis coni- pressus, p. 197, Iowa. Dryophanta lanata, p. 198, Iowa. Chilasphis ferrugineus, p. 200, Iowa. Aulax bicolor, p. 201, 111. Synergus mag- nus, p. 202, Mich. S. villosus, p. 202, Iowa. Coptereucoila inarginata, p. 203, 111. Eucoila "j-spinosa, p. 204, 111. Eucoilidea ritjipes, p. 205. Doings of Societies. ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. — A regular meeting was held in the Hall, Oct. 22, '91, Director Geo. H. Horn, M.D., presiding. Meeting called to order at 8.20 P.M. Members present: Martindale, Laurent, Ridings, Horn and Skinner. Associates: Fox and Liebeck. The Publication Committee reported favorably on papers No. 255 and 256, entitled " Notes on North American Tachinidae, sens, str., with Descriptions of New Genera and Species," by C. H. Tyler Townsend, and "Random Studies in North American Coleoptera," by Geo. H. Horn, M.D. Paper 257 was presented for publication. Mr. Nathan Banks, of Washington, D. C., was duly elected an Associate of the Section. HENRY SKINNER, Recorder. A regular meeting was held in the Hall, Nov. 25, 1891. The meeting was called to order at 8.20 P.M. In the absence of the Director, Mr. Blake presided. Members present: Messrs. Ridings, Laurent, Blake, Skinner and Welles. Associates: Calvert, Nell and Haimbach. The report of the Executive Committee was read and received. A number of American and European Odonata were presented by Mr. Calvert; also the Jamaican Odonata collected by Mr. Wm. J. Fox. Donations to the library were I892.j ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 23 read. The Publication Committee reported favorably on a paper entitled "A Revision of the North American species of Phlepsius" by Ed\v. P. Van Duzee. Papers Nos. 258, 259 and 260, were presented for publication. Mr. Calvert stated that in the Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. xvii, p. 33, 1890, he had first described the supposed female of Sor,ia!ochlora Walshii Scud. , remarking then that it was much like the female of S. forcipata Scud., specimens of which he had not then seen. During; the Summer of 1891 he had received the female and three males of forcipata from Prof. F. L. Harvey, at Orono, Me. A comparison of the females of Walshii and forcipata showed that the former was distinct. He knew of no evidence that the female Walshii was other than he had described it to be. Miss Wadsvvorth took a second male of Walshii at Manchester, Me., during the season of 1891; the first male which she had taken was now in Mr. Calvert's collection. Dr. Skinner, Mr. Ridings and Mr. Laurent, were appointed a committee to make nominations for the coming year. Mr. Ridings moved that, when the Section adjourn, it adjourn to meet on the second Monday in De- cember. HENRY SKINNER, Recorder. A regular meeting was held in the Hall, Dec. 14, 1891, Director Geo. H. Horn, M.D., presided. Members present: Messrs. Horn, Welles, Martindale and Ridings. Associates: Calvert, Fox and Johnson. In the absence of the Recorder, owing to sickness, Mr. J. H. Ridings acted as such. The reports of the Treasurer and of the Joint Committee on K.\- TOMOLOGICAL NEWS were read. The committee on nominations named the following to serve as officers for the ensuing year: Director, Geo. H. Horn, M.D.; Vice-Director, Isaac C. Martindale; Recorder, Henry Skin- ner, M.D.; Treasurer, E. T. Cresson; Conservator, Henry Skinner, M.D.; Publication Committee: J. H. Ridings and Philip Laurent. On motion, the Recorder was directed to cast a ballot for the Section, and the above were- declared elected. J. H. RIDINGS, Recorder, pro ton. THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, November 5, 1891.- Messrs. Theo. Gill and C. W. Stiles were elected active members of the Society, and Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, of Port Hope, Canada, and Prof. H. A. Morgan, of Baton Rouge, La., corresponding members. Under short notes, etc., Mr. Schwarz exhibited some fine and complete examples of the galleries made by Hylesinus sericeu s in the bark of .lines menziesii from the Wahsatch Mountains of Utah. These galleries closely resemble those made by the species of Scolytus. The Secretary read a note by Mr. Wm. D. Richardson, of Fredericks- burg, Va., corresponding member of the Society, on the life-history <>f Loma Sayi. The food-plant of this species is Commolyna rirghiica; tin.- eggs are laid singly on the leaves, and the larvae usually bore in the flower stalks, ejecting their fcces from the entrance hole of the burn.w. Dis- cussed by Mr. Schwarz. 24 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [January, Dr. Marx exhibited two remarkable spiders occurring in our fauna: (i) a representative of the South American genus Nops characterized by hav- ing but two eyes; (2) a puzzling species, the affinities of which he pointed out. It resembles an Epeira, but is altogether different in characters. Mr. Schwarz read a paper on the time of flight in Scarabceid beetles, in which he related an observation made last June by Mr. H. C. Hubbard and himself concerning an undescribed species of Lachnosterna which flies before sunset in the alpine regions of Utah. He added remarks on the flying habits of other species of Lachnosterna and of Scarabaeid bee- tles in general. It appears that in this family the unity in habit regarding the time of flight is generally maintained so far as genera are concerned, and that there are comparatively few exceptions to this rule. Mr. Schwarz also exhibited a species of the family Monommidas col- lected on Key West and at Biscayne Bay, Fla., and stated that after a careful study he has come to the conclusion that it is identical with Aspa- f /lines ovatns Champion recently described from Central America, which adds a new genus to our fauna. Discussed by Messrs. Marlatt, Howard, Mann and Schwarz. Mr. Howard read a paper on the " Habits of Molittobia," suggested by Mr. Ashmead's communication at the proceeding meeting. He gave a comprehensive review of the literature, showing all of the hosts of this genus of parasites, proving that it is both parasitic and hyperparasitic. He added an account of the rearing of M. pelopczi Ashm. from dipterous puparia found in Pelopaeus cells by Mr. A. N. Caudell. Discussed by Mr. Ashmead. Mr. Banks read a paper entitled "A new genus of Phalangiidse from North America," in which, under the name Caddo nov. gen. agilis n. sp., he described a peculiar Phalangid collected in woods near the seashore on Long Island. Figures representing the peculiar features of the insect were exhibited. Dr. Marx gave some remarks on the geographical distribution of spiders, and stated that the Drassidae, formerly supposed to be boreal in habitat, were now found to occur in the tropics in abundance, and that in fact we have not a single family that is entirely northern in range. In the Attidse, however, certain genera may prove to be altogether boreal, but the family is not well worked up. C. L. MARLATT, Recording Sccrclarv. ENTOMOLOGICAL NKWS for December was maili'd December 2, 1891. ENT. NEWS. Vol. III. PI. I. CICINDELA. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION, ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. VOL. in. FEBRUARY, 1892. No. 2. CONTENTS: Horn — Variations of Color-markings in Coleoptera 25 Fox — Hymenopterological Notes 29 Smith — Elementary Entomology 35 Insects collected at Jamesburg, N. J., July 4, 1891 36 Dyar— Collecting Butterflies in the Yo- ; Notes and News 38 Semite Valley 30 Hart — On the species of O^canthus 33 Entomological Literature 42 Doings of Societies 47 Variations of Color-markings in Coleoptera. By GEO. H. HORN, M.D. Recently the subject of variation in coloration has been dis- cussed before the Society of American Naturalists with the view of eliciting an expression of opinion as to whether color variation proceeded in a regular course, or was hap-hazard and accidental. My observations have been that variation proceeds in regular lines, easily demonstrable with sufficient material, produced by external influences which are at present but partly understood. There is probably no branch of zoology better fitted to illus- trate this point than Entomology, from the abundance of species and the frequent occurrence of genera with large numlxTs of species in which a greater or less similarity of marking is ob>< r vable. As a beginning, in the illustration of this subject, it is brst to select a genus well known to all collectors by the numbers of spe- cies possible in most- collections. Cicmdela has therefore bcni chosen. Any one in glancing over his series will perceive that there is a great similarity of marking between many species. This simi- 26 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, larity, which may be considered as the type of marking and illus- trated by fig. i of the plate, representing vnlgaris is the under- lying pattern from which all the forms observed in our Cicindelae have been derived. Before going further it is well to present the following propo- sitions that the argument and the illustrations may be understood. i. — The type of marking is the same in all our species. 2. — Assuming a well marked species as a central type the markings vary, «, by a progressive spreading of the white. b, by a gradual thinning or absorption of the white. c, by a fragmentation of the markings. d, by linear supplementary extension. 3. — Many species are practically invariable. These fall in two series. a, those of the normal type, as vulgaris, hirticoUis and tenui- signata. b, those in which some modification of the type has become permanent, probably through isolation, as marginipennis, togala and lemniscata. 4. — Those species which vary do so in one direction only. That is, supposing a species begins typically with markings similar to vulgaris, the variation may be either in the direction of thickening and increase of white as in hyperborea, generosa and others, or in the direction of thinning or fragmentation of the white with perhaps an entire loss of markings as in h<zmor- rhagica, splendida, or obsoleta. The first two propositions must be considered as applying to the species of the genus collectively, the last two to the species separately. The accompanying plate has been prepared to illustrate these propositions. It must, however, be understood that, in tracing the derivations from the typical, it is not possible to use one spe- cies as these modifications go on gradually through a number of species, one sometimes beginning where another ends. In the plate fig. i represents vulgaris, which is a fairly typical species, following through generosa (2-3), pamphila (4), hyper- borea var. (5), togata (6), gratiosa (7), canosa (8), we finally arrive at a perfectly white elytron as seen in some varieties of dorsalis. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 27 Following in the other direction through tenuisignata (9), marginipennis (10), Hentzii (n), sexguttata (12), heemorrJiagica (13), and splendida van (14), it will be observed that through a gradual thinning or absorption of the markings, or by their fragmentation and obliteration we arrive at the opposite result of elytra without any white markings whatever, as in many forms of obsoleta, scutellaris, pimdulata and hczmorrhagica. Those species which vary from the type in having the markings broken into spots, as iz-guttata or Hentzii, may lose the spots by a gradual decrease of size, so that they all seem to disappear nearly at the same time, or the spots may disappear successively, those on the disc being the first to go, while the marginal spots remain. From our series it would be difficult to say which spot is the most persistent, but it is probably the apical lunule, as there are more with entirely dark elytra with slight traces of this spot than with any other, as shown in abdominalis z\\& punctulata. Forms like lemniscata (16) seem very far removed from the type, but many forms of imperfecia (15) show how the markings gradually leave the margin and tend by fusion to form a vitta at first somewhat oblique, but finally becoming nearly median. The last two figures on the plate represent the markings of Gabbii (17) and Saulcyi (18), in which the ends of the bands or lunules are greatly prolonged. The latter form, which represents dorsalis as well, is but rarely seen so perfectly marked, the ten- dency being toward a greater extension of the white. The other species is scarcely variable, although equally a coast form. Those species which retain a permanent divergence from the normal standard, such as togata (6) or lemniscata (16), are doubt- less descendants from a normal type which has varied, and in which a variety has become isolated and perpetuated itself. One result of an examination of my species with ideas here explained has been the discovery that C. lunalonga Schaupp is merely a variety of pusilla with markings a little better defined. Specimens before me establish the lead very distinctly. In view of all the facts here presented the question mi-lit be asked, why do some species vary while others do not ? \Yhilc this matter is worthy of some thought, it is not pos>il>K' to ^ive a satisfactory answer. Some species doubtless vary from climatic causes. A notable instance will be seen in hui/ion-lhi^ica, which 28 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, extends from San Diego and Yuma in California northward to the head-waters of the Yellowstone, passing through about all possible varieties of climate and habitat, from sea-coast to 'moun- tain. On the other hand hirticollis occurs from Hudson's Bay to Arizona without variation, and the specimens of lepida from the New Jersey shore are not separable from those found in Ne- braska. It seems hardly possible to make any generalizations on the subject. Doubtless the coast species vary to a greater extent taking them collectively than do the inland species, but it is impossible to go further in speculation as too many exceptions arise on all sides. The subject of variation might be considered at much greater length with profit and more fully illustrated, but the desire to bring the article within NEWS limits has caused me to be brief. The figures have been drawn to illustrate markings only, and no regard has been had to the form of the elytra, which varies considerably, and would introduce an element not pertinent at this time. Should the method of thought which gave rise to the preceding remarks produce in some others thoughts as to the possibilities of variation, not only in color, but almost equally in form and sculpture there would be less 'synonymy to be corrected and a more truly scientific basis established for species. EXPLANATION OF PLATE. i. — C. vulgaris 10. — C. marginipennis 2 . — C. generosa 1 1 . — C. Hentzii 3. — C. generosa 12. — C. sexguttata 4. — C. pamphila 13. — C. h&morrhagia 5. — C. limbata || 14. — C. splendida 6. — C. togata 15. — C. imperfecta 7. — C. gratiosa 1 6. — C. lemniscata 8. — C. canosa 17. — C. Gabbii 9. — C. tenuisignata 18. — C. Saulcyi A writer in Engineering says "that in sinking plumb lines down shafts the accuracy of the work is often seriously impaired by spiders attaching their webs to the lines and drawing them toward the walls, often with sufficient tension to introduce material errors in the position of the plumb bobs." 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 29 HYMENOPTEROLOGICAL NOTES.-III. By WM. J. Fox, Phila., Pa. (Continued from page n, vol. iii.) Galliopsis abdominalis Cress. A variety of this species occurs rather commonly in Gloucester County, N. J. It differs from typical abdominalis as follows : the thorax, with the exception of the tubercles and tegulae, is entirely black; the abdomen has the base of the first segment above and base of the second only, reddish fulvous, the apical margins of segments i — 5, broadly testaceous; the male has the abdomen reddish fulvous, the segments each with a black fascia. Numerous females and several males taken in Gloucester Co., N. J., from August i6th to September gth, 1891. Epeolus pusillus Cress. E. pusillus Cr., Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila. vol. ii, p. 398, 9. The male of this insect, which has hitherto been undescribed, differs from the female by its smaller size; the clypeus being cov- ered with pale pubescence; the eyes more strongly converging towards the mouth; the antennae, first three joints excepted, testaceous beneath; tip of the abdomen reddish; nervures and stigma testaceous; the antennae are shorter and stouter. Length 6 mm. A male and female of this species taken in Gloucester County, N. J., August 1 6th and September 5th. Epeolus compactus Cress. This species has only been recorded from Texas, Colorado, Nevada, California. I have a specimen taken in Camden County, N. J., during May. Melissodes fimbriata Cress. A male specimen of this insect was taken at Cape May, N. J., on June i4th. It has only been recorded from Texas. Zethus Slossonae n. sp. 9- — Black, a spot on each side of the clypeus, two transverse elongate spots behind the base of the antennae, a dot in the eye nnargination, |>»s- terior orbits, line on the collar, much narrowed and slightly interrupted medially, a large spot at the top of the mesopleunr, two small spots mi the scutelluni and postscntellum, two large ones on the posterior face <>f the metathorax, an irregular line on the apical margin of the petiole, which extends up a little way along the sides, line on anterior femora behind, and the middle tibiae, more or less, all yellow; the scape and fol- 30 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, lowing two antennal joints, the mandibles, except apex, the tegulae, the legs, except the posterior femora medially and the coxae, reddish brown; clypeus rounded laterally, with sparse, shallow, punctures, its anterior margin armed with three widely separated teeth, the middle tooth largest; just above the antennae there is a strong, transverse ridge; the antennae are situated just beneath each end of this ridge, and are therefore widely separated; front with very large, deep, in some places confluent punctures, the punctures becoming less strong on the vertex and are sparse and shallow on the cheeks. Thorax punctured as on the front, on the sides and beneath with silvery-sericeous pile; scutellum with an impressed line, the punctures sparse; postscutellum with the posterior margin produced into a strong angle; metathorax subopaque, with a medial impressed line, with a few oblique, widely separated striations towards the sides, the metapleurae with indistinct, shallow punctures; wings fuscous, with a vio- laceous reflection, which is especially strong on the apical portion, brown- ish along the costa, stigma yellowish, nervures black, second submarginal cell very narrow at the top, the third submarginal cell broader above than beneath; legs clothed with silvery pile. Abdomen clothed with sericeous pile, the petiole much swollen medially, and is contracted before the apex, a little broader than high, and with large, sparse, punctures above, the pedicle of the second segment takes up less than a quarter of the seg- ment, the base of the pedicle black; the remainder of the abdomen claret-brown, shining, smooth above, beneath with large, sparse punctures. <3\ — Differs from the female as follows: the clypeus is entirely yellow, the medial tooth not so large; the third antennal joint black, and is more than a third longer than the fourth, joints 10-12 reddish, the hook black; the eye emargination is narrower; the medial impressed line of the scu- tellum is stronger; the legs without any trace of yellow; the second sub- marginal cell is broader above than in the female. Length 9cT J6 mm. Three specimens, one female, two males. Collected by Mrs. Annie Trumbull Slosson, near Punta Gorda, So. Florida. It is most closely allied to Z. azteca S., from which it differs by the transverse ridge behind the antennae. It differs from Z. Poeyi S. , from Cuba, by the toothed clypeus and the shorter pedicle of the second abdominal segment. -o- Collecting Butterflies in the Yosemite Valley. By HARRISON G. DYAR. My wife and I spent four months of last year in the Yosemite Valley, Cal., to enjoy the grand scenery and the pure air of the Sierra Nevada and make collections of the Lepidoptera of that region, and it has occurred to me that some notes of our expe- riences might interest the readers of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 31 The valley, as may be seen from a map, is situated on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, and through it the north branch of the Merced River flows. The general course of the river is southwesterly at this point and it plunges over two falls called the Nevada and Vernal to a depth of about 3000 feet below the gen- eral level of the surrounding country and flows, with but slight descent, for a distance of five miles between nearly vertical walls which are, on an average, a mile apart. This canon is the Yose- mite Valley, and its level floor would be covered with fine trees and shrubs were it not for the work which is being done by those in charge of the valley, who, I am sorry to say, have already succeeded in spoiling the once picturesque beauty of Mirror Lake by means of a dam and Other improvements (?). Lepidoptera were abundant during the first part of our stay, more especially the butterflies; we found but few moths. Later in the season they became much less common, and it was more and more difficult to obtain larvae as nearly all the small plants died by reason of the dry season which set in soon after we ar- rived. We collected forty-nine species of butterflies, but not all were found on the floor of the valley. Papilio nitulns and P. eurymedon were common, but P. indra, which is a true mountain species, and occurred about the edge of the valley at an altitude of 7000 feet above the sea, was seldom seen there, although a few examples wandered down. Neophasia mcnapia was common towards the end of Summer flying slowly about the tops of the Pinus ponderosa, or alighting on flowers. Picris beckcrii and P. sisymbrii were found in considerable abundance on the summit of Cloud's Rest, a peak 10,000 feet high, overlooking the vall'-v. but I did not see them elsewhere. Several species of Antho- charis occurred, but not in the valley proper. A. lanceolate \\ as found on the talus at different altitudes, but they did not appear in the valley, and it is surprising how closely they confined them- selves to the rocks, as if aware that the marbled colors ot the lower surface of their wings were only fitted to harmonize with the gray granite of the broken rocks. The ubiquitous Colias eurytheme was to be seen all Summer, and I captured one male specimen of C. behrii\ to which I shall again refer, /lit /tin's archippns was not uncommon, and two eggs of this speeie.s were found on a wild gooseberry bush, where they had ITCH laid ap- parently by accident (there was no milkweed mar). The lar\\e 32 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, that hatched from them refused gooseberry, and would certainly have died had I not supplied them with their ancestral food. Of Argynnis, three species occurred, A. epithore in the Spring, followed by what is probably A. monticola, though there seemed to be two very closely allied forms, perhaps only varieties, in one of which the marginal spots on the lower side of hind wings were narrower than in the other and sometimes slightly touched with silver. Both these forms were taken in coitu and always with a mate of the same form. A. leto appeared still later, the first male being seen July loth, and first female July 2ist. Of the other species captured, I will notice only the most in- teresting. Lemonias virgulti was common in the Summer on flowers and sage brush bushes, more especially on the talus around the valley and above Vernal Fall. Thecla grunus occurred in swarms around the live oak trees {Quercus chrysolepis} first appearing about July ist and continu- ing all Summer. The full grown larvae were found in abundance on young shoots of this tree about the first of June. Pyrgus ericelorum was seen on only one day when we captured several examples feeding on the flowers of the Pussy's Paws (Spraguea umbellata), but saw none afterward, though we went to the same place the next day. About the middle of September, after nearly all my larvae had stopped feeding, we took a trip to the high Sierras to climb Mt. Lyell, a peak 13,000 feet high. We left Yosemite on hore-back with Mr. J. B. Lembert, as guide, who owned a small farm at Soda Springs, high in the mountains, near the head of the Tuo- lumne River before the place was included in the National Park. On September 2oth we made the ascent of the peak, and when about a quarter of the way up on a spur of the mountain over- looking the end of the glacier, a specimen of Colias bchrii was started up which I succeeded in capturing. No more were seen that day as the weather soon became threatening, and by the time we reached the top of the glacier, the clouds had begun to float in over the peaks. On another day, September 22d, we went to some mountain meadows, 10,000 feet high, where Mr. Lembert had formerly seen some of the " little green butterflies" (C behrii), but met with no success, and were obliged to return almost immediately in a dense snow storm. When we returned to the vnlley after a day's ride from Soda 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 33 Springs, I found that most of the larvae, which had not ceased feeding when I left and which I had tied out in bags on their food-plants, had been cut off and destroyed by a crazy Indian, called " Loco" by the children of the valley. This made a rather disastrous ending to an otherwise quite successful collecting season. -o- ON THE SPECIES OF OECANTHUS Sen. By CHAS. A. HART, Champaign, 111. Although the snowy, or tree cricket is commonly referred to .as (Ecanthus niveus, there are three or four species quite com- mon and widely distributed, one of which, CE. fascialus, is in this State (Illinois) more abundant than niveus. I have just had occasion to examine a large series of specimens in the collection of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History including all the species yet recorded from Illinois. After a fairly satisfactory assortment of the specimens with the aid of the characters indi- cated by Prof. Jerome McNeill in " Psyche," vol. vi, p. 6, I noted that the coloration of the antennae in each species had a perfectly dis- tinct and invariable pattern of its own in all specimens examined. This character is not affected by sex, and seems to be the most re- liable and ready means of separa- ting the species. Some of these changes of pattern were noticed by Dr. Fitch in his description of CEcanthus niveus (Third Report on Insects of N. Y. p. 95) as char- acterizing varieties of that spcri<-, but the specific identity of these forms seems now wll established. CE. bif>nnctiifns De G. has the apex of the- scape prolonged be- [EXPLANATION OF cur.J Basal joints of antenna; of O-.canthiis, under surface. (The difference in the su- tures is due to the changing appearance neath forming an acute blackish of the sutural membrane in different po- sitions of the antennae) i and z, fZ./oj- tooth. The lore \\ings are CO ciatHS ; 3, CE. bipunctatus ; 4, CE. niveus: 5, CE. angustipennis ; 6, CE. latipennis. jointly marked with a fuSGOUS spot near middle, and .1 lartM- basal spot. CE. fascia/us Fitch, presents an extraordinary range in depth 34 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, of color, without, however, any actual change of pattern. In the palest specimens, approaching niveus in color, the scape has on its under surface an inner black longitudinal line, straight, or with the basal end turned slightly outward. Exterior to this and near the apex of the joint is a black dot. The second joint has a similar pattern. The flagellum is luteous or olivaceous, never annulated with darker wings exteriorly as in angustipennis and niveus, though the sutures are often slightly paler. The legs vary correspondingly from pale greenish to black. As the color deepens, the outer dot in the antennae coalesces with the end of the line, forming Dr. Fitch's var. b. The lines also thicken, the dot enlarges, the black extends around the apex, and from the dot toward the base, until the antenna becomes entirely black. This species has strong hind tibial spines, the last joint of the maxillary palpus is clavate, and the fore wings in the male are wider than in angustipennis. In CE. angustipennis Fitch, the scape has on its under side a longitudinal black vitta, the basal end of which curves distinctly inward; the second joint has a black oval spot beneath. The flagellum is pale, the outer part annulated with brownish at the tips of alternate joints. This species is also known by the very narrow fore wings of the male and the weak spines of the hind tibia. Our palest species is niveus DeG. , which is almost colorless, but in all specimens seen possesses a nearly circular black spot on the under side of the first and second joints. The flagellum is pale, usually annulated as in anguslipennis. The tibial spurs are as \r\fasciatus, and the fore wings are moderately broad. Our largest species, CE. latipennis Riley, lacks any distinct markings on the first two joints. The flagellum is decidedly suffused with reddish brown basally, but the outer portion is not annulate with darker. The male has the fore wings slightly wider proportionally than in niveus. Pasciatus was very abundant this fall along the roadsides; niveus and ang^lstipennis were taken this Summer at sugar in the evenings; our specimens of latipennis are all from the southern part of the State. "I wish I was human," said the centipede. "It would ruin you," re- turned the cricket; "just think of having to buy shoes for yourself."- York Herald. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 35 ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY. LEPIDOPTERA-HETEROCERA (Moths). By Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, New Brunswick, N. J. All the Heterocera are commonly termed moths, and moths as distinguished from butterflies rarely have a distinctly clubbed an- tennae, and do not usually carry the wings upright, the upper surfaces opposed, when at rest. In some of our Geometridae the wings are sometimes carried butterfly fashion, but here there is no trace of a club to the antennae, and where the antennae might be called clavate, the posture of the wings is distinctly decum- bent. The term " heterocera" means variously horned, and, in- deed, all kinds of variation in antennal structure is found in the series, save that in American forms there is no distinctly clavate type represented. The terms expressive of antennal modifica- tions are best explained when the necessity for their use arises. Perhaps the most important character for the higher divisions is found in the venation, and under our present system a know- ledge of this is absolutely essential to a proper understanding of relationships, or to enable an insect to be referred to its proper family. Experience brings a certain knowledge of superficial appearances which serves to place most specimens,' but even ex- perienced lepidopterists have been not infrequently misled by trusting too much to such appearances. Wings can be prepared for the study of venation in various ways. On larger moths a deft operator can remove enough of the scales with a camel's-hair brush to enable him to make out the course of all veins readily. Smaller moths, where the wings are for temporary use only, can be soaked for a few minutes in carbolic acid, which will render all but the veins transparent. The wings may be afterward thrown away or mounted in balsam without further preparation. \Yhnv permanent specimens are desired the wings are first placed in alcohol a few moments to extract grease, then placed in a satu- rated solution of chloride of lime until all color disappears. They are then washed in clean water, dried, and are ready t<> mount on cards with gum, on slides with balsam, or in any other way fancy dictates. Where rapid bleaching is desired, a drop or two of hydrochloric acid to the chloride of lime solution will lil» rate chlorine gas and cause an almost instantaneous bleaching. will also cause an odor that will drive well disposed persons out 36 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, •of the room, and will further, unless watched carefully, eat into the membrane of the more delicate wings. My practice, when I want rapid results, is to get the wings into the lime solution, set the dish on the window-sill outside, drop in my acid, and close the window until chemical action ceases. The wings are then ready for study. It is by no means necessary to go through this process with every new form. When the general course of the veins is known a few scales removed on the underside, at the right spot, determines the matter. Where a wing is mounted in balsam after bleaching, great care must be exercised lest weak veins be rendered so transparent that they are overlooked, and folds must not be mistaken for veins. A fold is often much more •distinct than a vein, but looks solid, with irregular edges, while a true vein has clean cut edges and is a tube. For forty years even the best European students had mistaken a fold for a vein in some Zygcznidce until I pointed out the error, and on the other hand I was caught napping and failed to see a true vein in Cera- thosia because made too transparent in balsam. If I have been somewhat diffuse on the subject of preparing wings for study, it is only because in venation we have the key to the present classification, and without it determination of family is guess work, more or less correct according to the expe- rience of the guesser. In a normal heterogeneous wing the primaries have 12, rarely 13, the secondaries 8 veins. On the secondaries the number may t>e increased to twelve or reduced to four, and it is in the secon- daries that we find some of our most useful characters. In the next paper the usual type of venation will be figured and described. o Some of the Insects collected at Jamesburg, N. J., July 4, 1891. HYMENOPTERA. By W. J. Fox. (The rarer species.) Elis 4-notata Trypoxylon tridentatum Pompilus fuscipennis Odynerus birenimaculatus Pompilus virginicus 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. DIPTERA. By C. W. JOHNSON. Pachyrrhina incurva Argyramaeba analis Tipula fasciata Geron macropterus Chrysops vittatus Psilocephala albifrons univittatus pictipennis callidus Psilopus scobinator niger " patibulatus fallax Syrphus americana flavidus Sphaerophoria cylindrica obsoletus Eristalis dimidiata Therioplectes trispilus Mesograpta geminata Leptogaster favillaceus Platychirus hypoboreus Stichopogon trifasciata Xylota anthereas Dasyllis tergissa Rivellia conjuncta flavicollis Tephronota humilis Erax furax Colobata antennipennis Proctacanthus rufus Lauxania obscura Bombylius atriceps Trypeta bella sp. Sapromyza compedita Anthrax lateralis COLEOPTERA. By PHILIP LAURENT. (Those species marked f were quite common.) Cicindela punctulataf Podabrus rugulosusf Gyrinus lugens ? f Telephorus scitulusf Dineutes vittatusf Collops 4-maculata Coccinella g-notataf Onthophagus hecatef Scymnus terminatus Serica trociformis Melanotus cribulosus ? Anomala lucicolaf Limonius basillaris oblivia Agrilus ruricollis Strigoderma pygmaea Brachys aerosa Chlamys polycocca Lucidota atra ? f Cryptocephalus venustusf Pyropyga nigricans f congestus decipiens Pachybrachys binotatus Photuris pennsylvanica atomarius Chauliognathus marginatusf Chrysochus auratusf 38 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, Paria 4-notata Cistela sericea " aterrima Mordella scutellarisf Graphops pubescens Macrobasis unicolorf Colaspis flavida Eugnamptus angustatusf costipennis (rare) Pterocolus ovatus Diabrotica i2-punctataf Lsemosaccus plagiatus Haltica foliacea ? Centrinus scutellum-album Dibolia aerea Eurymycter fasciatus (rare) Odontota dorsalis Notes and. ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS OF THE GLOBE. [The Conductors of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS solicit, and will thankfully receive items of news, likely to interest its readers, from any source. The author's name will be given in each case for the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] To Contributors.— All contributions will be considered and passed upon at our earliest convenience, and as far as may be, will be published according to date of recep- tion. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS has reached a circulation, both in numbers and circumfer- ence, as to make it necessary to put " copy'1 into the hands of the printer, for each number, three weeks before date of issue. This should be remembered in sending special or im- portant matter for certain issue. Owing to low subscription rate, " extras" will be charged for, and when they are wanted, it should be so stated on the MS. along with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged. — ED. ON a Continental forty-five dollar bill, issued on the i4th of January, J779) is represented an apiary in which two beehives are visible, and bees .are seen swarming about. The motto is " Sic floret Respublica — thus flourishes the Republic." It conveys the simple lesson that by industry and frugality the Republic would prosper. — Harpers Monthly. Dr. GEO. D. HULST has donated his collection of Lepidoptera to Rut- gers College. He will retain for the present the families in which he is working, but everything else goes to the college. The collection is one of the richest in Catoca/a, and contains a very large number of types in the Geometridae and Pyralidina. There are nearly 2500 named species and much undetermined material, some yet undescribed. — J. B. SMITH. FOOD-PLANTS OF LIMACODID^;. — So far as I have observed, the larvae of moths of this family feed on the leaves of nearly all, if not all, decidu- ous trees and shrubs, and readily change from one food-plant to another. This is in accord with the observations of Dr. Kunze (ENT. NEWS, vol. ii, p. 208) on Parasa chloris, as it will be noticed that all the plants mentioned are deciduous trees, except the Bayberry (Myrica ccrifera), which is a shrub. — HARRISON G. DYAR. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 39 "I HAVE never looked at this lovely thing (Papilio marchandii} with its delicate form and brilliant hue, without my thoughts reverting to the long past builders of the temples and altars of Palenque and Copan; the butterfly flitted through the tropical groves in their day, as now, but the inhabitants of the old dead cities have passed away, their names, their history unknown! Birds, reptiles and insects now alone tenant the forest where once stood the populous cities, the kings and priests of which, with their slaves, sycophants, long ages ago have gone to rest; naught remains of their past greatness but the moss-coated and time-worn ruins of altar and idol, and the frail, golden butterfly hovers, suspended in mid-air, over the monster face of some fallen dagon, which far back beyond even ' the night of time,' received its meed of human sacrifice; in imagination, we can see the temples restored, the long train of devotees, all the para- phernalia of pagan worship, we can hear the sound of music, the shrieks of the agonized prisoner about to be offered as a propitiation to some monstrous conception of barbaric superstition; but all now is hushed; priest, cacique and victim alike, are gone, fallen are the idols, giant trees grasp with their roots the ruins of the temples, and creeping vines and gorgeous flowers mingle with the sculpture of the marvelous shrines; scarce a sound is heard save the rustling of some snake gliding stealthily to its hole, or shimmering lizard running over leaf or twig." (Lepidoptera, Rhopaloceres and Heteroceres, H. STRECKER.) LIST OF DRAGONFLIES taken at Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester, Mass., during the seasons of '89 and '90. 1. Calopteryx czquabilis Say 21. Cordulegaster macnlatus Sdys 2. Argia putrida Hag. 22. Macrouiia illinocnsis Walsh 3. Isch ultra vcrticalis Say 23. Cordnlia seiniaqnca Hurm. 4. Enallagma Hageni Walsh 24. princeps Hag. 5. civile Hag. 25. cynosura Say 6. " signatnm Hag. 26. Libcllula e.viista Say 7. Nehalennia irene Hag. 27. quadrimaculata L. 8. Lestes hamata (Hag. 1862) 28. pitlchclla Dru. 9. " rectangularis Say 29. quadruplet Say 10. " vigilax Hag. 30. inccsta \ lag. 11. " nngniculata Hag. 31. Celithcmis cponina Dru. 12. " .forcipata Ramb. 32. clisa Hag. 13. Anax junius Dru. 33. Platheinis irimaculata De Geer 14. sEschna Janata .Say 34. Mesothemis simplicicollis Say 15. " coHstricta Say 35. longipcnnis Uurm. 16. " verticalis Hag. 36. LeucorhiniaproximaCaAv. 17. " herosYsb. 37. Dipla.v costifcra \ 'liler 18. Neuraschna vinosa Say 38. rubicundiila Say 19. Complins e.vilis Selys 39. scinicincia Say 20. " spinosus Selys 40. Perithemis domitia Dm. They were identified by Miss Wadsworth, of Hallowell. E. F. HITCH INGS, Bucksport, M<-. 40 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February,. THE most beautiful as well as pleasing emblem among the Egyptians was exhibited under the character of Psyche — the Soul. This was origi- nally no other than a butterfly, but it afterwards was represented as a lovely female child with the beautiful wings of that insect. The butterfly, after its first and second stages as an egg and larva, lies for a season in a manner dead, and is enclosed in a sort of coffin. In this state it remains a shorter or longer period; but at last bursting its bonds, it comes out with new life, and in the most beautiful attire. The Egyptians thought this a very proper picture of the soul of man, and of the immortality to which it aspired. But they made it more particularly an emblem of Osiris, who having been confined in an oak or coffin, and in a state of death, at last quitted his prison and enjoyed a renewal of life. This symbol passed over to the Greeks and Romans, who also considered the butterfly as the symbol of Zephyr. — Cowan, Curious Facts. WINTER INSECTS. — On a Winter day,, when the sere landscape is enli- vened by an unclouded sun, let his genial rays tempt the reader to a stroll in the Pennsylvania woods. He may be cheered by no bird song; no plants except a few evergreen leaves may brighten his path, but insect life will be there to welcome him. Those merriest of dancers, the gnats, come forth from the moist earth at the call of the sun. Mosquito-like, they have passed their immature life in the water, and the cases of the little wrigglers are ready to burst open and liberate the winged insects whenever the sun peeps forth from the clouds. This may occur on a sunny day, even when the temperature of the air is far below the freezing point. Arctic explorers tell us that as far North as they have gone, away up in the icy fields of Greenland, even where there is no vegetation, these gnats, or species so closely resembling them that only naturalists can detect the difference, are found dancing on wing in the sunlight or clinging to the sides of boats and sledges. As we continue our walk through the Winter woods we turn over a log and find crawling about beneath it small, black beetles, a few tough- skinned, hard-headed grubs, and now and then a spider. If the sun shines brightly, even though snow may lie deep on the ground, wasps will be tempted forth from crevices of bark in which they have lain dormant with the cold, and after becoming thoroughly warmed they will take wing through the woods. A butterfly known as the Mourning Cloak, richly dressed in brown and blue velvet, bordered with gold, comes forth from its snug retreat when the Winter sun is bright and wings his way through the woods as gayly as he would in mid-summer. His hiding-place has been in the wind-cracks of an old chestnut tree or a bunch of clinging leaves. He may be seen flitting about even when the snow lies several inches deep. Far off in the Rocky Mountains and among the Alps of Switzerland butterflies of various, species may often be seen flying over the snow and glacier ice. If we displace the rustling leaves that cover the ground in the woods- 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 4! we notice now and then a large black beetle running quickly from under our feet. If snow is on the ground we shall not see him, but in its ab- sence we shall find him even on the coldest day. He evidently knows where to hide himself when the unwelcome snow and ice appear. This torpor of insects is a very different condition from the hibernation of warm-blooded animals, such as the bear and the marmot. In the latter a slow and feeble circulation and respiration are kept up, and the creature lives on the fat that had been stored up in its body before the Winter sleep came on. Different insects are affected by cold in very different degrees. Many, like the common house-fly, become torpid before the temperature falls to the freezing point. Long before frost comes they succumb to the mod- erate cold of autumn. There is no doubt that severely cold Winters are attended with great loss of insect life, which in a milder season would have survived. — S. F. A. in Philadelphia Times. Identification of Insects (Jmagos) for Subscribers. Specimens will be named under the following conditions: ist, The number of speci- mens to be unlimited for each sending; 2d, The sender to pay all expenses of transporta- tion and the insects to become the property of the American Entomological Society ; 3d, Each specimen must have a number attached so that the identification may be an- nounced accordingly. Exotic species named only by special arrangement with the Editor, who should be consulted before specimens are sent. Send a 2 cent stamp with all insects for return of names. Address all packages to ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, Academy Natura Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa. Insects have been named for W. W. Newcomb, Henry C. Denslow, Geo. Miller, D. S. Harris, W. M. Hill, J. H. Talmage, J. H. Bomberger. ON SENDING INSECTS BY MAIL OR EXPRESS. We receive so many insects in a broken condition, especially those sent to the NEWS for determination, that we think a few words on packing and transportation will be appropriate. We also think we should receive some reward for our trouble in naming and not be compelled to drop the speci- mens in the waste basket. Never send pinned or spread specimens by mail in a single box without an outer cover. Have the box which is to contain your specimens as light in weight as is consistent with strength; a good plan is to glue little square uprights in each corner of the box and it will then stand much pressure. Have the bottom of the box lined with quarter inch cork and drive the pins well in; should one heavy specimen loos< n it will ruin all the rest. I lave the si/e of box proportionate to the number of your specimens, and pin them in as closely as you can without injury. This box should then be placed in a larger one and the spare brtween the two filled with some springy material such as hay, cotton, e\celsi«>r packing, etc., loosely packed in. Don't use an outer box without having sufficient space between it and the inner, as it is a waste of time and nn >ne\- 42 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, as it will be useless. Don't pack the springy material so tightly between the two that it is useless as a preventive of jarring. Don't have them come in contact on one side or on the bottom. If the specimens are many and the box large, send by express. Small packages may be sent in comparative safety by packing the box containing your specimens in a large amount of excelsior cotton, etc., loosely around the box and then making into a bundle by enclosing the whole with hardware paper or other strong and heavy paper; in this way the postage on the heavy outer box is saved. It is a good plan to always put a nice layer of raw cotton over the cork, but never put this over the top of the specimens. When send- ing Coleoptera with heavy bodies, or moths, always secure the body by a wisp of cotton, which should be put on as follows: Take a wisp the re- quired length and tease it out about one-half inch in width; run the pin through on end and give it a couple turns around the pin so that it holds tightly and lies close to the place where the pin issues from the thorax, then bring it around the end of the abdomen and then fasten to the pin above by a couple of turns. If the bodies are very large, as in the Sphinges, a pin should be placed on either side to prevent them swinging around on the pin. Always remember if one becomes loose it ruins many, and that "one fine, faultless specimen is worth no end of trash." Neuroptera Odonata should always have a bristle passed through the ab- domen into the thorax when fresh, otherwise they are almost always broken oft in transportation. Always put your name and full address on the box. Entomological Literature. HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE GOSSIP (London), December, 1891. — An intro- duction to the study of British Diptera, E. Brunetti, figs. European but- terflies, R. B. P. ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY (London), December, 1891. — On the structure of the ocelli of Lithobius, V. Willem. MONOGRAPH OF ORIENTAL CICADID^E by W. L. Distant. Part iv, pp. 73-96, pis. 7-9.* London, Calcutta, Berlin, September, 1891. COMPTE RENDU. SOCIETE ENTOMOLOGIQUE DE BELGIQUE, Nov. 7, '91. — Causeries Odonatologiques, No. 5: Two new groups of Agrionina from Madagascar, Nesolestes and Nesocncuiis* E. deSelys Longchamps. Note on Amara convexior Steph. or confitnia Thorn., A. P. de Borre. CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, December, 1891. — List of writings of the late Henry Edwards, W. Beutenmiiller. [This list does not contain Mr. Edwards' paper " Inguromorpha Slossonii Hy. Edw.," published in ENT. NKVVS, vol. ii, pp. 71-72, April, 1891, and which was probably the last he ever wrote.] A catalogue of the Thysanoura of North America, A. * Contains new species other than North American. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 43 D. Macgillivray. The genus Packardia G. & R., H. G. Dyar. I tescrip- tions of some butterfly larvae from Yosemite— iv., id. ( >n Cutocn/n /// A///.V and C.fratercu/a, A. R. Grote. On some British Columbia Cok-<>ptrr,i, Rev. J. H. Keen. Notes. ENTOMOLOGISCHE NACHRICHTEN (Berlin), xvii, 23, December, 1891.— On the capture and preparation of Gallflies, E. H. Ruebsaamen. On a Syrphus developing on Cirsimn* C. Verhoeff. Rhizotrogits atcr and fiiscus, a reply to Dr. Kraatz, E. Brenske. No. 24, December. On Ger- man Psocidae, H. Tetens. MlTTHEILUNGEN DER SCHWEIZERISCHEN ENTOMOLOGISCHEN GESKLL- SCHAFT. viii, 8, Schaffhausen, December, 1891. — Some new Orthoptera,* A. Pictet and H. deSaussure; Phannacus n. gen.; two new species of Gryllacris are described from "America!" Description of some new Snout Beetles,* Dr. G. Stierlin. Description of an unpublished species of the genus Anaspis Geoffroy,* M. Guillebeau. Coleoptera Helvetia?, pp. 225-256, Dr. G. Stierlin. THE ENTOMOLOGIST (London), November, 1891. — Tortrix done/ana Carpenter, R. South. The Diamond-back moth (Plntella crucifenini»i\, ]. Arkle. Captures at the electric light, R. Adkin. Notes on the syn- onymy of noctuid moths, A. G. Butler (includes some N. American spe- cies). Coleoptera collected by Mr. Pratt on the upper Yang-tsze-kiang, and on the borders of Tibet, 2d notice,* H. W. Bates.— December, 1891. Early stages of Argyrolepia maritimana Guen., G. Elisha, i pi. Insect pigments, T. D. A. Cockerell. Rearing Limenitis sibyl/a and Pararge egeria, }. H. Fowler. Cure for the ravages of the larvae of Ncniatus ribesii and Abraxas grossiilanata, }. N. Still. Reunion between the same moths, R. Adkin. — January, 1892. Mr. Butler's notes on synonymy of North American Noctuidae, J. B. Smith. Local British lists, notes and captures. THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE (London), November, '91. —Entomological notes from Port Darwin, J. J. Walker. Note on three Australian Carabidae,* H. W. Bates; Eitrylychntis n. g. Sexual charac- ters in the palpi of Mordellistena abdonrinalis F., G. C. Champion. N< >u s on the British species of Haltica, }. Edwards. Further remarks on the genus Eugaster Serville,* W. F. Kirby. Life-history of //r/>.v//V/V.v > n- berata, N. M. Richardson. Addition to the list of British Ik-mipUTa, V.. Saunders. An earlier name for Tiuagina bctitlu-, II. T. Stainton. Mi- cropteryx caledoniella: another new species, probablyfrom birch, ':: A. !•'. Griffith. Notes on Enpcecilia sodaliana Haw. (auiandana II. S. i, with description of the larva, W. G. Sheldon. Some new, etc., Lepitloptera from Chili, \V. Bartlett-Calvert.— December, 1891. Life-history of Pin- fella aiunt latclla Curt., N. M. Richardson. A new genus of HisU-i i.la-, G. Lewis; Epiechinns. An Asiatic /'.vnV/u/A/.v i /'.v. Innnana n. sji.i. I\. McLachlan. A new species of Alenrodes* J. \\'. I )nugl.is, ti-s. * Contains new species other than North American. 44 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, tated list of British Tachinidae, R. H. Meade. Change of habit induced by local conditions, R. McLachlan. — January, 1892. Stylopized bees, R. C. L. Perkins. Neuroptera observed in the Channel Islands in Septem- ber, 1891, R. McLachlan. Two new British Hemiptera, E. Saunders. On a toad killed by the larvae of blow-flies, L. G. Guthrie. Observations on Coccidse, A. C. F. Morgan. Double-broodedness: whether influenced by the state of the food-plant?, F. Merrifield. Local British lists, notes and captures. ANALES DE LA SOCIEDAD CIENTIFICA ARGENTINA, xxxii, 5, Buenos Aires, November, 1891. — New Hymenoptera of the Argentine and Uru- guayan faunas,* Dr. C. Berg (continued); Procleticus, Lobepomis n. gen. Argentine Dipterology (Syrphidse),* F. L. Arribalzaga (continued). LEPIDOPTERA INDICA by F. Moore. Part viii, London, 1891, pp. 153- 176, pis. 57-64. ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEiGEK (Leipzig), Dec. 14, 1891. — Remarkable de- velopment of Lucilia sylvanim Meig., G. Duncker. — December 28th. The reproduction of Peripatus Lcuckartii Sanger, A. Dendy. On the embryology of insects, N. Cholodkovsky. Observations on the successive coloring, etc., of the pupal wing cases of Vanessa urticez and lo, Dr. F. Urech. DIE TAGFALTER-RHUPALOCERA, von Georg Semper (Reisen im Ar- chipel der Philippinen von Dr. C. Semper. Zweiter Theil. Wissenschaft- liche Resultate, v, 6) Wiesbaden, 1891,* pp. 239-270, pis. 39-46. MONOGRAPH OF THE BRITISH CICAD/E OR TETTIGID.E, G. B. Buckton. Part vii,* London and New York, Macmillan & Co., July, 1891. Vol. ii, pp. 97-128, pis. 59-68. DIE SPINNEN AMERIKAS— BRASILIANISCHE SPINNEN von Graf. E. Keyserling nach dessen Tode herausgegeben von Dr. George Marx. Dritter Band. Niirnberg, 1891. Verlag von Bauer & Raspe (Emil Kuester), 278 pp., 10 pis. Ten new genera and many new species are described in this volume which treats of the Territelariae. LEHRBUCH DER VERGLEICHENDEN ENTWICKLUNGSGESCHICHTE DER WIRBELLOSEN THIERE von Dr. E. Korschelt und Dr. K. Heider. Spe- cieller Theil. Zweites Heft. Mit 315 Abbildungen im text, Jena. Verlag von Gustav Fischer, 1891, pp. 309-908. This textbook of Comparative Development-histories of Invertebrate Animals has been very favorably reviewed by Prof. E. Ray Lankester (" Nature," Dec. 17, 1891), who states that an English translation is in preparation. This second number of the special part treats of the Crustacea, Pakeostraca, Arachnoidea, Penta- stomida, Pantopoda, Onychophora, Myriopoda and Insecta, and concludes with general statements on the Arthropoda. The Insecta occupy pp. 761-890. To each of the above eight groups a chapter is devoted in which * Contains new species other than North American. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 45 the respective subgroups are discussed as regards their i, Embryonal development; 2, Metamorphoses; 3, Parthenogenesis, Paedogenesis and Heterogony; and 4, Summary of the group. ATTI DELLA SOCIETA TOSCANA Di SciENZE NATURALI, vii. Processi verbal!. 10 May, 1891. List of the Cicindelidae and Carabidce collected near Livorno by Sign. N. Stoecklin and Dr. C. Lopez, C. Lopez. Con- tribution to the study of the digestive tube of Arthropoda — Histologiral and physiological researches on the digestive tube of Orthoptera, O. Visart. OREGON AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, Bulletin No. 14, En- tomology, F. L. Washburn, Corvallis, Or., 1891. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 1891, Part III, Oct. i, 1891. — On the Lycaenidse of the Solomon Islands,* H. H. Druce, 2 pis. On an interesting example of protective mimicry dismv- ered by Mr. W. L. Sclater in British Guiana, E. B. Poulton, i pi. HIOLOGIA CENTRALI-AMERICANA. Part xcvii, November, 1891. — Co- leoptera: vol. iv, pt. 2, pp. 345-360, G. C. Champion, pis. xiv, xv; pt. 3, pp. 137-168,1 D. Sharp; vol. vi, pt. i, supplement, pp. 273-280^ M. C. Jacoby. Hymenoptera: vol. ii, pp. 153-176, P. Cameron, pi. x. Lepid- optera-Heterocera: vol. ii, pp. 9-24, H. Druce. SOCIETE LINNEENNE ou NORD DE LA FRANCE (Amiens), 231, Septem- ber, 1891. — Entomological notes [Hymenoptera], L. Carpentier. ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD (London), ii, 12, Dec. 15, 1891. — Contains usual numerous notes on variations and captures of British insects. BUTTERFLIES OF NORTH AMERICA, W. H. Edwards, 3d series, part xii, 1891. — Contains Papilio americus, zolicaon, Chionobas U/ileri, vamna. ANNALES DE LA SOCIETE ENTOMOLOGIQUE DE FRANCE (6), x, u- Tri- mestre, Aug. 8, 1890. — Descriptions of new or little-known Microkpidop- tera,* A. Constant, i pi. Lepidoptera from the voyage of M. Ch. Allaud to Assinie, West Africa, in 1886,* P. Mabille, 2 pis. Descriptions of four new Lepidoptera,* id., Parnia n. gen. Formicida; from the voyage of M. E.Simon to Venezuela, 1 887-88,* C. Emery. On Arachnids from Temen, i E. Simon. Arachnids from the expedition of Comte S. Teleki in eastern equatorial Africa in 1887-88,* id. Arachnids from the Marian Isk-s from M. A. Marche,*f id. Bulletin of Proceedings. — 2e Trimestre, Nov. 26, 1890. Orthoptera from the voyage of M. E. Simon to \Vmvnela, *t '• Bolivar, figs. Hemiptera-Homoptera from the same,* L. Lethirm. Contributions to the Indo-Chinese fauna (ColeopU-ra),*t J. Bourgeois. Description of the larva of Jtntomoscelis adonidis. Pall, and tin- nymph of Quedius tristis Grav., P. Lesne, figs. Malachida? of Europe and neighboring countries, E. Abeille de Perrin, 4 pis. (continued in the next * Contains new species other than North American. t Contains new 46 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, two Trimestres). New or little-known Diptera, J. M. F. Bigot (Doli- chopodi)*f. Bulletin*-)-: Olfactiou in Lepidoptera, S. Alpheraky and in 36 Trimestre. — 36 Trimestre, Feb. 25, 1891. Pselaphidae from the voyage of M. E. Simon to Venezuela, *f A. Raffray. Essay on the classification of Pyralidae,* E. L. Ragonot (continued in 4e Trimestre), 5 pis. Bulletin*!. —46 Trimestre, June, 1891. Supplementary note on the Coleoptera of Obock,* L. Fairmaire. Chrysomelidse from the voyage of M. Ch. Allaud to Assinie,* E. Allard. Bulletin.*! THE LIFE-HISTORY OF SPALGIS S-SIGNATA HOLL. by W. J. Holland (" Psyche," January, 1892, pp. 201-203, i pi. ATTI BELLA SOCIETA VfiNETO-TRENTINA DI SCIENZE NATURALI RESI- DENTE IN PADOVA, 1891. — Araneids of Lesina, G. Castelli. New species of Phytoptus* G. Canestrini. BULLETIN DE LA SOCIETE ZOOLOGIQUE DE FRANCE (Paris), xvi, 7, July, 1891. An error of sense in some insects of the family Dytiscidae, X. Raspail. IL NATURALISTASICILIANO (Palermo), ix, i, October, 1891. — On Sicilian Orthoptera, G. Riggio. NEW SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN INSECPS DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING LITERATURE. LEPIDOPTERA. Copteodes Candida Wright, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (2), iii, p. 34, S. W. Calif. New species of Geometridae, H. Druce, Biol. Centr. Amer. pt. xcvii. Ulophora, U. Groteii, N. Car., p. vii; Glyptocera (type consobrinella Z.) p. vii; Laodainia (type fcecella Z.), p. vii; Lcetilia (type coccidivora Comst.), p. viii, new genera of Phycitidae, Ragonot, Bull. Soc. Ent. France, 1890. New genera and species of Pyralidae, Ragonot, Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1890, pp. 435-546. COLEOPTERA. In Biologia Centrali-Americana, pt. xcvii (see ante), new species of Mordillistena and Rhipidophoridae are described by G. C. Champion, of Rhyncophora by Dr. D. Sharp, of Phytophaga by M. Jacoby. Chevrolati Grouvellei, Croissandeau Bull. Soc. Ent. France, 1890, p. clvi, Mex. Temnochilodes, T. Dugesi, Leveille, Bull. Socr. Ent. France, 1890, p. clxxxiii, Morelia, Mex. * Contains new species other than North American. t Contains new genera. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 47 HYMENOPTERA. New species of Crabronidae and Pompilidae, P. Cameron, Biol. Centr.- Amer. pt. xcvii. DIPTERA. New genera and species of Dolichopodi, Bigot, Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1890, pp. 261-296. Doings of Societies. THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 1891. — Under short notes Mr. Howard recorded the capturing on the window-sill of his residence, November i6th, an active female of J\ fa/it 'is (Stagnionnuttis} Carolina Burm., thus giving a record of occurrence later than that previ- ously recorded by Mr. Lugger, viz., November nth. Dr. Marx read a paper entitled " Life-history of Tholyphonus giganteus Lucas," in which, after dwelling on the importance of even fragmentary records of the history of little known or rare animals, he gave an account of his having kept in confinement the young of this arachnid for over a year. The specimen came from Florida to Prof. Riley, and was, when received, in its first stage and newly hatched. It fed readily on roaches and refused flies. A description was given of the first stage and also after the first skin had been cast, which did not occur for over a year. Discussed by Messrs. Mann, Marx, Test, Ashmead, Schwarz, Howard, Banks and Marlatt. Mr. Pergande presented a note on the " Peculiar Habits of Ammophila gryphus Smith." A very interesting description was given of the actions of a female of this insect about the site of a completed and closed bur- row, in which later examinations showed that she had deposited the full grown larva of Heterocampa (sub-albicans Grt.) inanteo Doub., having first deposited an egg about mid-way of the body of the host larva. A figure was exhibited showing the larva with the egg in situ together with the specimen itself and an example of the Ammophila. Discussed by Messrs. Fox, Ashmead, Schwar/ and Marlatt. Mr. Linell presented a note on the N. A. species of Valgus, in whirl], after a reference to the bibliography of the three N. A. species of the genus, a table for their separation was given. Discussed by Mr. Schwarz. Mr. Banks gave some notes on Prodidomits nifus Hent/, a spider which has not been seen since Hentz's time. His remarks comprised a refer- ence to the bibliography of the species, a statement of its relationship and characteristics together with a careful description based on immature specimens found in a drawer among loose papers last Summer. I >is- cussed by Messrs. Fox, Gill, Marx, Howard and others. 48 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, Mr. Chittenden presented by title a paper on " Food-habits of Chryso- melidse." Mr. Schwarz called attention to a statement by Dr. M. Busgen (in the latter's work on the honey-dew of Aphids) to the effect that the honey- dew is not secreted from the nectaries as hitherto supposed, but ejected from the anus. He also referred to an interesting work recently pub- lished by C. A. Piepers on migratory movements of butterflies on the island of Java, and gave a brief resume" of the author's explanation of these phenomena which are comparable to the nuptial flight observed in other insects. January 7, 1892. — Election of officers for 1892 resulted as follows : President, C. V. Riley; First Vice-President, C. L. Marlatt; Second Vice-President, Wm. H. Ashmead; Treasurer, E. A. Schwarz; Recording Secretary, Nathan Banks; Additional members of Executive Committee, Wm. H. Fox, Geo. Marx and B. E. Fernow. The retiring President, Dr. Marx, delivered his annual address on "An Introduction to a Monograph of the American Ticks (Ixodidae)." In an introductory chapter the author drew attention to the absence of mono- graphic works which would attract and facilitate the work of the begin- ners in Arachno ogical studies, and also the inherent difficulties in the obscurity of many of the classificatory characters. He pointed out the nature and extent of the work already done in the various groups of Arachnida and followed with a reference to the bibliography of the writings both foreign and American on the ticks of this country. A full chapter on the morphology of ticks followed, and also extended notes on the biology of these parasites in which personal observations were recounted, showing that ticks are not necessarily parasitic on warm- blooded animals, but may reach full growth, and in fact complete the cycle of their existence on a strictly vegetable diet, and also that ticks, after being gorged with blood, may revert to vegetable food. The address was discussed by various members. C. L. MARLATT, Recording Secretary. ERRATA. Vol. II, p. 102, line 17 from bottom for not read but. " " line 15 from bottom for at most read almost. ENTOMOLOGICAL NHWS for January was mailed December 31, 1891. ~ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION, ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. VOL. in. MARCH, 1892. No. 3. CONTENTS: Slosson — A Long-lived Basket Maker... 49 Johnson and Fox — List of Hemiptera Blaisdell— A new species of Coleoptera collected in Jamaica 59 from California 51 j Notes and News 60 Mason — Notes on Callimorpha 52 Entomological Literature 64 Smith— Elementary Entomology 53 Review 71 Harvey — An American species of Tem- pletonia 57 Plate II represents some butterflies and moths selected to test this method of illustration. The dark Hesperids in the centre row do not show up very well, as they needed a longer exposure than the remainder to bring out sufficient detail for proper iden- tification. Some of the species represented are from Greenland, and will be discussed in a paper to appear in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. The list of species is as follows : i, Dasychira gronlandica 9 ; 2, D. gron- landica £ ; 3, D. gronlandica £ var. (this species has never been in any of our American lists); 4, Colias heda var. pallida, nom. in litt. ; 5, Pamphila zabulon £ upper side; 6, same, under side; 7, Pamphila Aaroni £ ; 8, same, under side; 9, Argvnnis chariclea var. gronlandica; 10, same, underside; n, Neonympha. Mitchelli; 1 2, same, under side. o A LONG-LIVED BASKET MAKER. By ANNIE TRUMBULL SLOSSON, New York City. In the early part of February, 1890, at Punta Gorda, Fla., I found a half finished "basket" of Oikcticus Abbotii Grt. The larva was still at work, and I took him with his uncompleted log-cabin to my room at the hotel. There, in a glass tumbler 3 50 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, covered with a bit of mosquito netting- and supplied with food and building materials, he lived and throve during the rest of my stay there. His food-plant was oak, but I have found this species upon so many different trees, shrubs and herbs, that it may be considered omnivorous. He ate freely and worked busily at the construction of his home. He was not particular as to the sort of building material, using bits of dried leaves, small twigs or leaf petioles indiscriminately. When I left Punta Gorda I carried the larva and case with me, going to Ormond and other parts of Florida. Early in April I returned to New York. The larva was then full grown and its case apparently finished. I could procure no oak leaves at that early season, so tried various other things, house plants of different kinds, and the dried leaves found in boxes of pressed figs. Of all these the larva ate sparingly, but enough to keep him alive and well. About the middle of May I went to Franconia, N. H., and of course took my case bearer along. He had, some days before I left home, suspended his basket from the mosquito netting at top of tumbler and been perfectly quiescent since. The journey by train and carriage did not disturb him, nor did he show any sign of life for several weeks after arriving in the mountains, I thought him dead or trans- formed, but made no examination. Under these conditions I ceased to cater for him, and he was entirely without access to food for some weeks. One day in June I took off the netting which covered the glass and forget to replace it. When I returned an hour later and took up the piece of netting the basket had dis- appeared. Every one in the house was questioned, but no in- formation obtained, and I finally gave my Oikcticus up as lost. That evening my eye was suddenly caught by a dark spot on the white window curtain and there was my basket fastened neatly by a strong silken cord, and hanging quietly. From that time the life of Oiketiais was a series of surprises, and the unexpected was always happening. For weeks he would remain utterly motionless within his hanging case, then he would crawl down to some dried leaves at bottom of the glass, bite off, one after another, large semi-circular pieces and fasten them irregularly to his basket Only at long intervals did he ever eat a particle as far as I could see, though constantly supplied with fresh food. In this \\ay he spent the whole Summer. He traveled with me from place to place, was on the summit of Mt. Washington for 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 51 several days, went to the Thousand Islands and Montreal and returned to New York in October. In the latter part of January I went again to Florida, and Oi- keticus accompanied me. He had shown no sign of life for nearly a month, and even the return to his native place did not at first revive him. But in a few days I saw him crawling about, and occasionally nibbling at a piece of dry leaf. Fresh food he scarcely ever tasted. Again I returned North, and again my larva came with me; after this he refused all food, but crawled about his glass prison, and from time to time added a bit of deco- ration to his house. Then he became quite motionless, and thus remained, hanging from the netting for some six weeks. In that state I carried him once more to Franconia. On a cold morning in early May, among the northern hills, his lagging, prolonged, creeping existence terminated, and he flew out a fine winged imago, nearly fifteen months from the day I first found him in southern Florida. -o- A NEW SPECIES OF COLEOPTERA FROM CALIFORNIA. By F. E. BLAISDELL, M.D., Coronado, Cal. Scyniuus lophanthae n. sp. — Oval, slightly elongate, punctulate, pubes- cent. Head, pronotum, and entire under surface rufo-testaceous. Mouth parts piceous. Pronotum with a faint discal cloud occupying central por- tion, reaching quite to apical border; sides parallel in posterior half, ar- cuate anteriorly with apical angles slightly rounded. Elytra black, with a strong metallic lustre; pubescence dual, consisting of blackish, erect and recumbent flavo-cinereous hairs. Abdomen rather thickly set with semi- recumbent hairs. Female. — Under parts testaceous. Length 2.2 mm.; width 1.7 mm. Hab. — San Diego. There is considerable variation in the dis- tinctness of the pronotal cloud, it may be absent or very decided. In many specimens examined the sternal and central abdominal areas were quite dark; as a rule the color is lighter in tin- female. My attention was first attracted to this very interesting species by Wm. Vortriede, gardener in charge of the parks at Con>nad<>. He had observed them feeding upon the San Jose Scale (.-/.</>/<//- otus perniciosus) infesting the Acacia lophctnthct. Subsequent observation fully confirmed his statements. The scale was ex- ceedingly abundant, as was also the beetle in all stages of de- velopment. 52 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, NOTES ON CALLIMORPHA. By J. T. MASON, Houston, Texas. During the past season I learned something new, to me, about Callimorphia LeContei* which may be of interest to some of your readers, and if it is not out of place here, I would like to suggest that if collectors would give their various experiences in the field in non technical language, so that we unscientific readers can understand and profit by it, it would prove both interesting and instructive. I was anxious to get as many varieties of Le- Contei this season as possible for my own collection. I have over seventy, no two exactly alike, and I knew of a place in the suburbs of this city, not more than four acres in extent, where I had last year caught a large number, but all of the lemon variety. I was anxious to find the white, and a friend told me that the white came out first, and that I had missed the first brood last year; I had made a note of the date, and I commenced watching the place three weeks before the time I had set for their appear- ance; they showed up on time, but were all lemon as before. I caught what I wanted and then went to see my friend; he told me that he had caught his white ones at the Crosstimbers, some six or seven miles from town. The following day I drove down to the place and made a thorough search, but failed to find a single specimen. Towards evening I turned homeward, discour- aged. In crossing the prairie the road passes through a few scattered pines, and while driving through them I saw one cross the road, a pure white one; I caught it and searched around there, but found no more. I had not driven over two hundred yards when another crossed in front of me, also white. I got out and searched again, and found them in quantities. Now I come to the. peculiar feature: while the first were all lemon, so these were all white. Idid not find, out of possibly a thousand caught, one single lemon one, notwithstanding that a few days afterwards I found another lot of lemon on this same prairie no-t over one mile distant from the latter, and there was no white amongst them. Now the question I ask myself is, why do the two colors keep separate? they are undoubtedly the same moth. Here are two separate colonies within a mile of each other, on * The two insects herein mentioned are C suffusa Smith and C. lactata Smith, which are probably forms of Colona Hbn. = Clymene Esp. — ED. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 53 the open prairie, absolutely no barrier between them, why do they not mingle ? I caught among the lemons some that appeared to be pure white, but when compared with the white, of the white variety, they are a cream-white, and readily distinguished. I note still another peculiarity. I have, as I said before, over seventy with no two exactly like. We will take say the lemon, we have the fully marked upper wings and the markings de- crease gradually until we come to the pure white, or rather cream upper wing and lemon under wing, and then the all cream, both upper and under; the same is true of the white variety, ex- cept that the pure white are by far the most plentiful. Still in all this large variety of markings or parts of them if continued would make the perfect pattern, as a friend remarked while look- ing at them, that they looked as if the wing originally was white and the color afterwards stenciled on, the feebly marked repre- senting where the brush was full of coloring matter, and clown through all the degrees of dashes and dots until finally we come to the one without a mark. -i i- ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY. LEPIDOPTERA-HETEROCERA (Moths). By Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, New Brunswick, N. J. In examining the denuded wings, one of the first things noticed is, that more supporting veins reach the outer margin than reach the base; that while a very few trunks extend from the base to the margin of the wing, two large trunks start from the base, but rarely extend beyond two-thirds of the distance to the outer mar- gin, giving off at that point a variable number of branches. These main trunks that reach the base are called veins, whether or no they reach the margin as well. The branches, which reach the margin, but do not reach the base, are called venules. rieginning at the anterior edge of the primaries we find a vein close to the thickened front margin, extending from the base to tin- margin always before the tip of the wing. This is the costal vein; it is almost universally present, is never branched in my experience, and has no modifications of systematic value save that there may 'be a cross branch extending between it and the costa. Next below the costal vein at base is the subcostal, running parallel and some- 54 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, times very close to the costal, but rarely extending much beyond the middle of the wing. This vein gives off, normally, six branches, which are called the subcostal venules. Of these, one or two usually separate from the main trunk before the end, and the others are grouped at the tip. Sometimes, to facilitate this grouping, a cell is formed around which the branches start, and this, when present, is termed the accessory cell, marked a in the figure. Sometimes, instead of all the branches reaching either the vein or the accessory cell, a stalk may be sent out, which in turn branches. So in the figure, branches 8 and 9 are from a stalk out of the tip of the accessory cell; 6, 7 and 10 are out of the accessory cell, while 1 1 is out of the subcostal itself. The accessory cell is present in comparatively few families only, and its presence or absence is of systematic value. The arrangement of the subcostal venules is also used in classification, and quite frequently some of them are wanting. Below the subcostal at base is the median vein running parallel to, but more or less diverging from the subcostal, and extending usually about as far into the wing. The space between the sub- costal and median veins is called the median cell. Quite usually a slender transverse veinlet extends from the tip of one to the tip 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. of the other, and the cell is then said to be closed, as in the figure. When this transverse veinlet is wanting, the cell is said to be open. The median vein gives rise to four branches — the median venules — the first of them usually some distance before the tip, the others, grouped more or less closely, from the end. The arrangement of these veins is of systematic value, and especially the position of the last of the branches, marked 5 in the figure. This sometimes severs connection with the series to which it belongs and arises, apparently out of the cross-vein; or, where there is no distinct cross-vein out of the tissue itself, and it is then called the independent. Sometimes it is nearer to 6 than to 4, but never becomes one of the subcostal series; sometimes it is altogether wanting, and it is one of the most valuable from the systematic standpoint of the venules of the primaries. Below the median vein at base is the submedian, extending par- allel with the hinder or inner margin to the anal angle. It is rarely absent, and never branches. It sometimes becomes forked at the base, and this furcation is given great systematic value. It is one of the distinctive characters of the Noctuidae, and its absence Ivould be sufficient in most cases to exclude a species not so characterized; sometimes a supplementary vein will be present running parallel with the submedian, and between it and the median. This is the second submedian, and its presence charac- terizes a small number of families. This makes the normal 12, or exceptional 13 veins of the pri- mary. For convenience they are numbered as they reach the margin, beginning at the anal angle. The submedian is number i, the second submedian is ia; veins 2 to 5, inclusive, are median branches; veins 6 to u, inclusive, are subcostal branches, and vein 12 is the costal. The numbers are more convenient to use in descriptive work, and, as the plan is so uniform, it is quite as accurate and scientific. Beginning at the base of secondaries, along the anterior margin we find first the costal vein, usually reaching quite close to the tip of the wing. This affords good characters. Sometimes it i> entirely wanting; sometimes it is connected with the subcostal \<\- a cross-vein; sometimes it does not reach the I>;IM- at all, 1-ut unites with the subcostal, and sometimes it unites and separates again, forming a small cell at the base as in the figure. 56 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, Below the costal is the subcostal vein running- parallel with it a variable distance and then forking at the tip, never into more than two branches. One of these branches may also be obsolete, and there may then be a single vein running from base to outer margin. Below the subcostal at base starts the median vein, and this in its branchings is exactly like the corresponding vein of the pri- maries. The median cell is also formed in the same way, and may also be either open or closed. As in the 'primaries, vein 5, the last branch of the median, is very variable in position, and furnishes good characters. Below the median there may be one, two or three submedian veins, and these furnish bases for large divisions. The Tortricids and Pyralids, for instance, all have three internal or submedian veins, while the macros rarely have more than two. Sometimes one or the other of these veins forks at the base, and this also is a good character. Counting all the median veins as one, the secondaries have eight veins, the sub- costal system being little developed as compared with the prima- ries. Here also the numbering system is most generally used, the numbers in the figure being those generally adopted. At the base of the secondaries next the primaries, there is fre- quently a spine or spur, which fits into a more or less evident loop on the under side of the primaries, and serves to hold the wings together. This is called the frenelum or frenum. There is a curious sexual modification in this structure. In the males it is always a single spine only. In the female it is never simple, but there are two. three, or even four weaker spines, or even a little bunch of stiff hair only. The above is the typical venation to which all modifications found in the Lepidoptera may be reduced. A few aberrant types only, like the Hepialidae and Psychidae, will need special explana- tion. (To be continued.) A St. Louis physician states that he has discovered peculiar microscop- ical insects in cigarettes. This may account for the wormy look so many ot" their consumers wear. — }]ras]iington Post. A canary with a swollen hind toe was brought to a bird fancier recently, and he pronounced the trouble poisoning from a mosquito bite. He said the thing was not uncommon. — .\<T. ' York Situ. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 57 AN AMERICAN SPECIES OF TEMPLETONIA. By F. L. HARVEY, Orono, Maine. Templetonia americana n. sp. Mr. Macgillivray, in his recent catalogue of the Thysanourons of North America (Can. Ent. December, 1891), makes no men- tion of the occurrence of Templetonia in America. Having studied a species of this genus the first season that is quite com- mon about Orono, Me., we record the following observations upon it : Generic characters in every particular as recorded by Lubbock (Mom >- graph Collembola and Thysanoura p. 142). Specific characters. — Silver}7 white, sometimes pale, brownish or rusty color, laid on in spots and streaks; a delicate pink reflection, especially from young specimens; clothed with silvery iridescent scales; eye patches very small, pale brown. Head nearly round, somewhat pointed in front, broadest behind and somewhat longer than broad. Antenna; white, five jointed, basal joint short, about one-fourth the length of the second; terminal joint nearly or quite as long as the third and fourth together, slender, and, in mature specimens, composed of seventeen sub-joints, the basal and terminal sub-joints each one-fifth the total length of the joint; the middle three-fifths composed of fifteen nearly equal sub-joints; in younger specimens the terminal joint seems shorter and composed of fewer sub-joints. Body elliptical and rounded anteriorly, widest at the fifth segment; first, fifth and sixth segments long, third segment short. Legs white, rather long; larger claw long and slender; elater long, basal joint four-fifths the total length. Thoracic collar of numerous bowed, club-shaped hairs; similar ones on the head, and a dense tuft of hairs projecting forward between the antennae and reaching to the third joint; scattered long hairs on the segments of the body. Measurements. — Total length 1.65.; head, .345 mm. long, .292 mm. broad; antennas, .718 mm.; length of the joints in the ratio of 1-4-5-6-1 1 ; elater, .8mm.; basal joint, .367 mm.; claw, .046111111. long; segments of the body in the ratio of 15-10-6-10-15-13-7-3 in one specimen, and in another 11-6-2-6-8-15-5-2. The above measurements were made from the largest specimens seen, Remarks. — This is a smaller species than T. crystalline MiilK-r. The largest ones we saw did not measure over 1.65 mm., while the majority were never over 1.5 mm., and many less. I.ul>l»>< k gives the length of T. crystillina Muller as two and a quarter millimetres. Our specimens are not obovate, but more elliptical oblong, and widest at the fifth segment. The- antenna- of Lul>- bock's species as figured in his monograph are considerable im .1 -<• ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, than half the length of the body and head, and quite slender. In this species the antennae are thick and about equal to or less than half the length of the body and head. The terminal joints of the antennas as shown in Lubbock's figure are made up of fully twenty-Jive sub-joints of about equal length; while this spe- cies has in the largest specimens only seventeen joints and a less number in smaller ones, while the basal and terminal sub-joints are as long as described above. Some of our specimens when alive showed traces of rusty streaks and spots, but after being in alcohol for three months there is no evidence of the reddish spots said to develop under Fig. 2. Fig. 3. such conditions upon T. crystallina. Balsam specimens are a beautiful pink color. The movements of this species are sluggish, and though provided with a well developed spring it does not seem disposed to use it, unless absolutely necessary. We have not examined T. crystallina. Muller, but the smaller size, shorter, thicker antennae with fewer sub-joints to the terminal [1892. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 59 segment, the more elliptical form of the body and the fact that it does not develop red spots in alcohol, would seem to separate this form from that species. Figs, i, 2 and 3 represent the dorsal, ventral and side view of a young specimen i.i mm. long, magni- fied forty-five times; i and 2 show the general form of the body, somewhat too broad, and the terminal joints of the antemue in all the cuts have fewer sub-joints than occur in adult specimens, and the short basal or fifth joint to the antenna does not show. The figures were made for the writer from line specimens by Mr. J. H. Emeston, of Boston, Mass. Found under boards at several places on the college campus at Orono, also in abundance in the writer's garden in potato hills, about the tubers affected by potato scab and potato rot. Some- times nearly a dozen would be found on a single tuber in the de- pressions made by the scab. Associated with Iratonia tricolor, Lipura ambulous, Lepidacyrtis mctallicns, Tomocerus plumbeus and an undetermined Achorutes. Many specimens examined during September, October and November, '91, by F. L. Harvey. -o- List of Hemiptera Collected in Jamaica, W. I. By C. W. JOHNSON and WM. J. Fox. The following Hemiptera were collected in Jamaica during April and May, 1891. Most of the species were obtained at Kingston, Morant Bay, and Port Antonio; those of common occurrence are indicated by an asterisk (*). We are indebted to the kindness of Prof. P. R. Uhler for the determination of the species, which have been placed either in the collection oi the American Entomological Society, or the Wagner Free Institute of Philadelphia. Sephina maculata* Dallas, Leptoglossus stigma Herbst, Anasa bcllator Fab., A. scorbiitica Fab., Accratodes bijida:- Say, . /. meditabunda Fab., Nezara marginala Bv., A<i/ms ni^crriiints Dallas, Proxy s victor* Fab. , Thyanta perditor* Fab. , ( \itorliiutlia gtittrita Fab., Euchistus crenator* Fab., Mormidca pict Stal, Zicca t&niola Dallas, Alydns pallctccns Stal, Lygaw i- color Fab. (var.), L. pulchcllns^ Fab., L. aulicus Fal>. , I., san- darachatus* Say, Dysdercus mini its** Say, D.andrece* Linn., /' sanguinarius Stal, Zc/us rubidit^- St. Farg., Harmosifs ncbit- 6o ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, losus Stal, Corizus sidce* Fab., Megaccelum rubrinerva Dist., Lygus sp. , Corimelcena minutd* Uhler, Plagiognathus indis- tinctus* Uhler (MS.), Pycnoderes insignis Rent., Collatia expli- cata* Uhler, Salda humilis Say (var. ), Rhogovelia collaris* Burm., Parmera bilobata Say, P. parvula Dallas, Geocoris dis- paratus Uhler (MS.), Tettigonia herbidd* Guer., T. flaviceps Riley, T. robusta* Sign., T. robusta* Sign, (var.), T. n. sp. ?, Agallia n. sp. ?, Ormenis pallescens Stal, Dascalia acuta Uhler (MS.), Paroristes humilis* Uhler (MS.), Bothriocerus sp., Copi- cerus thoracicus Guer. , Centrotus havanensis Guer. (var.), Ophi- derma scutellatus* Uhler (MS.). Notes and. ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS OF THE GLOBE. [The Conductors of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS solicit, and will thankfully receive items of news, likely to interest its readers, from any source. The author's name will be given in each case for the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] To Contributors.— All contributions will be considered and passed upon at our earliest convenience, and as far as may be, will be published according to date of recep- tion. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS has reached a circulation, both in numbers and circumfer- ence, as to make it necessary to put " copy1' into the hands of the printer, for each number, three weeks before date of issue. This should be remembered in sending special or im- portant matter for certain issue. Owing to low subscription rate, " extras" will be charged for, and when they are wanted, it should be so stated on the MS. along with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged. — ED. Mr. JAMES ANGUS, of West Farms, New York City, has presented his fine collection of insects to the American Museum of Natural History. TRANSACTIONS of American Entomological Society. — Of volume xix (1892) twenty-four pages have been printed, containing " Studies in Chryso- melidas," by Dr. G. H. Horn, and the first pages of "A Study of Amara, s. g. Celia," also by Dr. Horn. This volume promises to be an unusually good one, and we propose to notice the progress made from month to month. CARABUS NEMORALIS Miill. — In the Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 1875, p. 126, I made mention of having seen a specimen of C. hortensis Fab. ( == ne- moralis Mull.} in the cabinet of Mr. A. Murray, of London, with the label Hudson's Bay. Being unwilling on the evidence of one not very well authenticated specimen to admit the species to our lists, no other record than that above recorded has been made. In December last I received 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 6l through the kindness of Mr. Henry S. Harbeck, of New York City, two specimens of this species with the following information, which I tran- scribe: "While on a business trip to St. Johns, N. B., in April and .May, 1890, Mr. C. B. Riker, of Maplewood, N. J., devoted his leisure time to collecting Coleoptera, and among his captures were fourteen Carabits nemoralis, which, as you say, is the first authentic case of its occurrence in North America. He says that the beetles were quite common and those that he took were collected in less than an hour." From this it is evident that nemoralis is fairly naturalized in America, and should now be added to our list and placed after limbatits. — G. H. HORN. HEXAPLASTA ZIGZAG (Riley). — Although first made known as a native of the cotton-growing States, this insect is a familiar inhabitant of New England, being found during the first warm days of Spring upon the dan- delion blossoms, and in July upon windows in company with two species of Phora. The radial cell varies in being either open or closed. The disc of the scutellum is convex. — YV. H. PATTON, Hartford, Conn NOTE ON CYCHRUS. — In the January number of ENT. NEWS, Mr. H. F. Wickham gives a note on the geographical distribution of Cychrus, which is very interesting, and an invitation to the readers thereof to fur- nish more notes on geographical distribution. This brings to my mind a little incident which may be of interest to the readers. In the early part of Spring, 1890, while collecting on an island, situated on the beautiful sandy New Jersey coast, I was pleasantly surprised by the capture of Cychrus clevatus Fab. I did not expect to find the genus inhabiting this locality. Although carefully searching I could only find the one. The next day, about one-half mile from where I found the first, I had the re- ward of capturing the second. The specimens differ very much from those found on the mainland proper, as they are minus that beautiful lustre, and the thorax is not so well developed, in all they resemble somewhat more the Pacific coast fauna. As these are the only specimens of Cychrus that I know of as having been found on the New Jersey coast, it is very interesting, and I should be pleased to hear if other species have been found inhabiting the islands along the coast. — H. \Y. WKNZEL, Phila. Mrs. A. T. SLOSSON by this time has probably started on a trip t<> the Southwest, taking in Louisiana, Texas, and perhaps Mexico. We suppose that many bugs in those regions will have to deliver up some of their interesting secrets. THE Anthophora described by me in Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. v, is . /. Ha/s/iii ?. I took A. Stni//iii in Kansas in iSSi, and have rovivnl specimens of it from California, riistotrichia Mora \vitx, is a synonym of Ant/i flphora; it differs merely in the individual aberration of the venation described by me in Anthophora and Clisodon.— \Y. H. Patton, Hartford. Ct. 62 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, THE following has been extracted from a circular which has been sent to entomologists and others. We hope the collection may be obtained and provision made for its preservation: " Dear Sir, — An effort upon the part of a few professional and personal friends of the late Harry Edwards, to purchase and present to the American Museum of Natural History (of the city of New York) his magnificent Entomological Collection, has met with so much encouragement that the Committee in charge ventures to call your attention to the matter. A number of gentlemen have already subscribed one hundred (|ioo) dollars each towards the sum required, fifteen thousand ($15,000) dollars, and it is hoped that you will be willing to contribute a similar amount. The object of the movement is not only to secure for the city of New York a treasure of inestimable value, but to make smooth the declining years of the widow of our friend, and to raise to the memory of an excellent actor, a distinguished scientist and a good man, a worthy and lasting monument. " (Signed) Edwin Booth, Jos. Jefferson, Theo. Moss, S. P. A very, YY. C. Prime, Lawrence Hutton, A. M. Palmer, Treas., 29 \V. 3oth St., New York City." IN a letter from Mr. W. F. Kirby, of the British Museum, the following may interest the readers of the NEWS, premising that everybody knows that Mr. Kirby is at work on a catalogue of the Heterocera of the world. " My first volume (Sphinges and Bombyces) will run to about £00 pages, and include, I think, 28 families, some of them numbering over 200 genera. All but four are now in the printer's hands, so that I hope the publication of the book will not be much longer delayed." * * * "I have relegated the Sesiidae to the neighborhood of the micro-lepidoptera. I doubt if you have any Heterogymdae in America. Heterogynis is a small Euro- pean genus with males like Procris, but with apterous females." Mr. Kirby's book, when published, will form one of the most useful assistants the working entomologist can have. — JOHN B. SMITH. A BIT OF HISTORY. — Miss Morton's very interesting notes in the Jan- uary number of ENT. NEWS show that there is some confusion among the names of the smaller Limacodidae, and it may be interesting to briefly go over the literature of these forms. In 1854, Herrich-Schaffer published three figures as Limacodes texula, L. pallida, and L. flavula. In 1864, Packard erroneously identified a specimen in the Harris collection as L. t ex tula, and, believing it separable from the genus Limacodes, created the genus Isa for it. In the same year he also described Heterogenea shurtleffii, and made the genus Tortricidia for Herrich-Schaffer's species pallida and flavula. In 1866, Grote & Robinson described Limacodes iiioniata, and in 1876, Grote created the genus Sisyrosea for it. Finally, in 1880, Grote described the species Limacodes cczsonia and L.fle.vuosa. Now, as far as I know, there are but four species for all these names. The larva of the first one was figured in Harris' "Entomological Correspon- dence," and has been described by Mr. Hulst and by myself. The moth 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 63 was first described as inornafa, but is the species for which the genus ha was made, and should be known as Isa inornafa. The larva of the second is unknown. It is Heterogenea shurtleffii, of which c&sonia Grt. is a variety. The larva of the third is also unknown. It is the textula of Herrich-Schaffer (not of Packard), and was redescribed by Grote as flexuosa. It should be known as Heterogenea textu/a. The larva of the fourth species is the one described by Miss Morton. It has also been described by myself, and should be known as Tortricidia pallida H.-S. T. flavula is only a variety of it, and represents the form without marks on the wings which Miss Morton describes. These species are correctly arranged in Prof. Smith's new List. — H. G. DVAR. DRASTERIA ERICHTO.— Has this noctuid been satisfactorily identified since Guenee"'s description of a single female in 1852 ? Some of our col- lections, I am aware, contain specimens labeled erichto, that were deter- mined by Mr. Grote. However, specimens of our eastern Drasteria sent to Mr. Grote just before he left this country, and also those sent to Prof. Smith since he became our recognized authority on the Noctuids, have all been referred to erechtea. In 1873, Mr. Grote, in Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. i, p. 155, admitted that he could not separate the two spe- cies except in size, referring the specimens of the smaller Spring brood to erichto. Of two specimens, a $ and 9 , in the University collection de- termined by Mr. Grote as erichto, the 9 proves to be an erechtea. I pre- sume other collections contain similar specimens. Recently Prof. Smith wrote me that he had not tried to identify erichto and had not the slightest doubt that erichto is the same as erechtea. During the past year I have bred what I believe to be erichto. I thought I was breeding erechtea, but recent study and comparisons of my bred specimens and a large series of Drasteria caught in trap-lanterns has shown that \ve have two species of Drasteria in our eastern fauna, both about equally common I think, and differing considerably structurally and rather closely grading into each other in markings. The structural differences are marked and very con- stant. The genitalia of the males and the seventh abdominal segment of the females differ strikingly in size and form. I find that the species are easily separable by these characters and typical strongly marked speci- mens of either sex may be quite readily identified by the markings on the front wings. I hope soon to be able to illustrate some of these differences, but I desire to make further observations upon the range of variability of erechtea. — M. V. SLINGERLAND, Cornell Insectary, Ithaca, X. V. A PLEA FOR THE COLLECTOR. — Prof. J. B. Smith's list of "The Lepid- optera of Boreal America" came to hand a short time ago, ami lias afforded me a great deal of pleasure and instruction. If I understand it aright, this is the first complete list of the kind that has lu-.'ii published in this country, and I am sure that 1'rof. Smith and tin- other learned gen- tlemen who were associated with him in getting it up have -i\vn students of this department of Entomology a work that may be relied upon as 64 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, being as near complete and correct as can be got at present. Bearing in mind the article entitled "Rocks," which appeared in the NEWS some time ago, would not this list be a good foundation for a descriptive work on the Lepidoptera of North America ? Could not the gentlemen who got up this list be induced to publish a work, in monthly parts, containing descriptions and plates of the Heterocera at least, if subscribers enough could be got to ensure them against financial loss ? We already have good works on the Butterflies, and they might, therefore, be left out, as also the very small moths. The plates, of course, could not be colored, except at a great cost, but plates such as have been appearing in the NEWS, with a description attached, are every bit as good. A great many who study this subject are business men who have not the time and skill to identify their specimens without the help of plates, and I take it their number would become legion compared to what it is now if such a work could be got at a moderate cost. It may be objected that such a work, when finished, would be incomplete on account of the new species that are being constantly discovered, but if we were to wait ten or even twenty years, the same objection would still hold good. In Europe, where the Lepidoptera have been studied for a great number of years, new species are still being discovered, and in spite of that a new work on the Lepid- optera of Great Britain is just being commenced in London. If you will kindly give this a place in the NEWS it may be the means of helping to make such a work as I suggest a possibility at least, if not a probability of the near future. — JAMES TOUGH, Chicago, 111. Identification of Insects (Jmagos) for Subscribers. Specimens will be named under the following conditions: ist, The number of speci- mens to be unlimited for each sending; 2d, The sender to pay all expenses of transporta- tion and the insects to become the property of the American Entomological Society; 3d, Each specimen must have a number attached so that the identification may be an- nounced accordingly. Exotic species named only by special arrangement with the Editor, who should be consulted before specimens are sent. Send a 2 cent stamp with all insects for return of names. Address all packages to ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, Academy Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa. Entomological Literature. NEUNZEHNTER JAHRESBERICHT DES WESTFAELISCHEN PROVINZIAL- VEREINS FUR WISSENSCHAFT UND KUNST FUR 1890. Muenster, 1891.— Observations on the occurrence of melanism among the macrolepidoptera of the vicinity of Dortmund, K. Meinheit. LA NATURE (Paris), Dec. 26, 1891.— Influence of artificial lights on in- sects, G. A. Poujade; figs. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 65 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Division of Entomology. Bul- letin No. 24. — The Boll worm of cotton. A report of progress in a sup- plementary investigation of this insect. Made under the direction of the Entomologist by F. W. Mally, Washington, iSgr, 50 pp. Hcliolhis aniii- gera Hiib. REVUE SCIENTIFIQUE (Paris), Dec. 26, 1891. — Insects destructive to forests according to M. A. S. Packard, anon. A means of destroying grasshoppers according to M. Decaux, anon. COMPTE RENDU. SOCIETE ENTOMOLOGIQUE DE BELGIQUE, Dec. 5, '91. — Heterocera exotica, new genus and species from the Dutch East Indie F. J. M. Heylaerts; Gnophrioides n. gen. Melanges Entomologiqiu-s: VIII. Diagnoses of Coleoptera from the Congo,* A. Duvivier. Notes on indigenous Coleoptera malacoderma, E. Rousseau. Additions and anno- tations to the lists of indigenous Larnellicorn and Carnivorous Coleoptera, A. P. de Borre. PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINXEAN SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES (2), vi, i. Sydney, Sept. 9, 1891. — Notes on a small collection of Hymenop- tera from Narrabri, N. S. W., \V. \Y '. Froggatt. Description of a new species of Tortricidce,* J. H. Durrani. Stray notes on Lepidoptera, A. SO. lliff. CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, Jan., 1892. — Can insects survive freezing? H. H. Lyman. Descriptions of some butterfly larvaj from Yosemite (v), and the life-history of Callidryas eubitle, H. G. Dyar. Revision of the Bombylid genus Epacuws (Lcptochihis), 1). \V. Coquillett. Hctccriihi americana [in Ontario], |. A. Moflfat. Canadian Cialls and their occu- pants— Aulax nabali N. S., W. Brodie. Entomology for Beginners, No. i, J. Fletcher. An explan ition, A. R. Grote. MeUttea phaston, /<•/;•<>- phora silaceala, J. A. Moffat. Prof. J. B. Smith's list of Lepidoptera, ( '.. H. French. Larva of Anccryx fasciata Swains., T. D. A. Cockerell.— February, 1892. — Entomology for Beginners No. 2, J. Fletcher. Two new Orthoptera from Indiana, \V. S. Blatchley. Some Indiana Acridid.r II, id. Further notes on Gelechia galleediplopappi, and description of a new species of I>racon, Rev. T. \V. Fyles. Notes on tin- life-history of Agallia sanguinolenta Prov., H. Osliorn and II. A. Gnssard. On the Orthopterous fauna of Iowa, II. Osborn. How the female of (\n-<vcia semiferana protects her egg clusters, C. P. Gillette. Notes on Coleoptera No. 9, Dr. J. Hamilton. Notes on the Aegeridae of central Ohio, 1 >. S. Kellicott. ANNALEN DESK. K. NATURHISTORISCHKN HOFMUSI-:UMS, \i. .;, 4. \\'ien. 1891. — To the knowledge of the Hymenopterous genus 1'lrilanthns I'aln. (sens lat.),"-' F. F. Kohl. Bumble-bee Studies, A. Handlirscli, figs. African Lepidoptera of the k. k. Natnrhistorisclie Hofinuseum,* A. !•'. Kogeiihot. -i . i pi. • * Contains new species other than North A inn i< an. 3* 66 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE GOSSIP (London), January, 1892. — Famous collecting grounds for Dragonflies [by W. H. Bath]. TRANSACTIONS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 1891, pt. iv, December, 1891. — New species of Heterocera from the Khasia Hills,* Col. C. Svvinhoe, i pi., Kalmina micronissa, Anthyperythra (War- ren MS.), n. gen. On some cases of Dimorphism and Polymorphism among Palaearctic Lepidoptera, S. Alpheraky. Effect of change of climate upon the emergence of certain species of Lepidoptera, G. F. Mathew. Descriptions of new species of holophthalmous Ascalaphidae,* R. Mc- Lachlan; Campylophlebia n. gen. Descriptions of four new species of the genus Fulgora* W. L. Distant, i pi. On the South American spe- cies of Diabrotica, appendix, C. J. Gahan. INSECT LIFE, iv, 5, 6, December, 1891. — Wheat and Grass Sawflies, C. V. Riley and C. L. Marlatt, figs. The importation of a Hessian Fly para- site from Europe, S. A. Forbes. The origin and development of para- sitism among the Sarcoptidse, H. Garman. Origin and development of the parasitic habit in Mallophaga and Pediculidae, H. Osborn. The use of grape bags by a paper-making wasp, Mary E. Murtfeldt. The methods of pupation among the Chalcididse, L. O. Howard, figs. Notes on grass insects in Washington, D. C., H. Osborn. An interesting aquatic bug. Hominivorous habits of the screw worm in St. Louis, Mary E. Murtfeldt. Another spider egg parasite, L. O. Howard. BRITISH NATURALIST (London), January, 1892. — Portrait and sketch of Lord Walsingham. Notes and lists of captures of British insects. NEUE ODONATEN VON ECUADOR,* von Dr. F. Karsch (Reprint from Societas Entomologica vi, 14-16) Neuragrion n. gen. BULLETIN OF THE ILLINOIS STATE LABORATORY OF NATURAL HIS- TORY, vol. iii, art. xii. — Sixth contribution to a knowledge of a life-history of certain little known Aphididae, C. M. Weed. — Vol. iv, art. i. Bacteria normal to digestive organs of Hemiptera, S. A. Forbes. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR WISSENSCHAFTLICHE ZooLOGiEliii, 3, Leipzig, 1891. -The development of the female sexual organs of Phyllodroinia (Blatla) gertnanica L., R. Heymons, 3 pis. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, 1, 303, London, Jan. S, 1892.— A new mode of respiration in the Myriapoda, F. G. Sinclair. ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY (6), 49, January, 1892. —Notes on Longicorn Coleoptera of the group Cerambycin:e, with de- scriptions of new genera and species,* C. J. Gahan. On some Japanese species of ParoiiKtl/ts* G. Lewis. Descriptions of two new genera of Scorpions, with notes upon some species of Pa/ain/i<rns*-\ R. I. Pocock, i pi. Description of a new trap-door spider from Ceylon,* id. * Contains new species other than North American. t Contains new 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 67 WIENER ENTOMOLOGISCHE ZEITUNG, xi, i, }anuary, 1892.— On the pretended present decline of Entomology, E. Reitter. Analytical revision of the European species of the Tenthredinid — genus Schizocera Latr.,* F. W. Konow. A new Leptis from Switzerland,* T. Becker. Colenp- terological notes,* E. Reitter. REVISTA DEL MUSEO DE LA PLATA, I, La Plata, 1890-91.— Argentine Dipterology [Culicidce], F. L. Arribalzaga. STUDIES FROM THE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES OF THE OWENS COL- LEGE II, Manchester, England, 1890. — The pupal stage of Cnlex, Dr. C. H. Hurst, i pi. REVUE BIOLOGIQUE DU NORD DE LA FRANCE, iv, 4, January, 1892.— Study on some galls from Syria [Acarocecidae],* Dr. H. Fockeu, figs. NOTES FROM THE LEYDEN MUSEUM, xiii, 3, July, 1891. — Description of a new Curculionid,* W. Roelofs, i pi. New genus and species of the group of Oxyopisthen* id. A new genus of Calandrinae, C. Ritsema Cz. A new species of Rhyncophorus * id. Two new species of the genus Helota from Borneo,* id. Synopsis and alphabetical list of the described species of the Coleopterous genus Helota McL., id. Polyctcsis i^crro/a, a new species of Buprestidae,* K. M. Heller. Contributions to the know- ledge of the family Brenthidae,* Dr. A. Senna. On the Ceylon Cetonikku collected by J. Z. Kannegieter,* J. R. H. N. van de Poll and J. Z. Kanne- gieter. A new species of the Longicorn genus Neopharsalia v. d. Poll,* J. Z. Kannegieter. Four new species of Gyrinidce of the genus Orccto- gyrns* M. Regimbart. — No. 4, October, 1891. Two new species of the Lucanoid genus Cyclommatus Parry, C. Ritsema Cz. A new Oriental species of the Coleopterous genus Chelonarium* id. Further contribu- tions to the knowlege of the Helota species of Burma,* id. Loniotropa vellerialis, new species of Pyralidae,* P. C. T. Snellen. Description <>\ nine new Elateridae from the Leyden Museum,* E. Candeze. ENTOMOLOGISCHE NACHRICHTEN, xviii, i, Berlin, January, 1892. — De- scription of some new varieties of butterflies from Bucovina and the \ i- cinity,* C. von Hormuzaki. On some rare Tracheata from Rheinlancl, C. Verhoeff. Five new African Mantodea,* Dr. F. Karsch; l\n'lyIopL n. gen. Some biological fragments, C. Yerhoeff. ZOE, ii, 4, Jan. 12, 1892. — Some biological peculiarities of the l'liylli>\ and a method of utilizing them for the protection of vineyards, H. H. l.dir. TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSIKAUX, \i\. Adelaide, July, 1891.— Description of a new species of Co Tepper, i pi. Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, \vilh de-scrip! of new genera and species,*f Rev. T. Blackburn. Descriptions • Australian Lepidoptera,* E. Meyrick; Momopohi n. gen. * Contains new species other than North Anui ic:m. t Contai: 68 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, DIE KAEFKR VON MITTELEUROPA. — Die Kaefer der oesterreichisch- ungarischen Monarchic, Deutschlands, der Schweiz, sowie des franzoes- ischen und italienischen Alpengebietes, Bearbeitet von Luclwig Gangl- bauer. Erster Band. Familienreihe Caraboidea. Wien, Carl Gerold's Sohn, 1892, 557 pp., 55 woodcuts. CORNELL UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, Bulletin 33, Entomological Division, Ithaca, N. Y., November, 1891. — Wireworms, J. H. Comstock and M. V. Slingerband; figs. NOTES UPON THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF SOME AFRICAN LEPIDOPTERA by W. J. Holland (from Psyche, vi, pp. 213-216, pi. 5). ARCHIVES DE ZOOLOGIE EXPERIMENTALE KT GENERALE (2), ix, 4, Paris. — Note on the Pantopod genera Phoxichilus Latr. and Tanisty- him Miers, W. Schimkewitsch. BIOLOGISCHES CENTRALBLATT (Erlangen), Dec. 31, 1891. — The amitotic nuclear division in Arthropoda, H. E. Ziegler and O. von Rath. — Jan. 15, 1892. Contribution to the anatomy and embryology of the PhalangicUe, V. Faussek. ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEiGER (Leipzig), Jan. n, 1892. — On sense organs in the palpi and first pair of legs of Solpugidae, Dr. P. Bertkau, fig. COMPTE RENDU. SOCIETE DE BIOLOGIE (Paris), Jan. 9, 1892. — The wandering cricket (Schistocera peregrina Oliv.) and its cryptogamic para- site (Lachnidium acridioruin), E. A. Giard. THE ENTOMOLOGIST (London), February, 1892. — The past wet Summer and its probable effect upon the development of Lepidoptera, R. Adkin. Evolution of colors in the Vanesscz, W. W. Smith. Evolution of insect colors, F. H. P. Coste. Us^ of the hairs of Acronycta alni, M. Fitz- Gibbon. Notes on British insects, etc. BOLLETINO DEI MuSEI DI ZOOLOGIA ED ANATOMIA COMPARATA DEI. LA R. UNIVERSITA DI TORINO, 108, Sept. 20, 1891. — Diagnoses of four new genera of Diptera, Dr. E. Giglio-Tos. UNTERSUCHUNGEN UEBER GLATTE UND VOLLKOMMEN QUERSTREIFTE MUSKELN DER ARTHROPODEN von Dr. Julius Vosseler, Tubingen, 1891, H. Laupp, pp. xii, 150, 6 plates. THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE (London), February, '92. —A new genus and species of Aleurodidae,* A. C. F. Morgan, T pi.; Aleiirodicus n. g. Description of three new species of the genus riia- naens Macleay,* B. G. Nevinson. Annotated list of British TurliinuU\ R. 1-1. Mcadr. Stylopized bees, F. V. Theobald. Oviposition of .Me/a viridclla, T. A. Chapman. On the rearing of I'achctra Iciiiopluca from the egg, VV. R. Jeffrey. Notes, etc. * Contains new species other than North American. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 69 BULLETIN OK THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE Zool.ocv AT HARVARD COLLEGE, xxii, 3, Cambridge, January, 1892. — Amitosis in the embryonal envelops of the scorpion, H. P. Johnson, 3 plates. MISSISSIPPI AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE KXPKKIMKNT STATION, Bulletin No. 17. — Insects injurious to stored grain, H. E. \Vi--d. December, 1891. TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIKTY, .\\iii, 4, September-December, 1891. — The species of Agri/iis of Boreal America, G. H. Horn, M. D., i pi. On a collection of Hymenoptera made in Jamaica during April, 1891, W. J. Fox. Notes on North American Tachinidae sens. sir. with descriptions of new genera and species, C. H. Tyler Townsend. NEW SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING LITERATURE. NEUROPTERA. Ptynx furciger McLachlan, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., '91, p. 509. \\\/.. LEPIDOPTERA. Albuna modes/a Kellicott, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 46. Ohio. HYMENOPTERA. Aulax nabali Brodie, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 13. Ontario. Cephus occidentalis Riley and Marlatt, Insect Life, iv, p. 177. Cala. Acoloides emertonii Howard, Insect Life, iv, p. 202. Bracon furtivus Fyles, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 35. Pompilus propinquus Fox, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xviii, p. 339; /'. iciico- pitypnrcits, p. 339; Salius opacifrons, p. 340; A^cuiii fompirsMi. p. 340; Planiccps euferalis, p. 341; Epeolits mfoc/ypetts, p. 344; M,\^iiclnlc Mar- tindafei, p. 344; M. multidens, p. 345; M. pcdalis, p. 347; all from Jamaica. ORTHOPTERA. Xiphidium Scuddcri Blatchley, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 26. Indiana. ApHhcs Mc.\\-illi Blatchley, 1. c. p. 27. Indiana. Pezottetti.r hoosieri Blatchley, 1. c. p. 31. Indiana. DIPTERA. Jtcrisinyia n. Ren., Stratiomyida.-, (iiglio-Tos, l'>i>ll. Mus. /.mil. Anat. Comp. Aniv. Torino, vi, ioS, p. 2, lig. Type lift i^ aincrii ana Bell.ndi. ti/iopa/osyrp/i/ts, p. 3, 1'igs. ; Onu-^asyrp/it/s, p. 4, tigs.; M^miifpo p. 5, figs., n. gen. Syrphida-, C.iglio-Tos, 1. c. Types to be hereaftei described. yo ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, Epacmus concinnus, pellncidus, fumosus Coquillet, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 9. California. Tachinidas: Siphoplagia n. gen., Townsend, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xviii, p. 349; S. anomala, p. 350, N. Mex. Goniochceta n. gen., p. 351; G. pla- gioides, p. 352, N. Mex Tachina spinosula, p. 353, 111. Pachyophthal- nius anrifrons, p. 354, 111. Miltogramma flavicornis, p. 355, 111. M. argentifrons, p. 357, 111. M. cinerascens, p. 358, 111. Masicera nigrita, p. 358, 111. M. sordicolor p. 359, 111. Hypertrophocera n. gen., p. 360; H. parvipes, p. 361, N. Mex. Aphria ocypterata, p. 361, S. Dak., Minn.? Exorista ciliata, p. 363, 111. Laccoprosopa n. gen., p. 365; L. sarcopha- gitia, p. 366, 111. Frontinaacroglossoides, p. 367, 111. Siphona illinoensis, p. 368, 111. Phasioclista n. gen., p. 369; P. inctallica, p. 370, 111., S. Fla. Ennyomma n. gen., p. 371; E. clistoides, p. 371, 111. Clytia flava, p. 372, 111. Atrophopoda n. gen., p. 373; A. singularis, p. 374, 111. Epigrymia n. gen., p. 375; E. po/ita, p. 376, Va. Drepanoglossa n. gen., p. 377; D. lucens, p. 378, N. Mex. Ceratomyiella n. gen., p. 379; C. conica, p. 380, 111. Leucostoma atra, p. 380, 111. Vanderwulpia n. gen., p. 381; V. atrophopodoides, p. 381, N. Mex. COLEOPTERA. Phanceus Flohri Nevinson, Ent. Mo. Mag. (2), iii,, p. 33. Jalapa, Mex. Agrilus. — Synoptic table of species and twenty-one new species de- scribed, Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xviii, 4. BITTEN BY A TARANTULA. — Bridgeport, July 2oth. As Louis Pastine, a fruit dealer of Main Street, was moving a bunch of banannas at his store, Saturday, a huge tarantula jumped out and stung him on the thumb of the left hand. Pastine ran to the office of Dr. C. W. Fitch, who has lived in Central America, and is an expert on the tarantula. Before he reached the doctor's office the thumb had swollen to twice its natural size. Mr. Pastine says that immediately after the sting the most excruciating pains shot through his arm and both sides. In a moment the pains had pene- trated even to his liver, which was seriously affected. Dr. Fitch cauter- ized the wound, and expects that Mr. Pastine will recover. The Doctor says that the tarantula's bite is not very dangerous, except when it is in an excited condition, and that the one which bit Mr. Pastine was in a rather torpid state. During his fifteen years in Central America he was bitten twenty times by them. He knew how to treat the sting, and at- tended to it immediately, which is essential. "If," said the Doctor, " you can imagine yourself suffering a pain one hundred times as intense as a wasp sting, you can realize what it is to be bitten by a tarantula. To test the ferocity of the spider, I once cut a round hole in the centre of a news- paper and placed the tarantula in the hole. Then I set fire to the paper, and the insect finding itself hemmed in on all sides, threw its tail over, and stinging itself on the back died instantly." 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 71 RKVI EW. DIE ZVVEIFLUGLER DES KAISERLICHEN MUSEUMS ZU WlEN, V. VORAR- BEITEN ZU EINER MONOGRAPHIE DER MUSCARIA SCHIZOMETOPA (EXCLU- SIVE ANTHOMYID.E). PART II. By Prof. Dr. Friedrich Brauer and J. Edlen v. Bergenstamm. Wien, 1891. — I am indebted to the authors for a copy of the above work, which has recently been published. It consists of 140 quarto pages (no plates), and is in continuation of their work begun in Part I, under same title, and published in 1889.* About 100 new genera are erected, and not quite as many new species, these being entirely ad- ditional, be it understood, to the new genera and species published in Part I. One can only deplore the lack of order, uniformity and comprehen- siveness displayed in the body of the work, which consists entirely of corrections and additions to be interpolated at designated intervals throughout Part I. The genera of other authors have been mercilessly used. Mr. v. d. Wulp's recent genera (published in the Biol. C.-A.) are torn to pieces bodily, and patched up from other quarters. The authors are to be complimented on presenting at the end of their work a syste- matic list of all the groups, genera and species which they have proposed in Parts I and II. This is put in very comprehensive form, and is followed by a still more convenient index of specific names leading to the genera in which the authors have placed the species, and designating the genera to which the latter were originally referred by their describers. The ruth- less deposition of genera, in which the authors indulge, should not be countenanced. Echinomyia is decapitated, and Tachina installed in its place. Eutachina is created to fill the vacancy thus left by Tachina. Numerous new genera are erected on trivial or insufficiently designated grounds, at the expense of former well-to-do ones; or genera long ago abandoned are raised from a condition of comparative obscurity, and made to supplant those which have long been in use. Why the generic term Latreillia should be preferred to Belvosia, when both were described on adjoining pages by the same author in 1830, is beyond explanation, and especially when we consider the time-honored usage of Belvosia, and the fact that Latreillia was proposed by Roux, in 1827, for a genus of Crus- tacea. The name Metopodia is applied to a new genus; this is apt to become confused with Mctopodus Am. Serv. (Hem.) or witli Mctafiodius Westvv. (Hem.) If the genus be a valid one, I would propose the use of the term NEOMETAPODIA for it. As nearly as I can form an opinion, without actually cataloging and classifying all the names, the new -CIICIM and species proposed (usually insufficiently characterized) are divided geographically as follows: N. Am. gen. 25, spp. 17; So. Am. gen. i\ spp. 18; Extra Am. gen. 59, spp. 61. If the authors would present full descrip- tions, properly and systematically arranged, of their neu -I-IK r.i and spe- cies, their work would be much more comprehensive and productive «{ good. As it is, their labors can scarcely be appreciated by one who lias not access to the collections in the Museum in Vienna. — C. 1 1. T. Tc >u -\si -ND. * For a notice thereof by Dr. Williston, sec ENT. NEWS, vol. i, p. 77.- I ' 72 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, A REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL, SECTION OF THE A. N. S. was held at the Hall Jan. 28, 1892. Dr. Horn, Director, presiding. Dr. Horn donated to the cabinet a number of Mexican Coleoptera. Mr. Calvert presented the second installment of European Odonata, number- ing 29 specimens. Mr. Nell presented a specimen of Odonata new to the collection. Mr. Martindale called attention to a paper by Dr. W. J. Hol- land on a peculiar Lycsenid chrysalis from Africa, which had a Simian aspect. Dr. Horn mentioned a paper he had recently written, on some variations in the markings of Coleoptera, and spoke of some interesting- points brought out. Dr. Skinner exhibited a pair of Parnassius sininthens showing interesting variation from the normal. Mr. Martindale spoke of a method of preparing naphthalin cones by heating the head of a pin and thrusting it into the fused balls to be obtained at the druggists'; they are clean, leave no debris, and cost about five cents per hundred. Mr. Cal- vert stated that the dragonfly presented by Mr. Nell was GouipJius dilita- tus, and was caught in the streets of the city in May, 1891; it is a Southern species, and he had never heard of its being found before in this locality. OBITUARY HENRY WALTER BATES, F.L.S., F.Z.S., etc., died in London, Febru- ary ijth. In this death England loses one of her ablest entomologists. Beginning in 1848 his entomological contributions have been continued, with interruption only during his long sojourn on the Amazons, until very recently. His studies were limited to the Lepidoptera-Rhopalocera, and to three large and difficult families of Coleoptera: Carabidae, Scarabaeidae and Cerambycidae, in all of which he had accumulated much material, especially rich in Amazon species. His industry and ability are well shown in the volumes with their supplements in the " Biologia Centrali- Americana" on his favorite families. His narrative of his sojourn on the Amazons is filled with notes showing his acuteness of observation in the field. For many years he has filled the position of Assistant Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. Those who knew him personally will mourn the loss of a cultured man, a kind friend, and a genhil companion. ERRATA. On page 5, line 9, for 35 mm. read .35 mm. 5, line 18, for 6.5 mm. read .65 mm. 5, line 24, insert a comma (,) after joints 5 and 12. 5, line 24, for trifle, read triple. ENTOMOLOGICAL NKWS for February, was mailed January 29, 1892. 0) O cc O Q of £ W ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION, ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. VOL. in. APRIL, 1892. No. 4. CONTENTS: Horn — Dorcus parallelus 73 Wright— In Alaska 74 Laurent — Preparatory stages of Pam- phila manataaqua 77 Cockerell— Notes on the life-history of Calpodes ethlius 78 Townsend — New N. Am. Tachinidse.... 80 Smith — Elementary Entomology. 82 Angell — Two n. sp. of Coleoptera 84 Williston— Notes on the habits of Am- mophila 85 McKnight — Lepidoptera of the Adiron- dack Region 87 Patton — Notes upon Larradae 89 Harvey — Odonata of Maine 91 Notes and News 93 Entomological Literature 98 Doings of Societies 103 Dorcus parallelus Say. By GEO. H. HORN, M. D. The plate forming the frontispiece of this number has been prepared from material which, for the most- part, belongs to the American Entomological Society. The reasons for presenting it are : to settle finally the relationship existing between the names parallelus, costatus and brevis, now in our lists — to illustrate the possibilities of variation in form and sculpture, and, finally, to ascertain by experiment the adaptability of the various photo- plate processes for illustrations taken from the objects themseh < 5. Periodically the question is discussed, what is Dorcus brci-it, and is it distinct from parallelus f It need hardly be said that this question arises principally among those young in experience and with small series, although species are frequently deseribed as new with far less claim to distinctness than the extreme specimens on the upper row. D. brevisis founded on males of full develop- ment, broad thorax and smooth surface. The first t\v<> \\^\\ accurately represent Say's idea. As a rule the males have quite a smooth thorax, while the females are rather closely punn In the brevis form the elytra are also quite smooth, but the trausi- 74 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, tion from this to the striate sculpture is gradual, and can readily be traced even in the plate. D . costatus, although merely a cata- logue name, is based on those females in which three of the in- tervals on each elytron are a little wider and more prominent, as faintly shown on the fifth figure in the second row. The terminal figure is an exceptionally small female collected by Mr. Henry Wenzel. The six specimens on the upper row and two on the lower are males, as will be known by the more prominent mandi- bles with a tooth on the upper side. Regarding the possibilities of variation, the plate shows for itself, although far less than the specimens themselves, and Dorcus parallelns is by no means a good species for the illustration of varietal possibilities. The use of any photographic method usually causes a loss of some detail, but when form alone is to be illustrated more accurate results for comparison can be obtained. -o- IN ALASKA. By W. G. WRIGHT, San Bernardino, Cal. One might suppose that a trip to Alaska would afford an ento- mologist abundant material for collecting, and that he might write a book about what he saw through his entomological glasses, and experienced in pursuit of his pet hobby. But having made the trip, I am obliged to say that the results, both actual and theoretical, were very meagre. To begin with, the country from the Strait of San Juan de Fuca to Yakatat Bay is all of a piece. The ground is all solid rock, if I may so speak, islands and mainland alike, and the channels through which the steamer sails most of the way are mere cracks in the hard, black rock, some of them so deep that it is imprac- ticable to anchor in them. How a tree can manage to find root-hold upon such solid rock is a continual mystery, but they do, and the whole country, whether level 'or side-hill (and most of it is tilted up an angle frequently acute), is covered with the same endless ranks of sombre fir trees, the very sight of which at length becomes a weariness; and the trees, with horizontal limbs down to the ground, come clear down to the water's edge, so that a landing becomes a difficulty. The Japan current, or some other cause, gives to Sitka about the same temperature as 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. at Victoria. To that current the whole coast from Yakatat Bay to the Columbia River owes a liberal allowance of fog and misty rain, more at the North and less at the South, but otherwise the thousand miles of northing from Puget Sound gives no notable climatic difference. Therefore, it is easy to see that, with the same geological formation, the same flora, and the same climate, the same fauna must prevail; and so I have found it. So far as my insect captures are determined I did not get a specimen in Alaska but what is found about Puget Sound in greater abun- dance than in Alaska. One Pieris, from Sitka, bears another name from those of Puget Sound, but I regard it as the same species; I will "lump" that much. The country inland is well- nigh impenetrable, being, as I have said, mostly up edgewise, and sometimes almost to the perpendicular, and densely wooded; and underneath, a network of fallen trees thickly covered with sphagnum or moss, which apparently never gets dried out, be- cause of the rain and the dense shade. Five miles a day is good traveling through these thickets. There are no clearings or ranches, or farms; no room for a butterfly to stretch its wings. In Coleoptera it is as bad. I got one Cychms marginatus at Metlakahtla, and one at Loring, and a pair of C. angnsticollis at Junean, but nothing of interest anywhere. Wrangel is a green spot in my memory, because there I got my first Alaskan butterflies. To be sure they were only a com- mon Pieris, but it is noteworthy to get any butterflies in such a rainy country. These poor Pierids were nearly starved by the long season of rain, and were crawling about upon an umbel of daucus trying to feed; they could not fly, because of the rain, so I picked them off the flowers with my fingers, and took them in out of the wet. Numbers of little geometrid moths were flying about, but I had no net out in the rain, so I did not get them. I met here, by chance the usual way, an eastern naturalist who was skinning birds. He told me that he had seen in the vicinity one specimen of Limenitis Lorquini. From that item we may set down Fort Wrangel as the northern limit of that species. About the town of Junean I caught a lot of Pierids, of the same old species, but no other butterfly was seen. Then I fol- lowed a mining road out into the country as far as time would permit, but found nothing else. By the roadside lay some pine blocks left by the axe-men. Under one of these I found the tine 76 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, pair of C. angusticollis before spoken of, but no other beetles worth naming. Chillkat is the most northern of all the stopping places on this Alaskan route; it is close to the 6oth degree of North latitude. Here is a narrow grassy border along a moraine, and at the shore line, and I forthwith went ashore with my net. A half dozen Pierids were taken and then came a lull. Presently I began to sweep the grass for beetles, and lo ! some Pterophoridae. So I spent most of the time in getting that little thing, of which there seemed to be several species. This was the most unexpected find of the whole trip. At Sitka I remained sixteen days, seven of which were mostly sunny, a remarkable thing, as the people told me, as sunny days are exceptional there. One species of Pieris was common about the streets, P. Bryoncs. One gentleman excited my curiosity by saying that the real Japan silk-worm moth was found there, and so one day he showed me the " moth" flying about his cabbage plants; it was this Pieris. I was also informed that this same butterfly was found all along the vast chain of Aleutian Islands, nearly to Siberia, in great numbers; that it feeds on honey-dew, which is found on the leaves and twigs of Alder bushes, and that he had seen the bushes white from the abundance of the butterfly; all of which is credible. But about Sitka I found butterflies very scarce. Beside this Pieris, I got only one other species, Chryso. helloides, small in size, and almost black. The female, especially, was so dark I could hardly believe it was that species, but the male was rather more like the Southern form, and showed the violet gloss faintly \_Chrys.florus? — ED.] Near Sitka, a few miles back, is a mountain, Mt. Verstovia, 3600 feet high. One fine day I climbed this mountain to above timber line; here, at 3500 feet altitude, to see if a Parnasshts or a Chionobas could not be found. Upon the alpine slopes above timber line was a most lovely butterfly place. Some old snow- banks yet remained here and there, but on many of the drier slopes grass and flowers grew luxuriantly, and the air was so mild, and the sun shone so delightfully, that it seemed as if there must be a dozen Parnassius in sight at any moment, but not one did I see; not a butterfly of any color. I never felt so disgusted and discouraged in my life before. I just gave a big growl of displeasure, and threw down my net and other butterfly traps in 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 77 anger, and went off to a snow-bank and ate snow, and tried to eat the waxen white blossoms of a heather which grew all about; but it all didn't pay, so I came back to where the guide was lolling on a dry bank by a spring, and ate lunch with him instead. After that I felt better, but not to this day have I regained my serenity of mind as to the outcome of that day's work. Every thing was so favorable, so promising, and the possibilities so great, and not even one poor little butterfly to bless myself with; it was too bad. North of the great chain of Aleutian Islands, about Norton Sound, and even north of Bering Strait, and under the icy zone of the Arctic Circle, at Kotzebue Sound, it appears that more butterflies are found than at Sitka, because the islands deflect the Japan current to the east and south, so that the more northern regions mentioned are more free from the fog and rain than Sitka is. But even Kotzebue Sound is not a good field for the ento- mologist, and if any enthusiast should desire to go there, my advice would be, " don't." o Preparatory Stages of Pamphila manataaqua. By PHILIP LAURENT, Phila., Pa. On June 24, 1891, I secured two female Pamphila manataaqna , which I placed in a small cage containing a piece of grass sod; during the night nine eggs were laid. The eggs are hemispher- ical in shape, excepting that the apex is somewhat flattened. In color the eggs are of an opaque-white with a greenish tinge. When observed with the naked eye the egg appears to be smooth, but observed through a glass of ordinary power it will be seen that the egg is covered with minute depressions. On July sth the young larvae emerged from the egg. The larvae are slender and more cylindrical than those of most Pamphila. In color they are the same as the egg, excepting the head, which is of a dark brown color. The head, when observed through a strong glass, is found to have a corrugated appearance. On the ii| .pel- part of first segment immediately back of the head, a narrow band of dark brown is observed. July 25th: Larva- are now about a half inch in length; the body is of a dark or oil-gn en color, while the head still remains brown, but of a lighter .shade than when first observed. 78 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, August 2d: Larvae are now about three-quarters of an inch in length. On examining the larvae with a strong glass, it will be seen that the larvae are covered with numerous irregular spots of a dark lavender color; the body is also seen to be thinly covered with hair, that on the sides of larvae being somewhat longer than that on the top. August 1 3th: Larvae are now full grown, and are about one inch in length. In appearance there has been but little change since August 2d, excepting in the fore feet, which are now dark brown instead of light brown. August 1 4th: The first larva changed to chrysalis to-day. The chrysalis is of a greenish white color, the space occupied by head and thorax, and wing-cases being somewhat darker than the ab- domen. The eye space is very prominent; the tongue case is of a light brown color and extends almost to the tip of abdomen. The chrysalis is fastened among the grass stalks, and is dusted over with a white silky powder. Aug. 2Oth: The last of the larvae changed to a chrysalis to-day. •August 2gth: The first imago emerged to-day a male. August 3oth: Another male appeared. September ist, two males; September 2d, one female; Septem- ber 3d, one male. The others are probably dead. At no time was I able to discover the exact time of moulting, or could I ever find any of the remains of cast-off larva skins; it may be that the larvae devour the cast-off skins, but of this I am not certain, so much of their life is spent in the little grass houses that they construct for themselves, that it is hard to keep an eye on them at all times. I thought perhaps the moulting took place within these houses, but was never able to find any cast-oft skins within them. o Notes on the Life-history of Calpodes ethlius. By T. D. A. COCKERELL, Kingston, Jamaica. Mr. Scudder, in his "Butterflies of New England," p. 1750, gives an interesting account of this species; a description of the mature larva and pupa has also been published by the present writer in the "Journal of the Institute of Jamaica," No. i, p. 29. Mr. I. I. Bowrey has kindly supplied me with eggs found on Canna in his garden in Kingston, from which I have obtained 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 79 the young larvae. Very many of the eggs never produce larva-, but fall victims to a small hymenopterous parasite. This was first observed by Mr. Bowrey, and is specially interesting, because hitherto no parasite of C. ethlius seems to have been recorded. I have not very carefully examined these egg parasites, but they are evidently of the genus Trichogramma, or closely allied thereto. A specimen, compared with Riley's figure of T. pretiosa, has a broader head, and the thorax is larger in proportion to the ab- domen (my specimen is probably a male); the upper wings are apparently more truncate, and the lower seem more slender. With the Trichogramma I found a broken specimen of a different Chalcid, with a broad abdomen about a third longer than wide, a thorax much the same size and shape, wings stretching con- siderably beyond the tip of the abdomen, submarginal vein rather stout, marginal curved away from the costa, stigmal long, with a distinct, though small knob, last pair of legs very long, stretching beyond the tips of closed wings. These notes, al- though so fragmentary, may serve for comparison with parasites of C. ethlius that may be found elsewhere. Certainly, these egg parasites do much towards keeping down the Canna butterfly in Jamaica. The Trichogramma is the important one; whether the other species is common remains to be seen. Eggs of C. ethlius brought to me by Mr. Bowrey on Oct. 24, 1891, were laid singly on a leaf of Canna* They are, as stated by Dr. WittfiVM, plainly visible. The egg is rounded, in section forming rather more than half a circle, smooth, shiny, opaque, with fine im- pressed microscopic punctures or lines, but no ribs. Diameter \]^ mm., color white, with a purple-gray tinge, especially aboVe. The egg-shell is white after the exclusion of the larva, lately-hatched larva is 4 mm. long, and rests on the underside of the leaf, near the edge, which it bends by spinning a transv< thread 4 mm. long. It is pale green (Scudder says pale yellowish brown) with a black shiny head, which has a deep longitudinal sulcus on the crown. Thoracic shield black; body with onlv a few very short and inconspicuous hairs. Thesha]"- is rylindnral, with a large head; different from P. zabulon as figured by Fren.-h. On November 30! the larva was 13 mm. long, cylindrical, looking * On the same leaf I found the eggs of an unknown moth; these are smaller, and laid in a group of eighty or more, very regularly in rows. f<|iiidi*tant, n«> tw<« t^s t.. tailing, They have about twenty-four well-marked ribs. The larva: proved to be l.i,,|,mi; tuids. but the imago was not reared. 80 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, quite like a Pyralid. Head now brown instead of black, but the narrow thoracic shield black; body pale glaucous-green; dorsal vessel showing as a darkish line. Each segment has several transverse grooved striae or wrinkles dorsally. There is very little variation in the imago so far as Jamaican examples are con- cerned. In a series obtained by Mr. Bowrey I find the expanse varying from 53 to 61 mm. The largest vitreous spot on the fore-wing is often subquadrate, as described by Scudder, but often elongate, considerably longer than broad. Mr. Scudder calls this "The Brazilian Skipper," but the Canna butterfly, or Canna Skipper, would be a more appropriate name. o NEW NORTH AMERICAN TACWNiD/E. By C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND, Las Cruces, N. Mex. The following are descriptions of South Florida and Jamaica forms, collected respectively by Mr. Charles Robertson, of Car- linville, III, and Mr. Charles W. Johnson, of the Wagner Insti- tute, Philadelphia. Blepharipeza nigrisquamis n. sp. <$. — Eyes brown; frontal vitta blackish brown; face, cheeks, and sides of front silvery white pollinose, darker in some lights; facial ridges bristly half way up, sides of face bare, except for descending frontal bristles; antennae and arista black, third antennal joint about three times as long as the somewhat elongate second ; pro- boscis black, labella large, brown; palpi rather stout, bristly, rufous, blackish at base; occiput silvery, gray-hairy. Thorax purplish black, faintly silvery pollinose, with four narrow black vittae interrupted at suture, the outer pair more so than the inner pair; scutellum black, very bristly. Abdomen wholly dense black, with a bluish or purplish reflection, thickly set with macrochaetae. Legs black, claws and pulvilli a little elongate, pulvilli tawny. Wings grayish hyaline, broadly and abruptly black at base; tegulae and alulae black, halteres brownish. Length of body, 9 mm.; of wing, nearly 9 mm. Described from one specimen; Portland, Jamaica, April (C. W. Johnson). This species differs from B. leucophrys in its smaller size, blacker bases of wings, and somewhat stouter palpi. Pachyophthalmus floridensis n. sp. J1 •— Eyes brown; frontal vitta nearly black, velvety, narrow, about one-third width of front, front about one- fifth width of head; frontal bristles in double row; sides of front, face, and cheeks silvery whitish, with slight brassy tinge on front; vibrissae dis- tinct, decussate; antenna; black, third joint hardly one and a half times as long as second, arista black; proboscis brownish, palpi blackish; oc- ciput cinereous. Thorax and scutellum silvery cinereous, with three broad 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. Si black vittae, which are continued over scutellum. Abdomen shining black, anal segment rufous, whole abdomen clouded with silvery cinereous, giv- ing the appearance of three broad, irregular, blackish vittee, interrupted at the sutures; first two segments with a lateral pair and a median mar- ginal pair of macrochsetae, third and anal with a marginal row. Legs black, femora silvery cinereous, claws and pulvilli short. Wings slightly grayish, nearly hyaline; tegulae whitish, halteres light brownish. Length of body, 5 mm.; of wing, 4 mm. Described from one specimen; So. Florida (Robertson). Miltogramma decisa n. sp. $ . — Eyes reddish brown; front brassy golden; less than one-third width of head, the frontal vitta nearly obsolete in front; two orbital bristles; face and cheeks pure silvery white; antennae pale rufous, third joint one and a half times as long as second, arista blackish; vibrissae distinct, decussate; proboscis black, palpi rufous (so far as can be seen); occiput cinereous, short and sparsely bristly. Thorax cinereous, silvery pollinose, with three narrow median vittae and a heavier outside one; scutellum more or less cinereous. Abdomen shining black, first segment on sides and second segment entirely, except triangle in middle, rufous; bases of segments two to four silvery white pollinose; first seg- ment without macrochsetae, second with a median marginal pair, third with a lateral pair and a median marginal pair, and with a marginal row. Legs black, front femora silvery on outside, claws and pulvilli very short. Wings grayish hyaline, tegulse white, halteres brownish. Length of body, 4^ mm.; of wing, 3^ mm. Described from one specimen; So. Florida (Robertson). Anisia vanderwulpi n. sp. tf (?).— Eyes cinnamon brown; frontal vitta velvet blackish brown; sides of front and orbital margins of occiput brassy golden; two orbital bristles; face and cheeks silvery white; antenna- ru- fous, the third joint brownish distally and on front edge, arista brownish; proboscis brownish, short, fleshy, labella large, pale tawny, palpi pale tawny; occiput silvery, gray-hairy below. Thorax silvery white pollinose, with four blackish vittae, the outer ones heavier and interrupted at suture, humeri and pleune silvery white ; scutellum silvery white pollinose. domen black, more or less silvery white pollinose, but particularly so at bases of segments and more broadly on vertex, terminal portion of anal segment pale rufous; first two segments with a lateral macrochaeta- and a median marginal pair, the second segment with a median discal pair also; third with a median discal pair, and a marginal row of about ten; anal segment with a marginal and discal row of about eight, those in discal row strongest. Legs black, coxa? and distal inferior half <>f f.-ni..ra light rufous, femora more or less silvery; claws and pulvilli short, pulvilli whitish. Wings grayish hyaline, tegulae transparent like isinglass, halteres yellow. Length of body, 6 mm.; of wing, 5/2 nun. Described from one specimen ; Portland, Jamaica (C. Johnson). (To be continued.) 82 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY. LEPIDOPTERA-HETEROCERA (Moths). By Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, New Brunswick, N. J. The first of the Heterocerous families is the Sphingidae. This family comprises moths of rather large size, the thorax robust, the abdomen elongate and tapering in most cases, and usually considerably exceeding the anal angle of the secondaries. The head is well developed as a rule, and the antennae are usually fusiform and more or less prismatic; that is to say, they are rather thicker in the middle and taper both to base and tip, more so toward the tip, which is generally furnished with a little re- curved hook. The prismatic shape is usually quite marked in the species, and is a peculiarity of the family. The primaries, or fore-wings, are rather long and narrow in most cases, often more or less evidently lanceolate, the secondaries or hind wings proportionately quite small and narrow. As a whole, the wings are small, compared with the bulk of the insect. The venation throughout the family is quite constant. The primaries may have eleven or twelve veins, according as 9 is, or is not branched near its tip. The entire subcostal series is crowded closely to the costa, so that it is difficult to follow the course of all after vein 7. Vein 5 is nearly midway between 4 and 6, and the cell is closed in those species known to me. Vein i, the submedian or internal vein, is furcate at base. On the secondaries the costal and subcostal arise independently from the base and run separately to their termination, joined, however, near the base by an oblique cross-vein, which is char- acteristic of the family. Here also vein 5 is from near the middle of the cross-vein, and there are two internal veins. The larvae of the Sphingidae are as easily recognizable as the images by the curved spine or horn on the top of the terminal segment. In the species in which this horn is wanting there is a shiny tubercle or knob, occupying the position of the more usual process. The pupation is subterranean in most cases. Compact as is the family in general appearance and main struc- tural features, it divides readily into a number of well marked subfamilies. The Macroglossinae are easily distinguished by the rather ob- 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 83 viously clubbed tip of the antenna. They retain their prismatic form and the little recurved hook, but are not fusiform. This subfamily contains the clear-winged forms, Hemaris, and a small series of opaque-winged species which have short, broad fore- tibiae, armed at tip with long stout claws, Lepiscsia. The species are largely diurnal in habit, flying swiftly in the bright sunshine and hovering over the flowers, on the nectar of which they feed. The tongue is well developed, and often nearly as long as the insect itself. The Chcerocampinae have the antennae more or less distinctly fusiform, and the tongue well developed, often longer than the body. There is a tendency to a bright, banded maculation, the abdomen is often tufted, and the fore-wings have the outer margin sinuate or angulate. In Enyo the thorax also is crested. It is in this family that the larvae often have a knob or tubercle instead of the usual horn. Many of the species are diurnal, as in the preceding subfamily, and they are often as swift of flight. Th^ Sphinginae all have fusiform antennae, and usually a long tongue. In some of our species this organ is from six to eight inches in length, and from that it dwindles until it becomes obso- lete in Ellenia. The fore-wings are narrow and lanceolate, and the markings are longitudinally strigose, not banded. They are usually crepuscular, flying at twilight, and from their darting- motions and their habit of hovering over the food-plant, the term " Hawk Moths" has been derived. The Smerinthinae are quite different in many respects. The tongue is obsolete, unless for feeding in all forms, the antennae are often serrated, and sometimes pectinated, and the primaries are often quite broad and usually angulated or dentate. In Cres- sonia the male antennae have two branches to each joint, as in the Saturniidae. A brief statement of subfamily differences is as follows . Antennae distinctly clubbed at tip ... . Macroglossinae. Antennae not distinctly clubbed, usually fusiform. Tongue long and strong. Primaries with outer margin sinuate or angulate . Chcerocampiuae. Primaries with outer margin even . \ Sphinginae. Tongue weak and short. Primaries with outer margin even \ Sphinginae. Primaries angulated or dentate . . Smerinthinae. 84 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, TWO NEW SPECIES OF COLEOPTERA. By G. W. J. ANGELL. Corymbites Weidtii sp. nov. — Elongate oval, dark metallic bronze, with greenish or crimson lustre; third joint of antennae shorter and narrower than fourth. Head strongly and densely punctate, with an occipital fovea. Thorax very convex and distinctly, but not closely punctured; anterior angles broadly rounded, sides sinuate, posterior angles strongly produced and divergent. Elytra at base s-lightly narrower than thorax; one-half longer than wide, greatest width anterior to apical third; sides regularly curved to apex, margin distinct and rather strongly reflexed posteriorly; striae regular and distinct, more deeply impressed at base; intervals irregu- larly, rather densely punctured, punctures confluent or linear, giving a strigate appearance in some lights. Abdominal segments shining golden green, punctate; punctures rather dense at sides, sparse at middle. cf . — Ventral segments more coarsely punctured; third and fourth seg- ments with large, but rather shallow foveae near elytral margin. $. — Ventral segments more finely punctured; a small but deep fovea on either side of third ventral near posterior angles of segment. Length ii mm. Cascade Range, British Columbia; altitude 7000 feet. This species, by the structure of the antennae, naturally falls into Group III of Dr. Horn (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. vol. iii, p. 319). It is one of the many interesting captures of Mr. J. C. Weidt. Elmis COlumbiensis sp. nov.— Elongate oval, shining black, sparsely pubescent. Thorax subquadrate, slightly wider than long, narrowed at front; arcuate and divergent to middle, then subparallel to base, which is strongly sinuate and slightly emarginate at middle; disc sparsely, but dis- tinctly punctured, more densely toward margin; basal lines attaining the middle and limited by two densely punctured foveas on either side of impressed median channel. Elytra at base slightly wider than thorax, hutneri rounded, sides subparallel to apical third, then slightly sinuate and convergent to apex, which is broadly rounded and subtruncate. Elytral striae deeply impressed, punctures large and rather distinct, inter- vals very feebly and finely punctate; fifth, sixth and seventh intervals costate. Elytral margin slightly testaceous; ventral segments feebly, but densely punctate, rather densely pubescent at sides. Legs dark testa- ceous, finely and lightly punctured. Length 2.6 mm. Eraser River Valley, British Columbia; Mr. C. J. Weidt. A truly dainty sportsman he, The fields he never tries; He takes scent bottles 'neath a tree And squirts at butterflies. — New York Herald. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 85 NOTE ON THE HABITS OF AMMOPHILA. By S. W. WILLISTON, Lawrence, Kans. Even the casual observer, to whom all insects are bugs, cannot help but be struck by the great diversity and number of the fos- sorial Hymenoptera of the plains. Water is often inaccessible, trees there are few or none, and only in places is the vegetation at all abundant. A much larger proportion of insects, hence, find it necessary to live or breed in holes in the ground, than is the case in more favored localities. Especially is this the case with the Hymenoptera, great numbers and many species of which thus breed in excavations made by themselves. While packing specimens on an open space, uncovered by buffalo grass, in the extreme western part of Kansas, the early part of last July, the attention of a friend and myself was attracted by the numerous wasps that were constantly alighting upon the ground. The hard, smooth, baked surface showed no indications of disturbance, and it was not till we had attentively watched the insects did we learn what they were doing. The wasp is a very slender one, more than an inch in length, with a slender, pedicel- late abdomen; it is known to entomologists as Ammophila Yar- rowi Cres. They were so numerous that one was distracted by their very multiplicity, but, by singling out different individuals, we were enabled to verify each detail of their operations. An insect, alighting, ran about on the smooth, hard surface till it had found a suitable spot to begin its excavation, which was made about a quarter of an inch in diameter, nearly vertical, and car- ried to a depth of about four inches, as was shown by opening a number of them. The earth, as removed, was formed into a rounded pellet and carefully carried to the neighboring grass ami dropped. For the first half of an inch or so the hole was made of a slightly greater diameter. When the excavation had been carried to the required depth, the wasp, after a survey of the premises, flying away, soon returned with a large pebble in its mandibles, which it carefully deposited within the opening; then, standing over the entrance upon her four posterior feet, she I say she, for it was evident that they were all females) rapidly and most amusingly scraped the dust with her two trout feet, " hand over hand," back beneath her, till she hail tilled the hole above the stone to the top. The operation so far was remarkable 86 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, enough, but the next procedure was more so. When she had heaped up the dirt to her satisfaction, she again flew away and immediately returned with a smaller pebble, perhaps an eighth of an inch in diameter, and then standing more nearly erect, with the front feet folded beneath her, she pressed down the dust all over and about the opening, smoothing off the surface, and ac- companying the action with a peculiar rasping sound. After all this was done, and she spent several minutes each time in thus stamping 'the earth so that only a keen eye could detect any abrasion of the surface, she laid aside the little pebble and flew away to be gone some minutes. Soon, however, she comes back with a heavy flight, scarcely able to sustain the soft green larva, as long as herself, that she brings. The larva is laid upon the ground, a little to one side, when, going to the spot where she had industriously labored, by a few rapid strokes she throws out the dust and withdraws the stone cover, laying it aside. Next, the larva is dragged down the hole, where the wasp remains for a few minutes, afterwards returning and closing up the entrance precisely as before. This, we thought, was the end, and sup- posed that the wasp would now be off about her other affairs, but not so; soon she returns with another larva, precisely like the first, and the whole operation is again repeated. And not only the second time, but again and again, till four or five of the larvae have been stored up for the sustainment of her future offspring. Once, while a wasp had gone down the hole with a larva, my friend quietly removed the door stone that she had placed by the entrance. Returning, she looked about for her door, but not finding it, apparently mistrusted the honesty of a neighbor, which had just descended, leaving her own door temptingly near. She purloined this pebble, and was making off with it, when the rightful owner appeared and gave chase, compelling her to re- linquish it. The things that struck us as most remarkable was the unerring judgment in the selection of a pebble of precisely the right size to fit the entrance, and the use of the small pebble in smoothing down and packing the soil over the opening, together with the instinct that taught them to remove every evidence that the earth had been disturbed. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 87 Lepidoptera of the Adirondack Region of the State of New York. By CHAS. S. MCKNIGHT, Saratoga Springs, N. V. The late W. W. Hill, of Albany, .N. Y., made extensive col- lections of Lepidoptera in Lewis County in this State, and lists of his captures are to be found in several publications.* In addition to those therein enumerated I would add the fol- lowing species taken by myself at Saranac Lake, Franklin Co., N. Y. ; elevation, 1500-1600 feet. Light and sugar were both employed. In the early Spring, while the ground was still cov- ered with snow, many of the hibernating forms were taken in sugar camps at rest on the trees or from the sap pails. Thyreus Abbotii Swains., light, July. Sphinx kalmiae 5". & A., light, July. S. drupiferarum >S. & A., light, June. S. gordius Cram., light, July. S. luscitiosa Cram., rare, July. Ellema coniferarum S. & A., larvae, September. Alypia octomaculata Hbn., bred, June. A. Langtonii Coup., rare, June. Eudryas grata Fab., light, July. Clemensia albata Pack., light, June. Lithosia Candida Hy. Edw., light, July. Crocata brevicornis Walk., light, July. C. rubicundaria Hbn., light, July. Arctia virguncula Kby., light, July. Adoneta spinuloides H. S., light, June. Ichthyura inclusa Hbn., light, June. Gluphisia trilineata Pack., rare, light, July. Notodonta stragula Grt., light, June. Phcesia rimosa Pack., rare, light, July. Ccelodarys biguttata Pack., light, July. Lophopteryx elegans Strk. ,f S , light, June. Heterocampa manteo Donb., rare, light, June. H. biundata Walk., light, June. H. cinerea Pack. , light, June. Samia ce- cropia Linn., bred, June. Telea polyphemus Cram., bred, June. * Thirteenth Annual Report of the N. Y. State Museum of Natural History, 1879. Seventh Annual Report on the Topographical Survey of the Adirondack Region of the State of New York, Colvin — Albany, iSSo. " Papilio," iii, p. 27. t Determined by H. Strecker. In Prof. J. B. Smith's "Check List," 1891, .\ notaria Hy. Edw. (described in " Entomologica Americana," i, p. 17) taken in Colorado by David Bruce, is given as a synonym of the above. In the Colorado spr< minis the pri- maries are described as being of an "even mouse color." In the Adiron mple they are suffused from base to subterminal space and below apex, with Linwiiish nun, darkest along the costa and gradually fading toward the outer margin into the color of the western form. I am unaware of any previous report of the capture of this spei the east. 88 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, NOCTUID^:. Leptina Doubledayi Gin., light, June. L. ophthalmica Gm., light, June. Demas flavicornis Smith, light, June. Momophana Comstockii Grt. , light, May 19. Agrotis attenta Grt. , light, July. A. ochrogaster Gn., sugar, July and August. A. cine- reomaculata Morr., sugar, July and August. A. lubricans Gn., sugar, August. A. velleripennis Grt. , sugar, August. A. al- ternata Grl. , sugar, August. A. badinodis Grt. , sugar, July and August. A. catharina Grt. , sugar, August. A. salicarum Walk., at sap, April. Barathra curialis Smith, light, June. Hadena ducta Grt. , sugar, July. H. nmbrina Gn. , sugar, Au- gust. H. fractilinea Grt. , sugar, August. H. impulsa Gn., sugar, August. Oligia arna Gn., sugar, August. Dipterygia scabriuscula Linn., sugar, August. Tricholita semiaperta Morr., sugar, August. Helotropha reniformis var. atra Grt. , sugar, June. Arzama diffusa Grt., sugar, June. Platysenta atriciliata Grt., sugar, July. Taeniocampa alia, sap pails and sugar, April and September. T. subterminata, sap pails and sugar, April and September. T. peredia, sugar, September. Homoglaea hircina Morr., sugar, April. Himella thecata Morr., sugar, September. Scopelosoma Pettiti Grt., sap pails and sugar, April and Septem- ber. S. Morrisoni Grt., sap pails and sugar, April and Septem- ber. S. devia Grt., sap pails and sugar, April and September. S. Walkerii Grt., sap pails and sugar, April and September. S. lidus Gn., April and September. Scoliopteryx libatrix Linn., sugar, June. Xylina Bethunei G.&R., sap pails, April. X. laticineria Grt., sap pails, April. X. fagina Alorr., sap pails, April. X. Thaxteri Grt., sap pails, April. Morrisonia vomerina Grt., sugar, June. Calocampa curvimacula Morr., sap pails, April. C. cineritia Morr., sap pails, April. C. cineritia var. thoracica Put. — Cram., April. Crambodes talidiformis Gn., sugar, July. Aletia argillacea Hbn., sugar, July. Abrostola urentis Gn., sugar, August. Plusia striatella Grt., light, July. Alaria florida Gn., light, July. Erastria apicosa Harv., sugar, July. Eucliclia cuspidia Hbn., sugar, June. Syneda graphica Hbn., light, July. S. adumbrata Behr.. light, July. Homoptera var. lunata Dm., sugar, August. H. unilineata Grt., sugar, August. H. Woodii Grt., sugar, September. Catocala gracilis Edw., sugar, August. C. retecta Grt., sugar, August. C. antinympha 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 89 Hbn., sugar, August. C. piatrix Crt., sugar, August. Parthenos nubilis Him., sugar, August. Pseudanthrcecia coracias c;>i., sugar, September. Argillophora furcilla Grt., sugar, September. Homopyralis discalis Grt., sugar, August. Pangrapta decoralis Hbn., sugar, June. Pityolita pedipalalis Gn., light, July. 1'lii- lometra longilabris Grf., light, July. Megachyta lituralis Hbn., light, July. Spargaloma sexpunctata Grt., light, July. Capis curvata Grt., light, July. Herminia morbidalis Gn., light, Au- gust. H. petrealis Grt., light, August. Renia restrictalis Grt., light, June. Heterogramma rurigena Grt., light, June. Bomo- locha baltimoralis Gn., light, June. B. bigugalis Walk., light, June. B. albalinealis Walk., light, July. Tortricodes bifidalis Grt., light, June. GEOMETRIDyE. Eudropia effectaria Walk., June. Boarmia crepuscularia Tr., June. Therina eudropiaria G.&R., May. T. semimendaria Walk., May. Lobophora vernata Pack. , May. L. anguilineata Grt., May. Chcerodes climataria 6". & A., June. Aplodes latiaria Pack., June. Orthofidonia exornata Walk., June. Me- tanema carnaria Pack., June. M. inatomaria Gn., June. Cabe- rodes confusaria Hbn., June. Corycia semiclarata Walk., May. Azelina hubnerata Gn., June. Acidalia inductata Gn., June. Pla- godis alcovlaria Gn., June. Fidonia notataria Walk., June. Petrophora populata L., May. By a comparison of these lists it will be evident that this region affords a rich field for collecting. Many additional species, and possibly new forms, may yet be discovered, especially when we consider that the insect fauna of the mountainous portion is still practically unknown. o NOTES UPON LARRAD/E. By WM. HAMPTON PATTON, Hartford, Conn. LIRIS. This genus, founded upon a male type with peculiar tai>i, muv be characterized as follows: Mandibles not dentate without, but with a shallow median notch; 9 mandibles dentate within. $ mandibles not dentate within. Marginal cell pointed, not appen- diculate, reaching as far as third submarginal cell. Ocelli ami metathorax as in Tachytes. 4* 90 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, Liris coxalis n. sp. — Clypeus rounded and somewhat produced at apex; fore coxae of male separated by two slender processes of prosternum, of female contiguous. Length about one inch; Florida. Black; mandibles, except apical third, tawny; tarsi, at least in the middle, brown. Face with tawny pile; posterior tibia; of 9 and anal valve of 9 with brown hairs, anal valve of $ silvery; thorax and first segment with pale hairs; $ apex of segments one and two, $ apex of segments one, two and three, silvery. Tegulae and wings pale ferruginous, apical third fusco-violaceous. Re- sembles Tachytes elongatus Cr. in coloration, and is but little longer. TACHYSPHEX. Represented in this country by Larra analis Fab. ; it is scarcely a distinct genus. It differs from Larra only in the hind ocelli being oval, and the metathorax resembling Lyroda. Other sec- tions of Larra and Tachytes have as good a claim to a generic "name. LARROPSIS n. gen. LARROPSIS TENUICORNIS {Larrada tenuicornis Smith) Type. Second submarginal cell petiolate. Resembles Ammosphecidium in many characters, but differs in many others. I have taken this species in Connecticut and upon the calyx nectar-glands of Te- coma in Virginia. LYRODA SUBITA Say. — This species is peculiar for its non-fos- sorial tarsi, and may belong to Didineis (nee Alyson}. 'Its method of carrying Nemobius, which it catches to feed its young, is interesting. It holds the cricket by clasping the base of the antennae between its mandibles and clypeus, the minute teeth here preventing the antenna from slipping — this explains the use of the teeth on clypeus. BOTHYNOSTETHUS = PlSONITUS Shkd. = SlLAON PicC. Tachytes ccelebs Pttn. \s £ of T. ABDOMINALIS. Larra divisa Pttn. is 9 of L. ^ETHIOPS Cress. TACHYTES MANDIBULARIS Pttn. — This species is common in Hartford, forming hillocks, three or four inches in height and the same in breadth of base, upon sidewalks and lawns about Sep- tember first. It stores up Xiphidium for its brood. Equatorial Africa promises another treasure to civilization. It is a much scented plant, the branches of which carried about the persons will frighten away mosquitoes. — Philadelphia Record. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 91 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ODONATA OF MAINE.-II. Specimens taken near Orono, Penobscot County, Me., 1891. By F. L. HARVEY, Orono, Me. (Continued from Vol. II, Nos. 3 and 4, 1891.) Tribe L— AGRIONINA. Subfamily i. — CALOPTERYGINA. 1. Calopteryx maculata Beauvois. — Though very abundant last year, was very scarce this season. Specimens were taken, June 1 3th, in swamps in deep woods, but we visited the locality about the same date where they were abundant last season, but took none. Can it be that this species requires more than one season to transform? 2. C. tequabilis Say. — This species seems to be scarce; took a single specimen June i3th. Subfamily 2. — AGRIONINA. 4. Argia putrida Hagen. — Specimens taken June 2Oth, over roads. 6. Ischnura verticalis Say. — Taken June I3th, but no orange forms observed until July 22d, when they were common, but were not observed mating. 8. Enallagma Hageni Walsh. — Taken June I3th and 2oth, and July 22d. 39. Enallagma signatum Hag. — July 23, 1891, Chemo Stream near the lake; quite abundant. As many as fifty seen in patches of Juncus and over lily pods. We were botanizing with some friends, and had time to take only five specimens. We went to the locality July 28th, and not a single specimen could be found. There had been a heavy rain between the dates. Hagen gives the habitat of this species as Georgia and Louisiana.* Mr. Cul- vert writes that it occurs about Philadelphia, Pa. To find it abun- dant so far North is certainly interesting. 40. Enallagma pollutum Hag. — July 23, 1891, Chemo Stream with the above, but not so abundant. Several seen, however, but only three taken. On July 28th a single specimen was seen and taken. This species is recorded only from Florida i I tagen, 1861, p. 84) so far as we know. To find this southern species so far North, and no intermediate localities, is, indeed, remarkable. * Baron deSelys (1876) adds Maryland and Illinois.— 1'. 1'. C. Q2 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, Tribe II.— /ESCHNINA. Subfamily 3. — yEscHNiNA. 17. sEschna {Basics schna) Janata Say. — Reported from Col- lege collection, but taken this season, July 6th and I2th, Orono and Chemo Stream. 41. sEschna (Fonscolombia) vinosa Say. — July i2th and 28th, two females taken on window-screen in the evening. They seemed to be attracted by the light. Subfamily 4. — GOMPHINA. 22. Gomphus exilis Selys. — Reported from College collection, but taken this season in abundance at Orono along the border of woods, June 2Oth. 23. Gomphus spinosus Selys. — Reported from College collec- tion, but taken June I5th this season at Orono over a swamp. 42. Gomphus brevis Selys. — June 2oth; border of woods, £ and 9 • One specimen, £ , differs from the type by being larger; absence of the small tooth at the rear of the eye near the occiput; the pterostigma dark brown instead of pale yellow, and the an- terior femora entirely black instead of yellow below on the mid- dle. Mr. Calvert, to whom the specimens were referred, says: " They differ somewhat from the original description, but as this was drawn up from a single $ from Schoharie, N. Y. , and a single 9 (with the last 7 abdominal segments wanting) from Port Neuf, Canada, the differences are perhaps only those of in- dividuals." There is a single £ of this species in the collection of the late Anson Allen, of Orono, Me., but the exact locality is not given. This species is closely related to the following species which was taken along with it and G. exilis the same day at the same locality. 43. Gomphus abbreviatus Hagen. — June 2oth, back of college woods. Several males and females; associated with the above. Orono, Me. 44. Cordulegaster maculatus Selys. — June nth. Very abun- dant over Sunk Haze Stream, Greenfield, Me. The specimens were nearly all males, only one female was taken. They were fol- lowing the stream up and down, and by our wading to the middle in a shallow place, were readily taken. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 93 45. Cordulegaster (Zortena) diastatops Selj-s. — A single $ of this species is in the collection of the late Mr. Anson Allen, of Orono, Me.', and was taken in the vicinity of Orono. (To be continued.) Notes and. ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS OF THE GLOBE. [The Conductors of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS solicit, and will thankfully receive items of news, likely to interest its readers, from any source. The author's name will be given in each case for the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] To Contributors.— All contributions will be considered and passed upon at our earliest convenience, and as far as may be, will be published according to date of recep- tion. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS has reached a circulation, both in numbers and circumfer- ence, as to make it necessary to put "copy" into the hands of the printer, for each number, three weeks before date of issue. This should be remembered in sending special or im- portant matter for certain issue. Owing to low subscription rate, " extras" will be charged for, and when they are wanted, it should be so stated on the MS. along with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged.— ED. To OUR SUBSCRIBERS : — This number of the NEWS contains thirty-two pages, an illustration, a review of the literature for a month, identifications of insects for subscribers and free exchange notices. Do you appreciate all this ? Do you realize that the price for which you get this is ridicu- lously low? This is all a labor of love for your benefit and to advance entomology. We tell you this because we are ambitious to make the NEWS a model entomological journal, but to do this we need your assist- ance and encouragement. If you want to see the NEWS grow and thrive you must do your part. Send us the names of all your entomological friends so that we may send them sample copies. Try and induce others to subscribe. We already have a large subscription-list, but we do not wish to stop where we are at present; we wish to produce an illustrated monthly magazine of entomology which will be the best of its kind in the world; but with all our gratuitous labors in such a good cause, \\e \\ill fail without your assistance. Remember, that the time we devote to this work is stolen, and that it could be far more profitably spent if \\«- con- sidered pecuniary reward. We depend on you to see that it is not love's labor lost. — ED. DURING the year 1890 an idea originated among the members of the Feldman Collecting Club which we think is destined to intluence the future of entomology in this country and bear good fruit. The idea referred to was the excursion planned for the fourth of July, iSgo. at Jamesburg, N. J., at which place the members of the entomological societies of 1'hila- 94 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, delphia, Brooklyn and New York met. Two of these excursions have been held, and accounts of them have been published in the ENTOMO- LOGICAL NEWS and "Canadian Entomologist." Every entomologist knows what a stimulus it is to find some one else as interested in the study as himself, and what additional pleasure it is to have a companion on a collecting trip, with whom we can compare notes and show our inter- esting captures; and there is also a generous rivalry which induces us to put forth our best endeavors. At Jamesburg, students and collectors who had corresponded or known of each other for years, had the pleas- ure of becoming more intimately acquainted and a hearty hand-shake, and a pleasant chat and a comparing of notes was seen on all sides. Now what we propose, is to carry this idea farther and organize a National Association, to be composed of the different State organizations. The objects of such an association would be the encouragement of entomo- logical studies, to bring about the acquaintance of those interested in entomology in each State, for the purpose of studying geographical dis- tribution of insects, purposes of exchange, social collecting or field meet- ings, and for mutual encouragement. An annual dinner might be given and papers read and discussed by the members. Much progress has lately been made in entomology in this country, and its importance as a study is being more fully recognized as time goes by. We hope soon to see such an organization formed in every State and Territory in the Union, with its president, treasurer and s cretary. The NEWS will be much pleased to hear of any State taking the initiative, and will gladly publish the name of its officers and members. Some time ago a prominent ento- mologist from a Western State visited us, and, in talking over matters of mutual interest, we found that he did not know of half those interested in entomology in his own State. Now, it should be the duty of the State secretary of the organization to keep a complete list of all entomologists in the State, with their addresses and order or orders in which they are interested, and send a printed copy to each member, and from time to time notify them of additional names. This article is only in the way of a suggestion, and many other interesting outcomes of the plan may appear and details carried out later on. — ED. ROCKS. — An entomological friend, to whom I once sent a letter bristling with questions, replied, after a long silence, in explanation: " Remember it is about 999 times easier to ask questions than to answer them !" The questions and problems suggested by Messrs. Mason and Tough in EN- TOMOLOGICAL NEWS, are easily asked or stated, but there the simplicity ends. In an old country like Europe, where there is a large population, with many that are interested in Entomology, illustrated works such as those suggested are feasible, and are in existence. In some cases wealthy amateurs publish expensive works, beautifully illustrated, without hope or expectation of return; while in others, the comparative cheapness of reproductive methods allows of publications at a reasonable price, with a 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 95 less sumptuous illustration. In our country the number of those inter- ested is so small, that publication must be at a loss even if the illustrati« >ns be of the least expensive character consistent with accuracy and definition. Photography will do much, but there are many species, especially among the moths, in which it can give us an outline, and in which it fails to give shades or even contrasts of color where the two colors affect the plate similarly. The orthochromatic plates help somewhat, but do not solve the problem entirely. I think I can safely say that all of my colleagues in the work on the " List" would be willing to contribute to publications such as suggested, could they be ensured against financial loss — recompense they would not expect. I know of at least two monographic works that cannot be issued in the shape in which they were planned, simply because of the cost and the absolute hopelessness of getting back the outlay. No publisher will touch them, except at the authors' expense, and the authors are not wealthy. But, after all, are the "Rocks" so formidable, and would the illustrations really do much to advance the study of Entomology? Mr. Meyrick is opposed to all illustration of species because he thinks the figures will be used to identify specimens without recourse to the text for a knowledge of characters. While I do not agree with him fully, I think there is no reasonable cause for complaint where monographic works on a family are at hand, even if not illustrated. Of course it means study, but no one who is really interested will shirk study. That interest which goes only to the collection of specimens and naming them by pictures, without any further object, is scarcely worthy of much attention. We have books enough for those who want to study, and never have- there been so many papers of a monographic character issued, as in the tew years last past. The fact that our fauna is incompletely known is no ob- jection to monographic work. A very serious trouble, however, which is really the greatest " Rock," is the fact that the publications that do exist, are usually not accessible, except in large cities, and often not then. Yet, even this trouble is gradually disappearing, and the newer puMii a- tions, on which ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS keeps its readers posted, largely render reference to older and more rare works unnecessary. .Meanwhile, I will suggest that there is scarcely a specialist who will not gladly name for the collector such material as is sent him, or who will not give what aid is in his power to the young student. Finally, I will make a definite proposition: If three hundred and fifty subscribers could be obtained tor a monograph of the Noctuidie to be issued in monthly parts, each pan to cost fifty cents, and to be illustrated by at least one quarto plate uitli necessary descriptive matter, I would agree to prepare such a work Number of parts not stated. — JOHN B. SMII n. THE special bulletin of the Massachusetts Agricultural College just issued contains an interesting account of the gypsy moth, Oanria by Prof. C. H. Fernald. The State of Mass.irhu-.etts is making a fight against this most destructive insect. Two years ago the State ap- 96 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, propriated $50,000 for this work; last year $50,000, and it has lately ap- propriated $75,000 for the work of the coming year. They are doing everything possible to disseminate a knowledge of this insect among the people, having published a special report, with colored figures, of the insect in its various stages. Prof. Fernald, in his interesting account, says that there is a statement in the second volume of the "American Ento- mologist," published in 1870, "that only a year ago the larva of a certain Owlet moth (H. dispar), which is a great pest in Europe, both to fruit and forest trees, was accidentally introduced by a Massachusetts entomologist into New England." He then gives an interesting account of its distri- bution, food-plants, enemies, how to destroy them, etc. This method of introduction should be a warning to entomologists. We have had sent to us from foreign countries living injurious insects packed in paste-board boxes which were partly crushed in the mails and in the best possible condition for naturalization. Mr. CHAS. DURY, in vol. xiv, p. 183 of the " Cincinnati Journal of Natu- ral History," gives an interesting account of the inhabitants of a field mouse nest: " I went to an old orchard, and under the first log rolled over I discovered a nest, and secured a mouse as she rushed out. She proved to be the 'short-tailed meadow shrew,' Blarina brevicanda (Say). I lifted the nest into the sifting-net and sifted it over a sheet of white paper, and was overwhelmed at the result. The fine debris was a jumping, crawling mass of insect life: beetles, fleas, ticks and larvae. There were over a hundred large, vicious-looking fleas, most energetic biters. How the mouse could live in such a den is a mystery. There were 107 Lep- tinits testaceus. The other beetles associated with the Leptinus were Staphylimdae, or ' rove' beetles of species new to me." Mr. THOS. E. BEAN contemplates collecting during the Summer of 1892 on the mountains of the central range in the vicinity of Laggan and Hector (Can. Pacif. Railway), at summit of Kicking Horse Pass, and in the most accessible part of the Bow Valley. He will give particular at- tention to alpine work, and collect all orders of insects. IN the March number of the NEWS, on page 70, there appeared a short article put in by the printer to fill out the page, and he neglected to label it "Newspaper Entomology." This describes a most curious hybrid insect (probably hybrid between a tarantula and a scorpion) which stings and bites with one end and stings with its tail at the other. If it were not stated that the insect was a spider we would think the Doctor specialist who treated the sting or bite, had a scorpion in his mind. It is very doubtful whether a scorpion can sting itself in the back as the sting points the wrong way for this manoeuver. We see many curious insects de- scribed in the daily press, and one we described in the NEWS turned out to be a new genus and species (Electricia totnfooleryt'nsis}, vol. ii, p. 54. Mr. Pun. IP LAURKNT, of Philadelphia, thinks of going to Colorado on a collecting trip, during the coming season. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 97 Prof. C. H. FERNALD is writing a descriptive work on the Microlepid- optera, to be entitled " Manual of the Microlepidoptera of N. America " This will be a very important contribution to the subject, and should greatly increase the number of persons interested in this department of Lepidoptera. Prof. Fernald will be his own publisher. TRANSACTIONS of the American Entomological Society, vol. xix (1892). —Pages 25-40 inclusive, have been printed since our last issue, containing the conclusion of Dr. Horn's " Study of Amara, s. g. Celia," and the first pages of his " Random Studies of North American Coleoptera." PREVENTION OF THE PEACH YELLOWS AND ROSETTE, AS CAUSED BY THE YELLOW$ MITE. — The Peach Yellows is caused by the mite firiobia pratensis, as noted by me in ENT. NEWS for December, 1891. Its orange- colored eggs cover the bark in Winter. The mite is also destructive to grass and clover, as noted in "Insect Life" for September, 1890. The Peach Rosette is an after effect of the Yellows, hence the cause is the same. Trees rarely live more than a year after the mites attack them. The mites are classed among those that spin silk, and are readily trans- ported from tree to tree by the wind carrying them upon their silken webs. It has been recommended to root up infested trees, and New York State has a law requiring it, but the discovery of the cause of the Yellows will require a modification of the law, as other remedies may be easily applied. Carbolic soap washed upon the trunks and twigs in Winter will readily destroy the mite eggs, and whitewash similarly applied will also be a good preventative. A spraying of kerosene emulsion, or of pyre- thrum in solution, upon the affected trees would also destroy the mites. An investigation of the hatching of the eggs in Spring is needed. The orange-colored mites in contrast with the green of the leaves produces the yellow tint giving rise to the name of the disease. — W. H. PATTON. PASSENGERS on the Ninth Avenue elevated road, New York, h.i\< watched for the past three years a sightly pile slowly growing into shape in Manhattan Square. Those who did not know already what the build- ing was, easily learned from their neighbors that it was the new addition to the Museum of Natural History. On the fifth floor will be arran.u* >1 the ethnological and entomological collections. The recent additions to the latter ar<" many. Among them are the Elliot collection of N'eu York butterflies, presented by the widow of Mason S. Elliot, of Brooklyn. It contains 30,000 specimens. Her husband's collection of 10,000 volumes of natural history was part of the gift. The Angus collection of 14,000 moths and butterflies is another new exhibit. Of Catocake alone, Mr. James Angus informed me that there were over noo specimens, the lal><>r of forty years' collecting, and that he never took any at su^.tr. U. E. KIN/.E. MERISUS IN EUROPE AND IN AMERICA. — It seems pn.lubk- that the importation of the European parasite of the Hessian Fly will result a> unfortunately as did Prof. Riley's introduction, some years ago, of the 98 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, European Apanteles parasitic on the cabbage butterfly. In the latter case the only result was the discovery that the insect had been well known in America for fifty years past. So with the Hferisus, there are no specific characters to separate nigripes from our well-known M. destructor (Say) and all the species referred to this genus in this country are synonyms. In fact the genus contains but one species. The subgenus Homoporus was founded upon dessicated or worn specimens, and the other subgenus named by Thomson was similarly founded upon imperfectly developed individuals. I have bred M. destructor Say from the chrysalids of Orgyia leucostigma at Hartford; an hitherto unknown host for the species, afford- ing- the peculiarity of many (often up to 100) flies emerging from one pupa, whereas in the Hessian Fly each pupa affords room for but.one parasite- WM. H. PATTON, Hartford, Conn. Identification of Insects (Jmagos) for Subscribers. Specimens will be named under the following conditions: ist, The number of speci- mens to be unlimited for each sending; 2d, The sender to pay all expenses of transporta- tion and the insects to become the property of the American Entomological Society; 3d, Each specimen must have a number attached so that the identification may be an- nounced accordingly. Exotic species named only by special arrangement with the Editorj who should be consulted before specimens are sent. Send a 2 cent stamp with all insects for return of names. Before sending insects for identification, read page 41, Vol. III. Address all packages to ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, Academy Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa. Insects have been named for W. W. Newcomb, W. E. Longley, Geo. Miller, D. S. Harris, W. M. Hill, H. Caracciolo, H. C. Denslow, A. A. Wright, H. E. Weed, W. Metcalfe, A. Sheriff, Frank H. Johnson, A. G. Weeks, Jr. Entomological Literature. To those who can master the German language there is no work pub" lished in recent years which will give greater assistance to the student of Coleoptera than the " Coleoptera of Middle and Southern Europe," by Dr. L. Ganglbauer. The work is filled with useful tables, and abundantly illustrated by well-executed wood-cuts of details, which will be found extremely useful. It would be difficult to make any adverse criticism, except that based on purely personal opinion, and to this extent his method of separating the tribes of Carabidae seems not that which will enable the student to make the most certain progress. The first volume, containing the Cicindelidae, Carabidce and Dysticidre, is all that has thus far appeared. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 99 ACTA SOCIETATIS PRO FAUNA ET FLORA FENNICA, VI, Helsingfors 1889-90. — Enumeration of the Brachelytrous Coleoptera of Finland: II. Pselaphidse and Clavigeridse,* J. Sahlberg (1889). SCHRIFTEN DES NATURWISSENSCHAFTLICHEN YKKKIXS FUR SCHLEE- wic-HoLSTEiN, viii, 2, Kiel, 1891. — Contributions to the insect fauna of Schleswig-Holstein, iv, v, W. Wuestnei. COMPTE RENDU. SOCIETE DE BIOLOGIE (Paris), Jan. 29, 1892.— On a Stratyomid Dipter (Beris vallata Forster) imitating a Tenthrid (Athalia auaiilafa Fabr.), A. Giard. The wandering cricket (Schistocerca /V/r- grina Ohr.) and its changes of color, J. K. d'Herculais. — Feb. 5, 1892.— On a hemipter-heteropter (ffalticus minutus Renter) which ravages the arachid plantations in Cochin China, A. Giard. — Feb. 20, 1892. — Struc- ture of an abdominal ganglion of Mclolontha, A. Binet. LE NATURALISTS (Paris), Feb. i, 1892. — Papi/io machaon L. and its different varieties, L. Austaut. Descriptions of new Lepidoptera,* P. Dognin. — Feb. 15, 1892. — The woody cecids of Rnbus, E. Halle, figs. Deformities observed in Coleoptera, L. Planet, figs. — March i, 1892.— Descriptions of new Lepidoptera,* P. Dognin. TERMESZETRAJZI FUZETEK xiv, Budapest, 1891. — Exotic Myriapoda in the zoological collection of the University of Heidelberg,* Dr. E. v. Daday, i pi. New Tenthredinidse and Siricidae,* A. Mocsary. ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, vi, 1-4, New York, 1891. — Coleopterological notices, T. L. Casey. ENTOMOLOGISCHE NACHRICHTEN (Berlin), xviii, 2, January, 1892.— New Histeridas (Coleoptera),* J. Schmidt. On the occurrence of halo- philous Saldae'm Lorraine, J. J. Kieffer. — 3. February, 1892. Notes on the beetle fauna of Brunswick, Dr. K. M. Heller. Ichneumonid and Try- phonid studies, Dr. Kriechbaumer. The Zoocecidai of Lorraine iii, J. ]. Kieffer. OUTLINES OF ENTOMOLOGY. — Prepared for the use of farmers and hor- ticulturists, at the request oi the secretary of the State Hoard of Agricul- ture and the State Horticultural Society of Missouri. By Mary K. Mm t- felclt, Kirkwood, Missouri. Jefferson City, Mo. Tribune Printing Co., State printers and binders, 1891. Pp. ii, 132, iii, 48 wood-cuts. Tin's ele- mentary work describes the structure of insects in general, after which each order is separately considered as regards its various groups with their chief characteristics and habits. A List of some of the catalogues and local lists of North American ' leoptera.— I. (A-G) II. (H-P) III. (R-Z) T-y John Hamilton ami Samuel Henshaw (Psyche, October, December, 1891; January. 1892). * Contains new species other than North American. 100 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, BULLETIN DE LA SOCIETE PHILOMATHIQUE DE PARIS (8), iii, 4, 1891.— Contributions to the embryogeny of the Chalcidians, preliminary note, L. F. Henneguy, figs. ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEiGER (Leipzig), Feb. i, 1892. — To the knowledge of the biological relations between host and parasitic bee-larva?, C. Ver- hoeff. On the American Intermediate Host of Echinorhynchus gigas, C. \V. Stiles \_Lachnosterna\. — Feb. 15, 1892. — Self-mutilation among grasshoppers, F. Werner. To the knowledge of cone-lice (Lac /inns'), N. Cholodkovsky. ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY (6), ix, 50, February, 1892. — Descriptions of new genera and species of Pyralidas contained in the British Museum collection,* W. Warren. COMPTE RENDU. SOCIETE ENTOMOLOGIQUE DE BELGIQUE, Jan. 8, 1892. [misprinted 1891] New species of Heterocera from the Dutch East In- dies,* F. J. M. Heylaerts. The Coccinellidas of Chota-Nagpore,*| J. Weise. List of the Hemiptera of Belgium: II. Homoptera, E. Coubeaux. SEVENTEENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST on the Noxious and Beneficial Insects of the State of Illinois. By S. A. Forbes, Spring- field, 111., 1891. Pp. 90, 36, ix. , 7 pis. i portrait of Wm. LeBaron. REVUE SCIENTIFIQUE DU BOURBONNAIS II, 2, Moulins, February, 1892, Bittacus tipularius, R. Martin. TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, xix, i. Philadelphia, Feb., 1892. — Studies in Chrysomelidae, G. H. Horn, M.D. BRITISH NATURALIST (London), February, 1892. — Portrait of H. T. Stainton. Preliminary list of Hymenoptera-Aculeata of Lancaster and Cheshire, W. Gardner. Dragonflies, F. Milton. ENTOMOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS. By A. S. Packard, M.D., Ph.D. Third edition. Revised. New York, Henry Holt & Co., 1890. Pp. xvi, 367. 273 figs. ENTOMOLOGISK TIDSKRIFT (Stockholm), xii, i, 2, 1891. — New Brazilian species of scorpions, *t T. Thorell, i pi. New Longicorn Coleoptera,*f C. Aurivillius, figs.; and papers in Swedish on Scandinavian insects. PROCEEDINGS U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM xiv, SSi, Washington, 1892.— The biology of the Hymenopterous insects of the family Chalcididae, L. O. Howard. SPECIAL RRPORT OF THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, Boston, 1892. — On the work of extermination of the Ocneria dispar or gypsy moth by C. H. Fernald, 26 pp. 6 pi. ATTI D. REALE ACCADEMIA DEI LINCEI (Rome), Rendiconti, Jan. 17, 1892. — On Termite societies, B. Grassi. * Contains new species other than North American. + Contains new genera. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NF.US. IOI JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA (Kingston), i, 2, Feb., 1892.— A Tachinid bred from Protoparce Jainaicetisis Bull, in Jamaica, C. H. Tyler Tovvnsend. A first contribution to the entomology of Bath. Jamaica, T. D. A. Cockerell. The larva of Danais Jainaicoisis Bates, C. B. Taylor. IOWA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, Bulletin Xo. 15.— Des Moines, November, 1891. Reports on injurious insects, H. Osborn and H. A. Gossard. ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE (London), March, 1892. — On the origin of ants' nests, W. W. Smith. Notes on the synonymy of sev- eral West-African Lycaenidae, H. H. Druce. Another addition to the British fleas, E. Saunders. Synonymical notes on Cynipida- and For- micidae, P. Cameron. Migrations and new localities of some Coccids, W. M. Maskell. Annotated list of British Tachiniidae,* R. H. Meade. Neuroptera of the Channel Islands, W. A. Luff, R. McLachlan. The butterflies of Rawal Pindi and the Murree Hills (Punjab), N. Manders. Notes. MEMORIAS v REVISTA DE LA SOCIEDAD CIENTIKICA " Antonio Alzate," v, 3 and 4, Mexico, 1892. — General protective resemblance in the Mexican Lepidoptera of the genus Ithoinia, Prof. A. L. Herrera. COMPPE RENDU. ACADEMIE DES SCIENCES (Paris), Feb. 22, 1892.— Structure of the larval nervous system of Straliomys strigosa, F. Hen- neguy and A. Binet. YERHANDLUNGEN DER K. K. .ZOOL.-BOTAN. GESELLSCHAFT IN \Yn N, xli, 3, 1891. — New Termitophilous insects, with a review on Termite guests,*! E. Wasmann, i pi. — 4, 1891. On the grasshopper swarms in Algeria, Dr. C. B. v. Wattenwyl. Descriptions of new varieties of Bom- bycidae from Syria, A. Rogenhofer. Swimming butterflies, Dr. S. Klem- ensiewicz. BULLETIN OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION OF THE UNI- VERSITY of Tennessee, iv, 3, July, 1891, Knoxville, Tenn. — The true bugs or Heteroptera of Tennessee, H. E. Summers, figs. CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, March, 1892. — Miscellaneous notes on but- terflies, larvae, etc., \V. H. Edwards. I\wipliila inanitoha Scud, an.l its varieties, H. H. Lyman. New species of Pyralidce, G. I). Hulst. Notes on N. American Tachinidas, etc., v, C. H. T. Tovvnsend. Getting but- terfly eggs, W. G. Wright. Amblyoponc pallipcs Hald., W. H. Harrin- 1< >n. ' THE ENTOMOLOGIST (London), March, 1892. — Ephestia kuhniella R. Adkin. Entomological pins, Dr. D. Sharp. Arcl'ui i -a/a, }. Arkk-. Notes on the synonymy of Noctuid moths, A. < >. Butler. Coleoptera fnmi Cen- tral China and the Korea,* Rev. H. S. Gorham. Notes, etc. SITZUNGS-BERICHT D. GESELLSCHAFT NATUKF«)RSCMI-.NI>MS FKKUNDE zu BERLIN, Jan. 19, 1892. — Insect remains from the peat strata of Klinge, H. Schaeff. * Contains new species other than North American. t Contains new genera. 102 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, NEW SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING LITERATURE. MYRIAPODA. Spirostreptus flavocingulatus Daday, Termeszetrajzi Fuzetek xiv, p. 137, tab. vii, fig. 4, Calif. Rachis calif ornicus, p. 142, tab. vii, fig. 12, Calif. Scolopendra viridi/imbata, p. 148, N. Am. LEPIDOPTERA. Pyralidae: Monocona n. gen. Warren, Ann. and Mag. N. H. (6), ix, p. 173. M. rubralis id., p. 174, Calif. Minwschinia n. gen. p. 174; type Botys thalialis Wlk. Noctnelia flavifimbrialis, p. 174, Calif. Aporodes versicolor, p. 175, Washington. Pyransta cocci ttia, p. 176, Calif. Sylly- thria snbricalis, p. 177, Calif. Myelois fructetella Hulst, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 59, Ariz., Tex. M. elegantella, p. 59, Washington. M. texanella, p. 60, Tex. M. leucophaeella, p. 60, Iowa. Acrobasis cirroferella, p. 60, Tex. Salebria levigatella, p. 61, Mass., Wis. >S. purpurella p. 61, N. Mex. Zophodia bella, p. 61, Mass. Ocala n. gen. p. 61. O. dryadella, p. 61, Fla. Diviana nymphaeella, p. 62, Fla. Chipeta n. gen., p. 62. C. perlepidella, p. 62, Fla. Lipographis subosseella, p. 62, Bahamas, W. I. Paralipsa decorella, p. 63, N. Y., Ont. Loxostege baccatalis, p. 63, Tex. Papilio Hollandii Edwards, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 50, Col. HEMIPTERA. Halticus Uhleriior H. minutus Popenoe (preoc.), Giard, C. R. Soc. Biol. Paris (n. s.), iv, p. Si. Aspidiotus articulatus Cockerell, Journ. Ins. Jam. i, p. 54, Jamaica, Barbadoes. COLEOPTERA. Casey, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. vi, pp. 9-214, desoribes 3 n. sp. of Cu- cujidse; i n. sp. Elateridae; 3 Scarabasidse; 6 n. gen., 46 n. sp. Cerambyc- idae; 2 n. gen., 54 n. sp. Cistellidae; i n. gen., 7 n. sp. Meloidaa; 28 n. sp. Curculionidae; from all parts of U. S. Euryscopa pusilla Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xix, p. 16, Tex. E. snb- filis p. 17, Calif. Amara Belfragei, p. 19, Tex. Saxinis politula, spccn- lifera p. 10, Calif. Coscinoptera seininiida, p. 13, Ariz. DIPTERA. Masicera protoparcis Townsend, Journ. Ins. Jam. i, p. 70, Jamaica. Blepharipcza exul Townsend, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 64, N. H. Conia saga.v, p. 65, Iowa. Pseudogonia ruficauda, p. 66, S. Dak. Plagia aurifrons, p. 67, Pa. Trixia gillettei, p. 68, Col. Milfogramma katisoisis, p. 68, Kan. Mctopia Luggeri, p. 69, Minn. Thryptocera americana, p. 69, D. C. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 103 Doings of Societies. A REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES was held February 25th. Meeting called to order at 8.30 P.M., Dr. Horn, director, presiding. Members present: Ridings, Skinner, Martindale. Associates: Calvert, Johnson, Nell and Fox. Mr. Calvert presented the third lot of European Odonata, twelve specimens of Gomphits, which makes the representation of this genus pretty full. Dr. Horn presented thirty-six specimens of Coleoptera from Mexico, being lot No. 2. Specimen of Triptogon occidentalis presented by H. Skinner. Fifteen species of Tachinidce; twenty-one specimens by C. H. Tyler Townsend. These are type- specimens, and will make a valuable addition to the collection of Diptera. Mr. Calvert exhibited drawings representing the neuration in his new genus of dragonflies, Ortholestes and two allied genera of Agrio- nina. He pointed out the generic differences as shown by variation in the neuration. It was also stated that Dr. Karsch had recently described a new genus of AGRIONINA, Neuragrion from Ecuador, and the speaker pointed out the characters on which the genus was based. The capture of a specimen of Pantala flavescens was reported from Fairmount Park. Dr. Horn spoke of the mechanism of the veins in NEUROPTERA, in refer- ence to their utility in flight, and in regard to the strength of the wing. The subject was further discussed by Messrs. Horn, Calvert and Martin- dale. The director announced the death of Henry Walter Bates on Feb- ruary lyth. Messrs. C. YV. Johnson and Charles Liebeck were proposed for membership. HENRY SKINNKK, THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 1892. — Under the head of short notes, Mr. Ashmead made some interesting remarks on Eunotus, a peculiar chalcid genus, new to the United States. It was his opinion that it belonged to the subfamily Apheliniiue. Dr. Stiles noted a report that a man in Germany had been bitten by the common house fly and died within twenty-tour hours. Much discussion folio- throwing considerable discredit upon the story. Mr. Hanks exhibited a male specimen of Loxosceles which had but six developed legs. 1 >r. Marx exhibited a peculiar Theridid spicier which had extremely Ion- mandibles. Dr. Stiles made some instructive remarks on a liver-fluke story that was circulating in certain papers. According to this story tin- young stages of the liver-fluke were passed in the house-lly. wln-ivas they are passed in snails. Mr. Mally read a paper on "An Insectivorous Prim- rose." He drew attention to the fact that (F.uotlicra spcciota raptured a small Dipterous insect upon its gummy style and stigma. Hut one species was seen trapped. As the insect could not be eaten by tin- plant the author thought that the insects must, in some way, aid the t'-i tili/ation , ,f ovules. Discussed bv Messrs. Ashmead, Test, Srhwarx. .Marx, H«nvard, Stiles and Marlatt. Mr. Howard contributed an important paper <>n 104 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, "Spider Parasites," being a complete revision of our knowledge of these interesting insects, both European and American. Lists and breeding notes were given and specimens exhibited. He also called attention to the habits of Manfispa and some Acroceridce, which, in Europe, are known to be parasitic on spiders. Discussed by Messrs. Ashmead, Mar- latt, Test, Schwarz, Fox and Marx. Dr. Stiles made a few remarks on the various Nematode genera parasitic on spiders. Dr. Marx made a few additions to his paper on ticks. Prof. Summers was invited to speak, and made some instructive remarks on collecting and labeling. NATHAN BANKS, Recording Secretary. CYNIPS Q-GLOBULUS Fitch. — The galls of this species I have found upon the European oak, Q. pedunculata, planted in Hartford, Conn. From them I have reared a small inquilinous Cynipid and a species of Callimome. WM. H. PATTON. THYNNUS IN CALIFORNIA. — This genus has not hitherto been found north of the Equator in either hemisphere, nor has any of the family Thynnidae. A specimen received from Dr. F. E. Blaisdell from Poway, San Diego County, Cal., is the first intimation of its occurrence in North America. It is a small black species with hyaline wings, and may be named Thynnus calif ornicus. — W. H. PATTON. OBITUARY ROBERT BUNKER died at his home in Rochester, N. Y., March 6th, aged seventy-one years. He was a native of Columbia County, New York. When five years of age his parents removed to Rochester and took up their residence on the site where he died. Mr. Bunker was a cooper by occupation, but spent all his spare time making entomological collections and a few years ago presented his collection to the Academy of Science at Rochester, of which institution he was a charter member. He con- tributed occasional papers to the "Canadian Entomologist," and to EN- TOMOLOGICAL NEWS; these showed that he was an acute observer of insect life. He was, personally, a man of strong traits of character; up- right and honorable in every relation of life; broad-minded, yet positive in hir, opinions: genial and courteous in his intercourse with friends and neighbors. His death will be sincerely mourned by his entomological friends, and by the community in which he lived. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS for March, was mailed March i, « £ w fc H fc W o+ co ul 5 03 O O _i -J a Q- < < 0.0- <-0 OT co 5 u < I- Q O > _i _i 12 o Q ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION, ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. VOL. in. MAY, 1892. No. 5. CONTENTS: Ashmead— Two new and Remarkable Ophionids ••• 105 Coding— Studies in N. A. Membracidse 108 Blatchley — Entomologizing in Mexico., in Smith— Elementary Entomology 114 Harvey — Odonata of Maine 116 Editorial. 118 Notes and News 119 Entomological Literature 123 Doings of Societies.... 128 Our illustration this month represents three species '.of Papilio which are visitors to our fauna, and for which collectors should be on the lookout. Papilio poly damas has been found on the In- dian River, Florida, arid P. sinon has also been found 'in southern Florida. P. myloles\s said to have been taken in southern Cali- fornia. Polydamas and sinon are West Indian species, and the home of mylotes is in Central America. The $ mylotes is of a rich black, and the spots on the superior wings are bright green; those on the inferiors are carmine. The spots on the superiors of the 9 are cream color, and those on the inferiors of a lighter shade of carmine than in the £ . P. polydamas is dark bottle- green, with light green, spots on inferiors, and the spots on the superiors are cream color with a tinge of green. The negative was kindly made for the NEWS by Dr. Benjamin Sharp of the Academy. — ED. o TWO NEW AND REMARKABLE OPHIONIDS. By WM. H. ASHMEAD. In 1868, Dr. Arnold Forster, of Aachen, published a remark- able work entitled, "Synopsis der Fnmilk-n uud Gattungen d<-r Ichneumonen," in which no less than 36 familii ^ and 522 -ciu-ra were recognized. 5 106 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, The work evidently took years of patient labor and research, and it has been too long neglected by European and American writers on these insects, as it contains excellent tables and hints and ideas on the classification of this difficult group, which, it •worked out thoroughly, would undoubtedly aid materially in ad- vancing a systematic knowledge of these insects. In separating the Ichneumons into so many families and genera, Forster prob- ably went to the extreme, and this may account for the little value placed on the work by his contemporaries, but from the little study I have as yet given to his work, I am fully convinced that many of his so-called families will hold good, with some modifi- cation, as Tribes, in the sense of LeConte and Horn. His family 2oth, or the Mesochoroidae for instance, will form a natural tribe, Mesochorini, in the subfamily Ophioninae, distin- guished by the large, rhomboidal areolet, and by the two promi- nent projecting anal styles in the males. I have been led to these views by a somewhat careful study of some of the families characterized in his work, and by the discovery of two remarkable male insects that for a long time baffled me in placing — one in the National Museum and the other in my own collection — but which I find, with the aid of Forster' s tables, belong to two new genera briefly characterized in his work. In describing these two insects I have deemed it advisable to give below not only a table of the genera of this tribe, but a full generic description of these two imperfectly known genera, so that other students may easily recognize them. Tribe MESOCHORINI. Table of Genera. Vertex narrowed, lateral ocelli close to the margin of the eye ; claws pectinate G. i. Plesiophthalmus Forster. Vertex not narrowed, lateral ocelli distant from the margin of the eye. Claws pectinate; first abdominal segment with lateral carinae extending backward from the spiracles; transverse median nervure in hind wing broken . . . . G. 2. Astiphromma Forster. Claws simple; first abdominal segment without lateral carina?; trans- verse median nervure in hind wing not broken. G. 3. Mesochorus Grav. Plesiophthalmus Forster. — Head transverse, not wider than the thorax across the wings, antero-posteriorly thin; the frons foveated; clypeus not separated; ocelli large, prominent, the laterals close to the eye margin; 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. lOJ eyes large, narrowed oblong, reaching almost to the base of the mandi- bles, sinuated within opposite the base of the antennae; mandibles oblong, bidentate at tip; maxillary palpi long, 5-jointed, the second joint swollen two-thirds the length of the third, the following joints slender, cylindrical, the third and fifth about equal in length, the fourth a little longer; labial palpi 4-jointed; metathorax completely areolated, with linear spiracles; areolet in front wing large, rhomboidal, subpetiolate; the second and third discoidal cells about equal in length, the second abscissa of the cu- bital nervure strongly curved upwards; transverse median nervure in hind wing broken below the middle; tibial spurs i, 2, 2, large, those on the middle and hind tibiae subequal; claws strongly pectinate. P. paniscoides sp. nov. rj\ — Length 13 mm. Pale yellow ferruginous, polished, impunctured; the head above the insertion of the antennae and the cheeks, the last two abdominal segments and the two long anal styles black; antenna? as long as the body, slender, tapering and involuted at tips, pale at base, but becoming fuscous toward tips; the first flagellar joint is the longest, the following subequal. Thorax very slightly trilobed anteriorly, but the parapsidal furrows not distinctly impressed; scutellum convex, connected with a mesonotal ridge or carina at the sides, but with a transverse fovea at base; metathorax smooth, but distinctly areolated. Legs very long and slender. Wings clear hyaline, iridescent, the stigma and venation pale yellowish; the stigma is lanceolate, with the radius springing from a little before the middle. Abdomen slender, subclavate, subcompressed beneath at tip, twice the length of the thorax; petiole long, slender or subclavate, the spiracles situated at the middle; second segment a little shorter than the petiole; third, two-thirds the length of the second; the following segments subequal. Hab. — Massachusetts. Type in coll. Ashmead. Described from a single specimen received from Mr. Samuel Henshaw, and labeled as having been collected by ' ' Bowditch." Astiphromma Forster.— Head very broadly transverse, the frons deeply impressed, the clypeus not separated; ocelli large, close together in a triangle, the laterals their width from the eye margin; eyes large, ohltmg- oval, extending to the base of the mandibles; mandibles stout, bidentate at tips; maxillary palpi very long, 5-jointed, the second joint clavate, the third the longest joint, the following subequal; labial palpi .|-j»>int<-d, tin- second joint the shortest and stoutest, the last the longest; metatlu>ra\ with a median and a posterior area; areolet of wings large, subsessil. rhomboidal; the second and third discoidal cells equal in length; the s. mud abscissa of the discoidal nervure strongly curved upwards and nut broken by a "stump of a vein" at the middle; tibial spurs i, 2, 2, large and equal; claws pectinate. A. pectoralis sp. nov. JV— Length 7 mm. I '.lack, shining, impunrtmvd; scape and pedicel beneath, tlu- face and mandibles, except the teeth, yel- low; palpi and tegukc white, prothorax and meso- and in.-u-pleura- pale 108 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, ferruginous. Legs pale ferruginous, the anterior and middle coxae and trochanters luteous or white; posterior legs more or less distinctly red, the apex of the tibia;, spurs, and tips of the tarsal joints, fuscous or black. Abdomen black, the extreme apical edge of the second and third seg- ments white; ventral segments 2 to 4 pale ferruginous, the extreme apical edges of the following segments whitish; spiracles of first segment small, round, placed at the middle; the two anal styles a little longer than the second tarsal joint, black. Wings hyaline iridescent; the stigma large, subtriangular, brown, the other nervures paler brown. Hab . — Texas. Type in National Museum. Described from a single specimen in the National Museum, donated by Dr. C. V. Riley. -o- Studies in North American Membracidae.— I. By F. W. CODING, M.D., Rutland, 111. STICTOCEPHALA Stal. Stictocephala gillettei n. sp. 9- — Convex in front; on each side a lateral carina posteriorly, uniting far back of middle; superior surface of pro- thorax nearly flat; apex extends almost to tip of tegmina, very slender, strongly curved downward and triquetrous; along posterior half of carina is an impressed line. Head reticulate with yellow, apex hairy; a semi- circular line with termini each side of apex; just above eyes on prothorax a scar; ocelli equidistant from each other and the eyes. Prothorax very coarsely punctured, grass-green; tegmina glassy-green, second and third apical cells subequal, fourth nearly as long as the two; all of tegmina more or less punctured, base coriaceous. Chest brownish green, hairy; femora green, covered with coarse hairs; tibiae light brown, tarsi light brown, tips black. Abdomen green, ovipositor fuscous. Length 7 mm. Hab. — Colorado. Described from one 9 presented by Prof. C. P. Gillette, in whose honor this beautiful species is named. It may be readily separated from its congeners by the depressed, extended form, lateral carinae extending nearly to apex; no semi- circular lateral impressions, and long, very slender, strongly curved downward apex, and deep grass-green color. TELAMONA Fitch. Telaniona rileyi n. sp. — Similar in size and form to coqnillctti God'g; the markings are less prominent, lateral horns much less produced. $. — Greenish yellow, marked with ferruginous lines, punctured. Head greenish yellow, lightly punctured. Prothorax yellowish green, mottled with ferruginous, and a number of ferruginous, longitudinal, elevated 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. lines; dorsal carina percurrent, a deeply impressed dot on each side of its base; dorsal crest somewhat elevated, much compressed, strongly com- pressed anteriorly at base and posteriorly behind middle, the highest point of crest at beginning of posterior third, from which point it gradu- ally slopes anteriorly in a gentle curve continuous with anterior third of prothorax, posteriorly sloping for a short distance, then forming an obtuse angle; at the base another obtuse angle is formed, from which the median carina curves gently to the apex; lateral angles a little prominent; tegmina with basal half coriaceous, apical half subcoriaceous, a brown spot at apex. Chest below is dark yellow, coxae piceous. Legs yellow and hairy Abdomen yellow. Length 6 mm. Hab. — Mario County, Cal. Described from one £ from Dr. Riley, who has so kindly favored me with much valuable material from the National collec- tion (type in collection of F. W. G.). This species resembles coquilletti; the dorsal crest is reclined, while in that species it is upright. Telamona mexicana Stal. (?) $. In the material sent to me recently from the National Museum by Dr. Riley, for determination, is a $ member of this genus, which agrees very closely with the description of mexicana 9 in Bid. Memb. K. p. 249, No. i. It differs, however, in the ab- sence of the brown spot on tegmina, and the legs are immaculate yellow, tips of tarsi piceous; dorsal crest nearly thrice as long as high at base. I believe this to be the £ of mexicana; if it should prove to be undescribed it may be called pnlchra. Length 7 mm. Hab. — California ? PLATYCOTIS Stal. Platycotis minax n. sp. ?. — Pale yellow, densely punctured, very much depressed, appearing broad and flat. Head bright yellow, with a longi- tudinal median carina. Prothorax light yellow, a transverse linear im- pression just back of base on each side of carina, the impression almost a fascia; anterior horn extending upward and forward, much compressed, anterior edge nearly straight, posterior ed.^e convex and brown; on each side of horn two or three lateral canna- extending from base to apex; horn about two and a half times as long as broad; at posterior base is an obtuse angle, behind which is a slight convexity, thence straight to apex, which does not reach tip of abdomen; tegmina subcoriaceous, extend far beyond tip of abdomen, light yellow, veins darker; below yellow. Length to apex of tegmina 5 mm.; including anterior horn 6.5 mm. Hab. — California. Described from one 9 presented by Dr. Riley. 110 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, POTNIA Stal. Potnia asodalis n. sp. <j\ — Dirty yellow, prothorax gibbous anteriorly, gibbosity greenish. Head yellow, sculptured. Prothorax yellowish an- teriorly near the base; median carina percurrent, nearly obsolete poste- riorly; on each side of carina near the base two large brown punctures; in front, superiorly a large gibbosity occupying about one-half of protho- rax, greenish; median carina at this point very prominent and brown; on each side, behind lateral angles a large impression, above which is a second small gibbosity; apex obtuse, not reaching tip of abdomen; punc- tured; tegmina with basal half coriaceous veins; apex extends beyond tip of abdomen; below yellow; tibiae spined. Abdomen yellow. Length 5 mm. Hab. — Mario County, Cal. Described from one £ presented by Dr. Riley (type in collec- tion F. W. G.). STICTOPELTA* Stal. Stictopelta nova n. sp. $. — Very near to cruenta Burm. Head bright yellow; ocelli dark brown. Prothorax convex, with base yellow; just above base on each side of obsolete median line a broad, irregular, trans- verse, shining black line; from base of tegmina posteriorly the lateral borders are white, apex brown, otherwise green and shining; tegmina vitreous, veins of corium black; below yellow; tibiae with outer surface brown; tarsi brown. Abdomen yellow. Length 6.5 mm. 9. — Differs from $ only in having a broad semi-circular band of a little darker green than ground color, anteriorly, the convexity of which is forward, broken in four spots, the bases of this arched band being above the lateral angles, which are slightly produced. Hab. — San Bernardino County, Cal. Described from two ex- amples. These were presented to me by Dr. Riley. GAROARA Am. et Serv. Gargara atlas n. sp. <$. — Head black, a yellow spot below each eye; eyes yellow. Prothorax ferruginous, base broadly piceous; median carina percurrent, above shoulders a very large irregular gibbosity, posteriorly long and narrow; tegmina opaque, clouded with piceous; a large light yellow (white?) spot at base of tegmina, and one on the external border near apex; below black; femora black, base ferruginous; tibiae and tarsi ferruginous, tips of latter black. Length 3 mm. Hab. — Kern County, Cal. Described from two examples from Dr. Riley. * Stictopelta is one of Dr. Ftal's subgenera of Darnis. I consider it of sufficient value to be recognized as a distinct genus. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. Ill This species is very near to variegata Sign, from Calabar, both having a prominent lobe on the prothorax anteriorly, which may place them in a new genus. In atlas the tegmina are not vitreous, and have a whitish band near the base; also smaller. Duplicates of all the new species described in the foregoing paper, excepting Stictocephala riridis, may be examined under the above names in the National collection. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Riley for his kindness in allowing me the privilege of studying the duplicate material in the National collection. -o- ENTOMOLOGIZING IN MEXICO. By W. S. BLATCHLEY, Terre Haute, Ind. He who would see in the shortest possible time insect life in all its phases, from the few depauperate forms which dwell in the barren regions bordering the realms of perpetual snow to the countless thousands which bask in the genial warmth and amidst the luxurious vegetation of a tropical clime, should visit Mexico. In less than a week one can pass on foot from the summit of Pico Orizaba, 18,000 and better feet in air, where the mercury marks daily throughout the year many degrees below the freezing point, to the level of the sea at Vera Cruz, where the mean an- nual temperature is above 80 degrees. In this journey the num- ber and size of the insects met with would be increasing at every onward step, and, if carefully collected, the series would at the end represent forms from every zone on earth. It was not my good fortune, while a member of the recent Scoville expedition to Mexico, to make this journey, but I col- lected in various localities from the height of 2500 feet at Cordoba to the lower limit of snow on the mountain. On account of a press of other duties no special work has as yet been done with the insects taken, and, in the present article, I propose to give some of my experience while collecting; to mention some of the most pecular and bizarre forms taken, and to note in a general way the results of the trip. In the beginning, let me say that, whoever visits Mexico to collect insects should, unless he be a millionaire, take all necessary material with him, for, in the town of 15,000 inhabitants where we made our headquarters for two weeks, chloroform was one 112 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, dollar per ounce; a cheap pine handle for a net cost twenty-five cents; empty cigar boxes were ten cents each; potassium cyanide could not be purchased, except by a special permit from the mayor, while the native alcohol was too weak to do anything but put on a temporary drunk the specimens immersed in it. It was the late afternoon of the 2oth of July when our party of four, after a long ride of over 3100 miles, passed down the slope of the Mexican railway and entered Orizaba, one of the most charming of the smaller cities of Mexico, situated as it is in a little valley in a semi-tropical region 4000 feet above sea level, and surrounded on every side by lofty mountains. Our hopes were high for the real work of the party, namely, the collecting of the different forms of animal and plant life of the region was to begin on the morrow. Those hopes were somewhat dampened, however, by the information that the rainy season was but well begun, and that the chances were that it would rain every day for a month or longer. The first insect seen, after we had found a hotel where English was spoken and had washed some of the dust and cinders of the journey from us, was a handsome male of Dynastes tityus Linn, which the landlord, who was in high good humor at getting the four of us for the modest sum of fourteen dollars each per week to partake of his hospitality, brought alive to me. He assured me that his brother, who resides at Mexico City and has the largest collection of Coleoptera in the country, had sold,scores of them in Europe for five dollars a pair, but when I informed him that the same species is found frequently in Kentucky, and at times in southern Indiana, he seemed somewhat taken back. However, he graciously presented it to me and volunteered to accompany me after the seven o'clock dinner for a stroll about the electric lights, where, he assured me, numerous specimens of tityus, as well as of many other large beetles, were to be found. When we set out to visit the lights the rain was falling in a steady shower; but few insects were flying, and they were mostly the smaller moths. A half dozen or more large brown beetles, a species of Xyloryctes which I afterwards found to be very com- mon were, however, taken from the ground beneath the lights, and a few earwigs from the walls of the houses from which the light was reflected. On the morrow, as soon as our breakfast of bread and coffee, 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 113 all one ever gets for that meal in Mexico, was despatched, I sallied forth net in hand, and, coming to the outskirts of the city entered an unfenced garden containing about half an acre and began operations. The first insects seen were many of the half-grown young of a gigantic grasshopper, Rhomalea sp. ? black in color and in life streaked on the sides with bright crimson. They seemed to be a social sort of creature, as thirty or forty of them would be found feeding together on a single stalk of corn in much the same manner as the larvae of certain of our moths feed in communities or droves. Unlike the young grasshoppers of this country they were very sluggish in their action, being easily cap- tured with the fingers. After scooping up a number of them, together with many of the young and adults of a large Hemip- teran, Sagotylus confluentiis Say, which were making a meal on the leaves of a gourd-vine, I gave my attention to the butterflies, and passed the morning in that one garden, securing about seventy specimens, representing half that number of species of those at- tractive insects for which I was primarily in search. And right here let me say that during that whole morning, yes, during the whole of my collecting in Mexico, I was impressed with a feeling which probably comes to every collector in a strange country — a feeling of being lost among such a multitude of forms of which one is actually in search, but knows but little about. After a naturalist has been in one locality for some time he be- comes familiar with the different forms of life about him; knows, for example, most of the plants, birds and insects, if not by name at least by association. He thus becomes able to detect in an instant anything which is new or rare, and a certain thrill of de- light comes to him when such a form is seen. But in a country where everything is new, where one may pick up the most com- mon species thinking it to be rare, or, happening upon a small group of something rare, take some of them and let the rest alone believing them to be common, and afterwards, when too late, find out and regret the mistake; in such a locality the col- lecting, to me, loses a certain degree of its charm. Numerous as are the insects in a tropical country, it is impos- sible for one person in a short time to make anything like a thor- ough collection in all the orders, even in a restricted locality. Lepidoptera and Orthoptera were what I wanted especially, and of them I collected every species I could find. I also took such 114 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, Coleoptera and Hemiptera as came readily to hand, while of the Diptera, Hymenoptera and Neuroptera, I took scarcely any, although large numbers of each of those orders were seen. Of the diurnal Lepidoptera, or butterflies, over 600 specimens, representing 85 species, were taken in the eleven days spent in the vicinity of Orizaba. During that time it rained two whole and seven half days, so that the facilities for collecting them were none of the best. Of these but eight are found in Indiana, namely, Papilo turnus; three species of Pyrameis, two ot which, atalanta and cardui, are cosmopolitan; the handsome Callidryas eubule, which is very rare in this State; Junonia coenia, also a rare species with us; Terias lisa and Ancyloxypha numitor, the latter being, there as here, the smallest and one of the most abundant of the Hesperidae. During one forenoon I took 168 specimens, over forty species from a single field near the outskirts of the city. It was filled with brilliant flowers, and the margin, where occasional clumps of bright red flowers grew, was a favorite lurking place for many of the larger and rarer kinds. One of the most striking species, on account of its size as well as its so-called ' ' protective mimicry, was a large and handsome Callidryas light yellow above and of a greenish hue beneath, which, when resting with folded wings, could scarcely be distinguished from a leaf so closely did the color and the prominent veins on the underside resemble those of a leaf. (To be continued.) ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY. LEPIDOPTERA-HETEROCERA (Moths). By Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, New Brunswick, N. J. Following the Sphingidae in our catalogues and lists come the Sesiidee. They were originally included with the clear winged Sphinges on superficial characters, and, though long since sepa- rated from them, are yet, as a rule, placed next to them. In fact, except for the superficial resemblance, there is nothing war- ranting any close association of the two families. So far as I am aware the larvae of the Sesiidae are borers, living in roots, stems and trunks of vines, shrubs and trees, sometimes maturing two 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 115 broods in one season more usually annual, and rather more rarely passing more than one year in the larva state. The images have moderately long antennae, gradually and va- riably thickened medially, more slender apically, the tips often with a brush of hair. Rarely they are setaceous, or thread like. In the male they are often furnished with lateral tufts of bristles and sometimes with lamellae or pectinations. The head is vari- ably developed, usually quite small; ocelli present; tongue vary- ing from a well developed organ to a mere rudiment. The latter character is of great importance in the systematic study of the family. The thorax is usually robust and quite closely scaled. The abdomen is long and comparatively slender in most cases, often brightly banded. The wings are narrow, the primaries longer than, but not so broad as the secondaries. They are wholly or in part transparent as a rule, and this, combined with the bright, banded maculation, gives them a wasp-like appearance that may be protective. The venation is distinctive, and of a low type. The median cell is well develpped, and all, or nearly all, the veins arise from it separately. The internal vein is wanting, or forms the internal margin itself. In the secondaries we have a very similar type of venation; but here the costal vein is missing, and there may be two or three internal or free veins. Vein 5 is often absent as well. The legs, as a whole, are well developed, the posterior often markedly longer than the others, while the anterior are actually, as well as relatively, short without being weak. The sexes sometimes differ quite markedly, not only in size, but in color and maculation, and it is not unlikely that some of our numerous species represent sexes of others. In habit the insects are diurnal as a rule, but have been occasionally attracted to light. The characters of most of the American genera have been given by me in " Entomologica Americana," iv, 9-13. Somewhat allied to the Sesiidae, in habit and appearance, are the Thyridae. The relation between the two is superficial merely, and vanishes on study. They are small and stout, with long, strong tongue, large, projecting, bristly palpi and spindle-formed antennae, the basal joint much enlarged. In the male they are singly pectinated. The ocelli are wanting. Thorax robust, ab- domen conic and comparatively short. The legs are stout, clothed with long, stiff hair, middle tibiae with one, posterior with two Il6 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, pairs of spurs. The wings are usually quite short and broad, small in comparison to the robust appearance of the insect, and with an irregular outer margin. The primaries are 12-veined, all the veins (save the costal and submedian) separately out of the median cell. Internal, or sub- median vein, forked at base. The secondaries have two internal veins, and the costal free from the base the full length of its course. In color the species are black and white, or a peculiar yellowish brown and whitish. -o- A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ODONATA OF MAINE.-II. Specimens taken near Orono, Penobscot County, Me., 1891. By F. L. HARVEY, Orono, Me. (Continued from Vol. Ill, page 92.) Tribe III.— LIBELLULINA. Subfamily 5. — CORDULINA. 46. Macromia (Didymops} transversa Say. — June 6, 15, 20. Abundant in the woods, Orono, Me. 47. Cordulia ( Tetragoneuria) semiaquea Burm. — Quite abun- dant over Chemo Stream during July; Bradley, Me. 28. Cordulia \Neurocordulia) Uhleri Selys. — Reported last season from specimens in the College collection. This season taken on several dates in June over swampy road in College woods, Orono, Me. 48. Cordulia {Somatochlora) lepida Selys. — July 1 2th one male ; July 28th several males; one pair was seen mating and taken in the net, but the female, unfortunately, escaped. No other females seen; Chemo Lake near the outlet. The wind was blowing hard, and they had collected in an opening in the woods and were easily taken. 49.— Cordulia (Somatochlora) forcipata Scud. — June 13, 15, 16, over swamp in College woods; July 22, over Chemo Stream, Bradley, Me. This is the Epitheca forcipata of Hagen's Synopsis of 1875. It seems to be abundant about Orono, Me. 50. Leucorhinia hudsonica Selys. — June ist seven males. Over a road near a small pond, Old Town, Me. On the Veazee Rail- road half way between Stillwater and Old Town. My attention 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 1 17 was called to this species by Mr. J. M. Rondlette (Class 92), who saw them flying the last of May, and was with me when the speci- mens were taken. This species seems to emerge very early. Only one female seen, but not taken. These specimens showed much brighter colors than those assigned to them in the books. 51. Leucorhinia frigida Hagen. — A single specimen ( £ ) of this rare species was taken July nth over Chemo Stream, Brad- ley, just above the dam. 52. Diplax costifera Uhler. — Many specimens taken July i2th along Chemo Stream, Bradley, Me. 53. Celithemis elisa Hag.— A single 1 July 22cl, and July 28th a dozen males. No females taken; Chemo Stream where it leaves the lake. Our specimens were much brighter than the colors assigned to this species in Hagen's description (Neur. N. A. p. 182, 1861). REMARKS. Additional notes upon species repeated in ENT. NEWS, Vol. II, Nos. 3 and 4, 1891, are numbered to agree with those of that article. Species reported for the first time in this article are num- bered from 39 to 53. The species found the past season include some rare forms and others remarkable for their occurrence so far North. There seems to be good reason for believing that the New England insect fauna extends along the coast of Maine and there mingles with boreal forms. The species reported above swell the number of species of Odonata to date known by us from the vicinity of Orono to fifty. As we have made no special effort to collect these forms the indications are that the State is rich in species. We are greatly obligated to Mr. P. P. Calvert, Philadelphia, Pa., for examining specimens and for other professional courte- sies, and to Mrs. Anson Allen, of Orono, Me., for the privilege of examining the Odonata collected by her husband. AN exchange says that Jerry Simpson, the "sockless statesman" of Kansas, it is rumored, will petition Congress for a $2, 000,000 appropriation for the purpose of experimenting in crossing honey-bees with lightning- bugs, under the impression that should he succeed the bees will be able to work nights. — Richland i/<>r,'<?) Jl8 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. Published monthly (except July and August), by the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, with the endorsement of the American Entomological Society. It will contain not less than 240 pages per annum. It will maintain no free list whatever, but will leave no measure untried to make it a necessity to every student of insect life, so that its very moderate annual subscription may be con- sidered well spent. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION $1.00, IN ADVANCE. $3^" All remittances should be addressed to E. T. Cresson, Treasurer, P. O. Box 248, Philadelphia, Pa.; all other communications to the Editor of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, Academy of Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa. PHILADELPHIA, PA., MAY, 1892. Entomological rubbish.— Why is it that in this country our entomologists get so many poor and imperfect specimens? and when they do secure them make matters worse by running pins through them out of all pro- portion to the size of the insect. In Europe they do these things far better, but it may be said that Europe is an older country, and that they have had many years in which to learn entomological technique; true, but the dif- ference in the perfection of the specimens and in the mounting seem out .of all proportion to their respective ages. Some time ago a well-known collector wished to know why so many poor specimens came in exchange from Philadelphia entomologists; our reply was, that none of them were caught in Philadelphia, but had been received from other parties. He already had all our local species and those sent were from other places. It is time we had learned dexterity in catching specimens so that they are not ruined. Neatness in pinning, expanding and mounting, will greatly enhance the value of a specimen, and it will receive more respect and be much more likely to be preserved. If a large, heavy species has a No. i pin in it and you attempt to move it from place to place, the chances are the pin will bend and the specimen be ruined. It is a common thing to find No. 4 pins put through our smaller moths and butterflies, and these pins pointing at the cardinal points of the compass. Seek your specimens at the proper time, while they are fresh, and catch and kill them in such a manner that they wont look as though the cat or the baby had been playing with them. Use a pin in proportion to the size of the insect, and remember it goes through either the middle of the thorax or the right elytron, and should be exactly perpendicular. Always have a uniform length of pin above the thorax (^ inch.), and it is best to make a little measure to test this if you wish your specimens to look well and be a uniform height on the pins. For Macrolepidoptera use Nos. 2, 3 and 4, Klaeger pins, and for Micros use the silver pins (Klaegur) that come spe- cially for them. These micro pins are fastened to an ordinary No. 3 or 4 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 1 19 pin. Any insect that is too small for a No. 2 Klaeger pin should be mounted on card-board; in other words, never use a finer pin than a No. 2 in any of the orders. In spreading Lepidoptera be careful to have the inferior margins of the superior wings make a straight line. Let us inaugurate an era of well-caught and nicely-mounted specimens. It is almost as easy to do the thing right as wrong, and the NEWS hopes to live to see the time when entomological rubbish will be a thing of the shadowy past. — ED. Notes and. ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS OF THE GLOBE. [The Conductors of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS solicit, and will thankfully receive items of news, likely to interest its readers, from any source. The author's name will be given in each case for the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] To Contributors.— All contributions will be considered and passed upon at our earliest convenience, atid as far as may be, will be published according to date of recep- tion. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS has reached a circulation, both in numbers and circumfer- ence, as to make it necessary to put " copy"' into the hands of the printer, for each number, three weeks before date of issue. This should be remembered in sending special or im- portant matter for certain issue. Owing to low subscription rate, " extras" will be charged for, and when they are wanted, it should be so stated on the MS. along with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged. — ED. INCIDENTS OF WORK. — In the fall of 1890 I visited a country place in the southern part of the State for the purpose of investigating the habits of the screw worm (Coinpsomyia macellaria). Desiring to watch the work of the species without interruption, I secured a nearly dead sheep in the shade of a tree about fifty yards back from the public road and sat myself down beside the sheep to watch the larvce in their work. Occasionally flies were caught in the hand and put in the cyanide bottle, or when a full grown larva dropped from the wounds for pupation it was put into earth in a bottle brought for that purpose. Thus a full half day was spent beside the sheep. But my doings had not been unobserved, as passers by had watched with amazement a stranger in their midst catching flies from a nearly dead sheep, and it was soon known in the little hamlet that the bug man who had arrived the night before was catching flies to eat. Im- agine my surprise after reaching my hotel to be surrounded by a group of listeners who asked if the flies were really good to eat? how long had I lived oil such truck ? and if the flies were eaten to cure any disease, etc.? My explanations, however, were satisfactory to most of those present, although when I explained that the parents of the screw-worms were small flies and exhibited specimens, several knew as well as they knew anything that I was mistaken, as a prominent physician of the town had shown that the parent of the screw-worm was a species of wasp. The I2O ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, physician had actually shown this to be the case by squeezing a live screw- worm from the abdomen of the wasp. One of the listeners was so sure that the parent of the screw-worm was a wasp that h was willing to back up his statement with a good financial consideration. But upon my offer to put up a like amount, he was afraid to have the subject decided by trial owing to the difficulty it would be to get the right species of wasp. A merchant recently told me of a conversation he had had with a farmer about a recent bulletin of the Station treating of the black weevil (Calan- dra oryzce}, which was about as follows : Farmer: " I never tried this remedy, but I know one thing he is off on." Merchant: " What is that?" Farmer: "Why, he says them 'ere corn weevils is produced by eggs which are laid by the old weevils. That's not so, and I know it. Them 'ere weevils come from the vital force in the grain and grow after the corn has been put in bins, in the same way as seeds sprout in the Spring." Merchant: "What makes you think that?" Farmer: "Why, I know it's the vital force in the grain that grows the weevils, because you never see the weevils in rotten kernels." It would be hard work to pound sense into a stone, and the merchant, realizing this, proceeded to tell the farmer that we lived on a small or- ganism known as a bacterium, but when we were sick the bacterium lived on us. Surely " where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise." HOWARD EVARTS WEED, Agricultural College, Miss. NEWSPAPER ENTOMOLOGY. — I do not like to see unreliable entomo- logical statements designated in the NEWS as "newspaper entomology." If I were asked to state what I thought to be the greatest incentive to the popularity of entomological study during the present century I would un- hesitatingly say the newspapers. By this I mean papers usually known and spoken of as newspapers, and more especially the agricultural press. The entomological question is here discussed mostly from an economic standpoint, yet interest in the science is pretty sure to be awakened, and study and research will not stop at the point of injurious and beneficial species. Purely scientific works and periodicals treating the subject are accessible but to the few, and are not to be found in the homes of the masses, while the homes without newspapers are few and far between. As to the reliability of scientific articles diffused through this medium, why are they not to be depended upon as much as are other matters from the same source? If the paper is reliable, its statements can nearly always be depended upon. Most of our eminent entomologists have at some period of their career addressed the public through the medium of the newspapers, and I venture to say have had larger and more appreciative "audiences" than when the fruits of their researches were disseminated by means of the strictly scientific periodicals or books. To the science dl entomology much of my spare time has been given, and, in an humble way, I do not hesitate to declare that, aside from personal research, by far the greatest in entive to additional study has been "newspaper ento- 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 121 mology," not of the Electricia tomfooleryensis kind, but such as is printed in the entomological columns of the Prairie farmer and other agricultural 'papers, and which have at one time or other included the writings of many of the highest authorities in our beautiful science. In conclusion, I would most earnestly beg our editor to refrain from labeling preposterous statements as " newspaper entomology," as thereby doubts are cast upon the veracity of such standard authorities as the Prairie Farmer and other reliable newspapers to which due credit is given even in text-books of entomology (see " Packard's Guide to the study of Insects"). We all know that mistakes are apt to occur in newspapers as well as elsewhere, and will not deny that gross exaggeration is often prac- ticed by unprincipled journalists, but these are the exceptions and not the rule. Long live ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS and " newspaper entomology !" ALDA M. SHARP, Gladbrpok, Iowa. An article labeled "newspaper entomology" simply shows its source, and is not intended as a reproach. — ED. Mr. SYDNEY SMITH could not appreciate an entomological paradise when he characterized insects as the curse of the tropics. "The bete rouge lays the foundation of a tremendous ulcer. In a moment you are covered with ticks, chigoes bury themselves in your flesh and hatch a large colony of young chigoes in a few hours. They will not live together, but every chigoe sets up a separate ulcer, and has his own private portion of pus. Flies get entry into your mouth, into your eyes, into your nose. You eat flies, drink flies, and breathe flies. Lizards, cockroaches and snakes get into the bed, ants eat up the books, scorpions sting you on the foot. Everything bites, stings, or bruises; every second of your existence you are wounded by some species of animal life that nobody has seen before, except Swammerdam and Merian. An insect with eleven legs is swarming in your tea-cup, a nondescript with nine wings is struggling in the small beer, or caterpillar with several dozen eyes in his belly is hasten- ing over the bread and butter. All nature is alive, and seems to be gath- ering all her entomological hosts to eat you up as you are standing, out of your coat, waistcoat and breeches. Such are the tropics. All this reconciles us to our dews, fogs, vapors and drizzles, to our apothecaries rushing about with gargles and tinctures, to our old British constitutional coughs, sore throats, and swollen faces'." A SUGGESTION TO LEPIDOPTERISTS. — In connection with the article by Prof. Smith, in the NEWS for March, on the Lepidoptera, it has occurred to me that some ideas which presented themselves while studying that order might be useful or suggestive to others, particularly to those con- structing keys or tables for popular use. While using such keys (and it is true of many descriptions also) I have often had my patience severely taxed by the propensity of the writer to put the cart before the horse; in other words, to ignore tin- proper sequence of words and phrases. Not only that, but some keys contain many needless repetitions of the same 122 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, phrase or set of phrases, often ingeniously arranged by the author (for variety, I presume, I hope not with malicious intention) in all the com- binations possible, adding immensely to the amount of time consumed in their use without any beneficial results. Uniformity is sometimes much to be desired. It is desirable here. There is enough to be done in our science without needlessly wasting any time. As a remedy for the first evil I would propose two or three rules for guidance in writing descrip- tions, and for the second the use of abbreviations. The rules are brief and easily borne in mind. The abbreviations are few and suggestive. I am well aware that the use of rules and abbreviations when many and complicated is unwise; but if few, simple, suggestive and labor-saving, it has many advantages. A letter or figure appeals to the mind more quickly and surely than a word. Take for instance : A broad, submarginal band of buff on the lower surface of hind wings. Proper sequence : Under surface of hind wings with submarginal band of buff broad. Now let A — above = upper surface of wings, B == below == lower surface of wings, i = front wing, and 2 == hind wing, And we have : B 2 with submarginal band of buff broad. The rules I would suggest are : Proceed from the general to the particular; and (usually) from the more obvious to the less so. Locate a peculiarity before describing it. These are not to be considered inflexible, and should be applied to phrases which present a single idea to the mind rather than to single words. I would invariably, however, refer to the surface first, the wing second, and the details last, for reasons too obvious to need mention. The abbreviations I would recommend are as follows : A (above) — upper surface of wings. B (below) == lower surface of wings. 1 =- primary == front wing. 2 = secondary == hind wings. c = cell. v == vein. Thus B i, c 6, refers at once to cell six on the under surface of the front wings. These abbreviations are, of course, chiefly of value in reference to the Lepidoptera, especially the butterflies. Perhaps the plan can be adapted to other orders, at least it seems likely to be applicable to some of them. The other suggestions apply to all. — A. P. MORSE, Wellesley, Mass. AILANTHUS FOLIAGE AND THE ROSE-BEETLE. — In Bulletin No. 32 of the New Jersey Experiment Station, discussing the rose-chafer (J/acro- dactylus subspinosus) Prof. Smith states that some other things "decoc- tions of peach leaves and the blossoms of Ailanthus were found to be 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 123 valueless in destroying the beetle." This is the only reference I have been able to find to this tree, in this connection, until recently. While attending a farmer's institute at Martinsville, Ind., my attention was called to the fact that during last Summer the rose-chafer was very troublesome in that vicinity, defoliating whole vineyards, as well as doing much damage to roses and other cultivated plants. There seemed to be no remedy for the pests, but later on the}' were found to be feeding in countless numbers on the foliage of an Ailanthus glandulosus tree which stood in the court- house yard, and it was also discovered that in a very short time the beetles commenced falling to the ground dead; and, as the janitor of the court- house expressed it to me, "the ground under the tree was literally cov- ered with dead insects, and they did not recover again either." I was shown the tree, which was certainly Ailanthus glandulosus. May it not be possible that the foliage of this tree, if not the blossoms, possesses poisonous properties which may render it an effectual remedy for this insect? — Prof. J. TROOP, Indiana Experiment Station. Cossid or Hcpialid?- — I have found in northern New York what appears to be a Cossid or Hepialid larva boring the trunks of black ash growing in swamps. They work in young and vigorous trees; the pupal shells, seen protruding near the ground, indicate a size nearly that of P. robinicz. Does any reader of this note know what species has this habit ? — D. S. K. TRANSACTIONS of the American Entomological Society, vol. xix (1892). —Pages 41-88 inclusive, have been printed since our last issue, containing the conclusion of Dr. Horn's " Random Studies of North American Co- leoptera;" also "The North American species of Ceropalcs" by W. J. Fox; "A Revision of N. American species of Phlepsius (with a plate)," by E. P. Van Duzee; "The Mouth Parts of Copris Carolina, with notes on the homologies of the mandibles (with two plates)," by John B. Smith; and the beginning of " Notes on North American Tachinidce, Paper III," by C. H. Tyler Townsend. Entomological Literature. BIOLOGIA CENTRALI-AMERICANA. Part xcviii, December, 1891. — Co- leoptera: vol. iv, pt. 2, pp. 361-368, pi. xvi, G. C. Champion; pt. 3, D. Sharp, pi. vi; vol. vi, pt. i, pp. 281-312, M. Jacoby. Lepidoptera-Heter- ocera: vol. ii, pis. xlii, xliii, H. Druce. Diptera: vol. iii, pp. 1-56, S. VV. Williston. Part xcix, February, 1892. — Araclinida-Araneidea, O. P. Cam- bridge, pi. xi. Coleoptera: vol. iv, pt. 2, pp. 369-392, G. C. Champion; vol. vi, pt. r, supplement, M. Jacoby, pi. xlii. Diptera: vol. iii, pp. 57-72, S. W. Williston, pi. i. TRANSACTIONS OK THK YORKSIIIKK NATURALISTS' UNION. Part 16. Leeds, November, 1891.— List of the ColropU-ra of Yorkshire (cont.1, pp. 49-64, Rev. W. C. Hey. 124 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. |JVlay> BIBLIOTHECA ZooLOGicA (Cassel), viii, 3, 1891. — Researches on mim- icry as a basis of a natural system of Papilionidae, Dr. E. Haase. ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEiGER (Leipzig), Feb. 29, 1892. — On the develop- ment-history of the parasitic Hymenoptera, N. Kulagin; of the Pedipalpi, Dr. A. Strubell. March 14, 1892. — On the development of the Lung- Books in Scorpio fulvipes, M. Laurie, figs. Preliminary communication on a new German species of Chordeuma, C. Verhoeff. Supplementary remarks to my communication on sense organs in the palpi and first pair of legs of Solpugidse, Dr. P. Bertkau. ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, ix, 51, March, 1892.— On some spiders from the Andaman Islands, collected by E. W. Oates, Esq.,* Prof. T. Thorell. COMPTE RENDU. SOCIETE DE BIOLOGIE (Paris), March 4, 1892. — The "intermediary body" of Flemming in the seminal cellules of Scolopetidra and Lithobius, M. Prenant. March 18, 1892. — The "central corpuscle" of E. von Beneden in the seminal cell$ of Scolopendra, A. Prenant. REVUE LINNEENNE, viii, 86, Lyons, Feb. 15, 1892. — Description of a new Saturnia from China, L. Sonthonnax. Study on the genus Stenop- terus Steph., M. Pic. Habits and metamorphoses of Aphodius granarius L., Capt. Xambeu. MONOGRAPH OF THE BRITISH CICADA OR TETTIGID^;, by G. B. Buck- ton. London, Macmillan & Co. Eighth and last part, December, 1891. ANNALES DE LA SOCIETE ENTOMOLOGIQUE DE BELGIQUE, xxxv, Brus- sels, 1891. — Hymenoptera collected on the Lower Congo by the expedi- tion under the auspices of the king of Belgium,* A. Schletterer. Cata- logue of the Curculionidae belonging to the genus Zygops* ]. D. des Loges. — Compt. Rendu. Feb. 6, 1892. Myrmecological notes,* A. Forel. Heterocera exotica, new species from the Dutch East Indies,* F. J. M. Heylaerts. Note on the African Chrysodemidae referred to the genus Iridottenia*^ C. Kerremans. Diagnoses of two Buprestids from the region of Lake Tanganyika,* id. New Coleoptera from the Congo,* A. Duvivier. Clavicorni from Bengal, A. Grouvelle. Note on the ants of Belgium, A. Lameere. The Brachymera of Belgium and the neighboring regions, E. Coucke. Third note on some Coleoptera Heteromera of Belgium, L. Coucke. Enumeration of the Hemiptera of Belgium (concl.), E. Coubeaux. ENTOMOLOGISCHE NACHRICHTEN (Berlin), xviii, 4, February, iS<>2.— An excursion in the vicinity of Nagasaki, Dr. A. Seitz. Further researches on the process of completion of coloration, C. Verhoeff. The ZoocecicUe of Lorraine (cont.), J. Kieffer. — No. 5, March. On some new and rare P'ossoria,* C. Verhoeff. THE BRITISH NATURALIST (London), March, 1892. — The Pterophorina of Britain (cont.), J. W. Tutt. British spiders (cont.), Rev. F. O. P. Cam- bridge. Notes. — April, 1892. Portrait and sketch of Miss E. A. Ormerod. * Contains new species other than North American. t Contains new genera. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 125 The Diptera of Dorsetshire, C. W. Dale. Heterocera of the Island of Man, H. S. Clarke. Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire, W. Reid. TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, xix, signatures 4-7, Phila., March, 1892. — A study of Atnara s. g. Cclia (cont.), G. H. Horn, M.D. Random studies in North American Coleoptera, id. The North American species of Ceropalcs, with a catalogue of the de- scribed species of the world, W. J. Fox. MlTTHEILUNGEN AUS DEM NATURHISTORISCHEN MUSEUM IN HAMBURG, ix, i, 1891. — Spiders from Madagascar and Nossibe,* Dr. H. Lenz, 2 pis. The Termita, Odonata and Neuroptera collected by Dr. F. Stuhlmann in East Africa,* Dr. A. Gerstaecker. The Collembola of South Georgia [Antarctic] from the collections of the German station of 1882-1883,* Dr. C. Schaeffer, i pi. NATURWISSENSCHAFTLICHEWOCHENSCHRIFT( Berlin), March 20, 1892. — On the voracity of Liparis inonacha L., R. Rittmeyer. GEOLOGISKA FOERENINGENS i STOCKHOLM FOERHANDLINGAR, Bd. 14, 2, 1892. — On an Hemiptera from the Lower Graptolitic Slates of Sweden, *f J. C. Moberg. LE NATURALISTS (Paris), March 15, 1892. — Habits and metamorphoses of Xyloperta pnstnlata Capt. Xambeu. Two new Sphingida; from Eastern Asia,* L. Austant. Carnivorous caterpillars, F. Plateau, figs. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADEL- PHIA, 1892, pp. 133-135. — Report on the Hymenoptera collected in West Greenland, W. J. Fox. REVUE DES SCIENCES NATURELLES DE L'OUEST. II, i, Paris, January, 1892. —General considerations on the classification of the Acarina, followed by an attempt at a new classification, Dr. Trouessart. Extends to families and subfamilies. ARCHIVES DE ZOOLOGIE EXPERIMENTALE ET GENERALE (2), x, i, Paris, 1892. — Notes on the life and habits of insects : Observations on Atinuo- phila affinis Kirby, Dr. P. Marchal. ANALES DE LA SOCIEDAD CIENTIFICA ARGENTINA (Buenos Aires i, xxxii, 6, 1891; xxxiii, i, 1892. — New Hemiptera of the Argentine and Uruguayan faunas, *f Dr. C. Berg; Glyphcpomis, l\ircnthi-ca n. gen. Argentine Dipterology (Syrphida/), F. L. Arribalzaj;:i. CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, London, Out., April, 1892. — Notes on North American Tachinidce, with descriptions of new genera and species, v, C. H. T. Townsencl. Clerck's Icones, W. J. Holland. Hermaphrodite Gypsy Moths, C. H. Fernald. A classification of the North American Spiders, N. Banks. Canadian Hymenoptera, i, W. H. Harrington. Our Winter beetles, H. F. Wickham. Chionobas Uhleri, T. D. A. Cockerell. How to take the oil or grease out of specimens of natural history, P. Fisher. * Contains new species other than North American. t Contains new genera. 126 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO, Toronto, 1892. — Noteworthy injuries caused by insects during the past season, C. J. S. Bethune. A microscopical examination of an unexpanded wing of Callosatnia promethea, J. A. Moffat. Notes on Japanese insects, W. H. Harrington. Numerous articles on Economic Entomology by various authors. NEW MEXICO COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND THE MECHANIC ARTS, Bulletin No. 5, Las Cruces, N. Mex., March, 1892. — Notices of importance concerning fruit insects, C. H. T. Townsend. ENTOMOLOGISTS' RECORD, London, March 15, 1892. — Effects of tem- perature on the coloring of Lepidoptera, F. Merrifield. Classification by neuration, J. W. Tutt. The genus Hepialus, J. E. Robson. Numerous notes on variations in British insects. DEUTSCHE ENTOMOLOGISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT, IRIS, Dresden, iv, 2, Ber- lin, February, 1892.— A new form of Morpho* Dr. O. Staudinger. The development of the butterfly after leaving the pupal envelope, W. Peter- son. New African Lycaenidae,*f Dr. O. Staudinger. New species and varieties of Lepidoptera of the palaearctic faunal region, *f id., 2 pis. SUPPLEMENTARY APPENDIX to Travels among the Great Andes of the Equator, by Edward Whymper. London, John Murray, 1891. — This volume is made up of a series of papers by a number of specialists, and baseo! on some of the zoological and mineralogical collections made by Mr. Whymper among the Ecuadorian Andes, for the most part at eleva- tions above 8500 feet. The greater part of the book is entomological, the groups treated being Coleoptera*f by (the late) H. W. Bates, D. Sharp, Rev. H. S. Gorham, A. S. Olliff and M. Jacoby; Formicidae*t by P. Cameron; Lepidoptera* by F. Du C. Godman and O. Salvin ; and Rhynchota*t by W. L. Distant. The general entomological results as bearing on questions of Geographical Distribution are discussed in an introduction by Mr. Bates. Numerous excellent wood-cuts, engraved by Mr. Whymper hftnself, illustrate the text. PUBLICATIONS DE L' INSTITUTE ROYAL GRAND-DUCAL DE LUXEM- BOURG, xxi, Luxembourg, 1891. — Materials for the entomological fauna of the province of Belgian Luxembourg: Coleoptera, third century, A. P. de Borre. KNOWLEDGE (London), April, 1892.— The life of an Ant, E. A. Butler. ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE (London), April, 1892. — Anno- tated list of British Tachiniidas, R. H. Meade. Notes on collecting Tor- trices (the Pole system), C. Fenn. On some new species of Histericla1 and one new genus,* G. Lewis. Notes on some British and exotic Coc- cidse, J. W. Douglas. On an Indian Ant-mimicking Hemipteron,* E. Bergroth. Note on Pentaria badia Rosenh. (= sericaria Mills.) with de- scription of a second species from the Ea^t Pyrenees,* G. C. Champion. * Contains new species other than North American. t Contains new genera. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 12J ENTOMOLOGIST (London), April, 1892. — Portrait and sketch of Henry Walter Bates. Hellebore as an insecticide, W. W. Smith. "Assem- bling" in Lepidoptera, H. D. Sykes. Notes on Lepidoptera taken in 1891, Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge. Notes on British Lepidoptera, Mc- /anippe, R. South. Notes on the synonymy of Noctuid Moths, A. G. Butler. Descriptions of some new species of Phytophagous Coleoptera and synonymic notes,* M. Jacoby. SOCIETE LlNNEENNE DU NORD DE LA FRANCE (Amiens), No. 232, Oc- tober, 1891. —Contributions to the local fauna (Arachnida), M. Du Roselle. ZOOLOGICAL RECORD for 1890. — Published by the Zoological Society, London, 1892. Insecta by D. Sharp. Arachnida and Myriapoda by R. I. Pocock. NEW SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING LITERATURE. COLEOPTERA. Nine n. sp. Rhipidophorus, Ncmognatha, Zonitis, Mex., Centr. Am., Champion, Biol. Centr. Amer., Coleop. iv, pp. 361-368. Phytophaga, n. genera and species, Jacoby, id., vi, suppl., pp. 281-312. Zygops (Apatorhynchus} leopardinus des Loges, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. xxxv, p. 40, Mex. Amara femoralis Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xix, p. 30. A. robitsfiifa, p. 32, Calif. A. nupera, p. 33, Col., N. Mex. A. imitatrix, p. 34, Calif., Wash., Vancouver. Trechus barbara", p. 41, Calif. Platyniis inyniie- codes, arizoncnsis, langnidus, p. 42, Ariz. Pinodytes Hamilton!, p. 45, Pa. P. pusio, p. 45, Cal. Dendrophilus californicits, p. 46, Cal. Aitla- cosce/is purpurea, p. 46, Ariz. Notoxits Sc/ra'arzi, p. 47, Utah. DIPTERA. Syrphidae: n. gen., sp. and synopses of genera, Williston, Biol. Centr. - Amer. Diptera, III, pp. 1-72. One new genus (C/isfoinorpha) and ten new species of Tachinidce, U. S., Townsend, Can. Ent. xxiv, pp. 77-82. Hcematobia aids, Snow, 220! Rep. Ent. Soc. Out., p. 96, Minn. HYMENOPTERA. Cercopales Stretchii, Fox, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xix, p. 52, Cal. Nematus borea/is Marlatt, Proc. Acad. Phila. 1892, p. 133, Disco Is. Ichneumon Jisca'Hsis Fox, Proc. Acad. Phila 1892, p. 134, Disco Is. Nolopygiis aiiicricana Harrington, Can. Ent. xxiv, p. 98, rrionopoda canadensis p. 98, Ischyrocnemis otlawaensis p. 98, Pimpla cllophc p. 99, Can. * Contains new species other than North American. 128 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, Doings of Societies. A REGULAR STATED MEETING OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES was held March 24th at the hall S. W. cor. Nineteenth and Race Streets, Dr. Horn, director, presiding. Meeting called to order at 8.20 p. M. Members present: Laurent, Ridings, Blake and Skinner. Associates: Calvert, Fox and Nell. A letter was read from Prof. C. H. Fernald, in which he stated that he had finished studying the Pyralidae belonging to the American Entomological Society, and had returned them correctly named. Prof. Fernald says: "It is a valuable collection, and I have put a great deal of work on it so as to have everything accurately named, and have written and put a label on each individual specimen, so that no confusion nor doubt can arise about any specimen. The collection contains about 1200 examples, and I added a large number of species from my own collection which were not repre- sented in the collection, and have followed the order and names in the new catalogue. Where I felt certain an insect was a type I have so marked it, but Grote and Robinson did not mark their types, so that there may be types in the collection which I have not marked as such. The fact is, a part of the types went to the New York Museum, and I fear may- have been destroyed, but I have no means of knowing what ones. I care- fully compared these in your collection with the original description, and, where I felt quite sure, marked them; anyway, 1 believe all their species are represented by authentically named specimens, whether types or otherwise." Mr. Calvert presented the fourth lot of European Odonata. Mr. Laurent exhibited a large number of specimens of Coleoptera which he had collected by sieving earth. Dr. Horn exhibited the type material used in writing his paper on Eumolpini. This is the first time the group has been treated in its entirety. They are a difficult lot for study, of more recent geological time, being feeders on plants of the present period. Nineteen genera were considered. Mr. Calvert stated that five years had elapsed since his election as an associate of the Section, and it was ap- propriate that he should make a statement of the growth and present status of the Society's collection (Odonata) and his own. The Entomo- logical Society's collection contains, at present, identified specimens of Odonata representing in all 77 genera and 189 species. This total is made up of 62 genera and 147 species from America, 21 genera and 37 species fromj Europe, 3 genera and 3 species fro'm New Zealand, 4 genera and 6 spec es from Japan (13 genera and 4 species being repeated in this sub- division). According to present calculations, there are in America North of Mexico 58 genera and 245 species. Of these 54 genera and 136 species are represented in the Society's collection; of the remaining four genera, two are represented by European species and one in his own collection, leaving but one genus, Oxyagrion, represented in N. America by but one species, O. rufuhim, from northern California, but even this locality is considered to be very doubtful by the best authority. In the Society's collection and his own collection together, there are represented 57 genera and 164 species of the Odonat fauna of America North of Mexico, that is, sixty-seven per cent, of all the species. The Odonata of the European faunal district (/. e., geographical Europe, N.Africa, Asia Minor) includes 36 genera and 103 species. Of these the Society's collection has 21 genera and 37 species. My own collection includes 31 genera and 77 species, that is. seventy-five per cent, of the species. Of the other five genera, two are represented by species from other parts of the world leaving three unrepresented. The Society's collection does not include any species from the European fauna not represented in his own collection. Mr. Chas. Liebeck and Mr. C. W. Johnson, were duly elected members of the Section. HENRY SKINNER, Recorder. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS for April, was mailed March 31, 1892. . NEWS. Vol. III. PI. V. •^ DATANA MINISTRA. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION, ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. VOL. in. JUNE, 1892. No. 6. CONTENTS: Townsend — New N. Am. Tachinidse 129 Blatchley — Entomologizing in Mexico.. 131 Bruce — Oncocnemis in Colorado 136 Fox — Notes on the Larradse 138 Wickham— Collecting in the far North. 139 Blaisdell — Notes on the Coccinellidae... 143 Townsend — New. Jamaica Tachinidse.... 146 Banks — Atypidae and Theraphosidae 147 Coquillett— A new Dalmannia from Cal. 150 Editorial 152- Notes and News 154 Entomological Literature 157 Williston — A n. sp. of Criorhinia 145 i Doings of Societies 164 OUR illustration this month represents part of the life-history of Datana ministra. The plate was made from a photograph of a drawing' found among the unpublished plates of the late T. R. Peale, of Philadelphia. -o- NEW NORTH AMERICAN TACHINID/E. By C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND, Las Cruces, N. Mex. (Continued from page Sr, Vol. Ill, No. 4) Loewia globosa n. sp. rf1. — Eyes cinnamon-brown, thickly short hairy, edges touching in front of ocelli; frontal villa light brown, vertex blackish; anterior pair of ocellar bristles stronger than frontal bristles, directed strongly forward, decussate; sides of front, face and cheeks silvery-white; the prae-genal area very large, brownish, encroaching on sides efface and extending narrowly to bases of antenna'; sides of face with fringe of bristles; antennae and arista brownish, second anlennal joint orange ru- fous, third joint one and one-half times as long as second, more or less rufous on sides; proboscis about two-thirds bight of head, slim, brownish, labella developed; palpi curved, thickened apically, brown, bristly; oc- ciput blackish, black-hairy. Thorax and sculellum black, with a faint purplish shade, scutellum with an apical decussate and a lateral pair of macrochcuUe. Abdomen shining greenish black, in some lights dark me- tallic-green; second segment with a median marginal pair and a weak lateral pair of mam ichaetae; third with a stn mger lateral pair and a median 130 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, marginal pair; anal with a submarginal row of six. Legs black, claws and pulvilli rather elongate, pulvilli whitish. Wings grayish hyaline, basal portion and wing veins yellowish; tegulse soft brownish yellow, halteres tawny. Length of body 4.5 mm.; of wing 4 mm. Described from one specimen; So. Florida (Robertson). This genus differs from Ennyomma Twns. in the closed apical cell, which terminates just before tip of wing. ATROPHOPALPUS n. gen. Considerably resembling Ccratomyiella, but differs in the char- acter of the palpi. Belongs in Phytoinae. Head more or less triangular in profile. Front rather prominent, narrow in $ , about one-fifth width of head, widened before, face widening at same angle; frontal bristles in a single row, descending on sides of face to lower border of eyes; vertical and next two pairs di- rected backward, rest forward and inward, the descending ones downward; no orbital bristles (.$). Face receding, epistoma somewhat prominent; facial depression two-thirds width of face, not deep; facial ridges bare, except a bristle or two next vibrissse, latter inserted at constriction of ridges about on oral margin, rather stout, decussate; sides of face narrow, bare except for the fringe of descending frontal bristles; cheeks nearly one-third eye- hight, hairy. Eyes very thinly hairy, almost bare. Antennae as long as face, second joint not elongate, third about five times as long as second, narrow; arista thickened on basal third, mi- croscopically pubescent, apparently only 2-jointed, basal joint short. Proboscis somewhat elongate, about as long as hight of head, not very stout, labella present; palpi very small, short fili- form, terminating in a long bristle. Thorax about as wide as head; scutellum with an apical decussate, and two lateral pairs of macrochaetae. Abdomen narrower than thorax, elongate cy- lindro-conical, first segment not shortened; macrochaetae only marginal; hypopygium more or less exserted. Legs rather long and slender, not very bristly; claws and pulvilli of $ rather elon- gate, front ones apparently longest. Wings a little longer than abdomen, with costal spine, third vein bristly half way to small cross-vein; apical cell closed in border at tip of wing, fourth vein bent at wide angle, without stump or wrinkle, apical cross-vein very slightly concave; hind cross- vein nearly straight, rather oblique, nearer to bend of fourth vein. Type, A. angusticornis n. sp. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 131 Atrophopalpus angusticornis n. sp. tf. — Eyes light brownish; frontal vitta dark brown, narrow; sides of front, face and cheeks silvery-white, except brownish prae-genal area; antennae grayish black, second joint more or less rufous apically, arista blackish; proboscis dark brown, palpi appar- ently grayish; occiput cinereous, silvery on edges, gray-hairy. Thorax silvery, with four black vittae, scutellum silvery, clouded with blackish. Abdomen shining black, segments two to four narrowly silvery white at base, all segments very faintly silvery, anal segment light rufous; first segment with a lateral macrochaeta surrounded with bristles, second with a lateral one and a median marginal pair, third with a marginal row of about six, anal with marginal row of eight. Legs black, front and middle femora faintly silvery below, pulvilli fuscous. Wings grayish hyaline, tegulae translucent white; halteres pale brownish at base, knobs luteous. Length of body 4% mm.; of wing 3% mm. Described from one specimen; So. Florida (Robertson). Myothyria vanderwulpi n. sp. $ (?). — Eyes light brownish; frontal vitta blackish, narrow, one-third width of front; front hardly one-third width of head, equilateral, face widened; two orbital bristles; sides of front, face and cheeks dark cinereous, slightly silvery; antennae and arista black, third antennal joint about two and one-half times as long as second; pro- boscis brownish, fleshy, not as long as hight of head; palpi brownish, testaceous at tip; occiput blackish, thinly black-hairy. Thorax black, cinereous pollinose, scutellum black. Abdomen black, bases of second to fourth segments silvery-white; first two segments with a lateral pair of macrochastas, the second with a median marginal pair; third with a mar- ginal row; anal with several lateral submarginal, and a median discal pair. Legs black, claws and pulvilli very short. Wings grayish hyaline, with costal spine, tegulae nearly white, halteres blackish, tawny at base. Length of body 3% mm.; of wing 3^ mm. Described from one specimen; So. Florida (Robertson). -o- ENTOMOLOGIZING IN MEXICO. By W. S. BLATCHLEY, Terre Haute, Ind. (Continued from page 114, Voi. Ill, No. 4) Other interesting and typical tropical forms were the Heliconias with their brilliant colors and long and narrow wings. As many as a dozen of them were often seen fluttering about a clump of flowers, and four or five would at times be captured with a single scoop of the net. The Nconymphas were- also well represented, two .or three species being found everywhere living close to the ground with that queer jerky flight so characteristic of tin- mem- bers of that genus. Among the Nymphalidae, however, the spe- 132 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, cies of Argynnis, Melitcea and Limenitis, were the most common, and some of them exceedingly brilliant in color. The genus Eudamus was especially well represented among the Hesperidae, E. proteus Linn, being most noticeable on account of its num- bers, the long tails of its hind wings, and the surprising swiftness of its flight. At Fortin, a station nine miles below Orizaba, the difference in level being 700 feet, a number of species were taken which were not found at the higher altitude. Among them was a long-beaked Libythea, a genus which is represented in all the eastern United States by but a single species, and a large and beautiful Caligo, which, at that height, was very rare, but two specimens having been seen. At a still lower level, however, it is said to be one of the commonest of species. To the average Mexican a collector of " chinches" or " bugs," was a somewhat novel sight, and many were the curious eyes which followed my every movement. At night, especially when I set out to seek what I might find about the electric lights, I was sure to be followed by a motly crowd of all ages, sizes, sexes and conditions. They would watch me capture a specimen or two with the net and then each one would rush after the largest and finest moth to be seen and endeavor to catch it with, his hands. The moths were usually taken from the sides or walls of houses near the lights. The houses were mostly of stone, plastered and whitewashed on the outside, and jut right onto the street with no yard intervening. The light, reflecting from the walls, would attract the insects and often fifty or more of them were to be seen on the sides of a single building. I usually captured the smaller moths by inverting over them a wide mouthed cyanide bottle into which they would flutter quickly, and in less than half a minute would be dead. The larger ones were captured with the net and chloroformed. Of course every specimen caught with the hands was ruined, and when the natives went after them or brought me fluttering specimens with half the scales knocked off their wings, I would shake my head and inform them as best I could that when thus captured the insects were sure to be " rote," i.e. broken, and therefore worthless. Then the older persons would cease trying to catch them, but it was hard work to keep the boys back when a large or showy specimen settled near them. Oftentimes they would attract my attention to a large moth 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 133 which I had not noticed by clapping me on the shoulder and pointing to it, at the same time uttering in a whisper, as if afraid the insect would hear, the words " Esta ime grande, esta unc grande, esta, esta, esta, esta," which were: "There is a large one; there is a large one, there, there, there." If a small one they would say ' ' esta chica, esta chica, ' ' and if a very small one, " esta chicita, esta, esta, esta." The houses have the windows very low and protected by gratings which extend out six or eight inches from the wall. The boys often aided me by climbing upon these gratings and reaching with the net a large specimen which had settled close up under the projecting eaves. On one occasion, about twelve o'clock at night, a drunken fellow with two or three companions came along, and grabbing the handle of the net, he insisted on climbing the window grating of the most palatial residence of the town for a large brown moth which was high upon the wall. I remonstrated with him as best I could, but no policeman being near he insisted on his point, and I finally had to yield. Up he clambered, making noise enough to be heard half a square away, and I fully expected to see him shot by one of the occupants of the dwellings. How- ever, he finally got within reaching distance of the moth, and after several ineffectual attempts, during which he came near falling, succeeded in getting it into the net, and brought it down in triumph to me. I thanked him graciously, and, getting hold of the net, quickly left the scene, although half a dozen desirable specimens were in view. About 1 200 moths, representing 160 species, were taken during my stay at Orizaba, but as yet little has been done towards mounting or classifying them, and hence nothing is known as to the number of rare forms taken. Among the larger ones were numerous species of Sphingidce, some of which were exceedingly abundant. Of these the largest species taken was Sphinx leuco- phreataf, which expands seven inches. A number of its larvae were taken from the trunk of a shrub which is extensively used for hedges. When discovered they were stretched out side by side on the trunk of the shrub, and were as close together as they could lie. Four hundred Coleoptera, representing one hundred and twenty-five species, were taken in the vicinity of Orizaba. As 134 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June> mentioned above, no attempt was made to take a full series of them, but only those as happened in the way were picked up. Of those taken by far the larger numbers were Chrysomelidae, a family which is extensively represented there, almost every kind of plant having some species which feeds upon it. A Doryphora, very similar to decimlineata Say, but smaller and darker, was found feeding upon a cultivated species of Solammi, showing that that genus of plants is the favorite food of these beetles. Of the Carabidae, the family most largely represented in Indiana, but half a dozen species were collected, although a person looking- for them especially, could undoubtedly have found many more. The largest and most striking beetles taken were the Dynastes and Xylorycies already mentioned, of which the latter were very common about the lights at night, though more were seen during the day; and the gigantic long-armed beetle Acrocimts longimanus, three specimens of which were also taken about the lights. A single male of the handsome and peculiar Scarabaeid Inca clath- ratus, was also secured. Of the Orthoptera, forty species of Acrididae or locusts, were taken, the giant of this number being Rhomalia auricornis Walk., which was not found above Fortin, but was quite frequent at Cor- doba. Unlike most of our species it is not found on the ground, but on tall weeds and bushes, upon whose leaves both adults and larvae feed. Like all the larger locusts it is very clumsy in its movements being easily captured with the fingers. Locustidae, or "Katydids," were common, especially about the lights, and some of them were of enormous size. The Blattidae, or cock- roaches, are represented in the collection by six or seven species, the most abundant ones seen being the well-known Croton bug and the Oriental cockroach (Periplancta orientalis L.), both of which are cosmopolitan. The " earwigs," formerly classed under this order, but now placed by themselves under the order Der- maptera, are with us very rare insects, but in Orizaba they literally swarmed on the sides of the houses, and three or four species of them were secured. Sixty species of Hemiptera, or ' ' bugs' ' proper, were taken as opportunity offered. Leaf and tree hoppers were to be seen by thousands, and varied much in size and color. Pachycornis tor- ridus Scop, and Stiretru.r anchorago Fab., which are among the most brilliant of the Heteroptera, and so variable in color, that 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 135 each has been described under at least half a dozen names were taken in small numbers, while that pest of the market gardener, Murgantia histrionica Hahn. was present everywhere. Belos- toina americanum Leidy, the "electric light bug," is becoming as well known in Orizaba since the advent of the lights as its con- gener, Benacus griseus Say, which bears the same common name, is known to the inhabitants of our northern cities. Nor can we forbear mentioning, while speaking of Hemiptera, those species of Acanthia which were felt on various occasions, but were diffi- cult, to capture. If a Mexican discovers that an American or " Gringo," desires to secure any special article or group of articles the price of those articles suddenly advances one thousand per cent. "Bugs," which were quoted away below par before our advent into the city of Orizaba took an upward impetus in value each day of our stay, and every street urchin and many men began to deal in them, or rather to try and deal in them. One day the landlord informed me that a native was in the office who had ' ' an exceed- ingly rare butterfly" which he wished to dispose of. I went down and found that he had a small gray moth with a silvery band across its wings. I looked at it and asked him ' ' quantoT (how much?) "Unpeso" (one dollar) was the answer. I did not care to purchase, but offered him a " media,'1'' six cents. He walked out with a look of disgust, carrying the precious insect with him, and that night I captured five of them from the side of our building. Another native had a large click beetle with enor- mous mandibles, which he asked me two dollars for. I finally offered him fifty cents, but he evidently thought I would give more before I left the city and refused the offer, although he did not appear as if he had seen fifty cents in as many months. After eleven days spent in collecting in the vicinity of Orizaba we left that fair city with many regrets and made our way to the town of San Andres, 4000 feet higher up the slope. The differ- ence in the numbers and variety of insects which this ascent of 4000 feet made was remarkable. During two day's collecting about San Andres not more than half a dozen species of butter- flies and as many of beetles were taken, while the other orders were as sparingly represented. As the ascent continued this number became gradually less. At a camp at 12,000 feet a half day's search was rewarded with four species of beetles which 136 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, were captured from beneath the bark of logs; one small brown butterfly, a Chionobus ?, whose range was between 9500 and 13,000 feet, and one species of locust, a Pezotettix, which was there quite abundant, and a single specimen of which was after- ward taken near the 14,000 feet level. At the latter point, which was near the lower limit of snow and as high as I ascended two species of rough-backed beetles be- longing to the genus Phellopsis f ; one species of Phalangidae, or harvestmen; the Pezotettix mentioned above, and three species of small-sized myriopods were found during several hour's search, the beetles and myriopods being quite common beneath the bark of logs and beneath rocks. A few half-grown specimens of a Centhophilus, a genus of wingless Locustida±, were also secured. These were evidently the bulk of the species of insects found at that altitude at that season of the year, though Dr. Scoville saw at the top of the mountain, 18,000 feet, two specimens of a small white butterfly, but was unable to capture either of them. -o- On the Species of ONCOCNEMIS in Colorado. By DAVID BRUCE. As the Noctuid genus Oncocnemis Lederer is not very abun- dantly represented in the majority of our collections, perhaps a few observations on the species I have taken in Colorado may be acceptable. 1. O. Haycsii Grt. — Not very rare at light and over flowers at night in central Colorado, August and September. I took two examples in July this year in western Colorado flying round flowers by day. 2. O. Dayi Grt. — Abundant, flying over flowers by day in South Park at 10,000 feet elevation; it has all the habits of Plusia Snowi and P. Hochenwarthi, and can scarcely be distinguished from these species until captured. I have seen it no place but at the locality named, August and September. 3. O. fasciatus Smith. — One beautiful example flying over flowers by day August 2oth, southwest Colorado. 4. O. tenitifascia Smith. — Common just at timber line in South Park, flying with Dayi over flowers in bright sunshine; looks extremely like a Botis when flying, August and September. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 137 5. O. tcrminalis Smith. — Not uncommon at Boulder and vi- cinity; sitting on rocks by day, and have taken several at light at Denver, August. 6. O. levis Grt. — Common in August at Golden City and Denver; can be found in plenty by day by examining crevices and under projections near electric lights. 7. O. tricolor Smith. — This beautiful species is sometimes abundant at Denver; I have picked off more than a dozen ex- amples from a building near an electric light in one morning, August and September. 8. O. homogena Grt. — I met with this species in some numbers near Aspen, flying over flowers in the sunshine; have also taken a few examples at light in Denver, August. 9. O. Glennyi Grt. — Occurs in the greatest profusion during September and October at light in Denver City. Walls and fences near electric lights are spotted with thousands in the early morning, the moths flying off or hiding in crevices as the sunshine gets on them. This species is a positive nuisance every fall; the store windows and hallways of hotels are covered with them. 10. O. occata Grt. — Occasionally at sugar in Platte Canon. I met with a few fine examples this Summer near Canon City, flying by day over flowers, August. 11. O. Chandleri Grt. — Occasionally at light in the western part of the State; this year I found it common in July by beating old cedars; they were hiding under the ragged bark. 12. O. major Grt. — Several on buildings and in crevices of sidewalks near electric lights at Salida, July. I have also -taken it flying by day. 13. O. cibalis. — Not common; have taken one or two every Summer near the foothills in the eastern part of the State; they start up from the herbage like Crambodes talidifonnis. 14. O. Colorado Smith. — Not uncommon at light in central and western Colorado in July and August. 15. O. atricollaris Harr. — Occasionally at light in various parts of the State, August. 1 6. O. umbrifascia Smith. — Two examples only, last July, at light in southwestern Colorado. I have also two or three species taken this Summer, the names of which I have not yet learned; they are probably undcscribed. 138 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, Notes on the LARRAD/E, by William H. Patton. By WILLIAM J. Fox. In the April number of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, under the title " Notes on the Larradae," Mr. Patton has made several as- sertions which, if not corrected, would ultimately cause much confusion, as they are entirely in error. In correcting these state- ments I wish to state that I do it in the best of good-will and friendliness to Mr. Patton, to whom I had written some time ago, pointing out the errors. Liris Fab. — I am not acquainted with this genus, but accord- ing to Kohl, who must certainly be acquainted with it, the outer edge ol the mandibles are without a notch; both sexes have the mandibles bidentate within, not only those of the 9 . In the original description, or in any other of this genus, no mention whatever is made of the tarsi, yet Mr. Patton states that it is " founded on a male type with peculiar tarsi." Liris coxalis Patt. is synonymous with Tachytes aurulenta Fab. Tacky sphex Kohl. — This genus is characterized and distin- guished from Tachytes, to which it is allied, by the more slender form and more feeble hairing; the anterior femora of the £ are notched near the base beneath; the fore tarsi 9 having very long, flexible spines, and the pygidium being naked. It is certainly not represented in this country by Larra analis Fab. as an ex- amination of that species will show. Lyroda subita Say certainly does not belong to Didineis, which belongs to the Nyssonidae. The hind femora are toothed near the apex in Didineis, which is not the case in Lyroda subita. I am not acquainted with Pisonitus and Sylaon, so again refer to Kohl. Pisonitus Shuck, is a synonym of Pison Spin. Sylaon Pice, and Bothynostelhus Kohl, differ from Pison in having the marginal cell appendiculate, and a pygidial area on the last dorsal segment 9. Bothynostethus differs from Sylaon by having a. notch on outer margin of mandibles. "Larra divisa Pttn. is 9 of L. ccthiops Cress." How can this be ? The type of (zthiops is a 9 , ^nd is distinct from divisa in having the pygidial area differently shaped. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 139 COLLECTING IN THE FAR NORTH. * I.— THE ALASKAN COAST. By H. F. WICKHAM, Iowa City, Iowa. By request of the Editor of ENT. NEWS I place before the reader some account of a Summer trip to Alaska and that part of British Columbia lying back of it drained by the Stikine Cor Stikeen) River. Although some parts of the territory are quite easy of access, the distance from all centres of trade and ordinary routes of travel have combined with the general ideas as to climate and the unattractiveness of the insect fauna, to keep entomolo- gists from visiting them — consequently comparatively little has been done to increase our knowledge in this direction since the time of the Russian explorations. The following notes are in- tended simply to convey an idea as to the general character of the places visited from an entomological standpoint, but by the kindness of Dr. Horn, in giving his aid in identifying beetles, the correctness of what is placed on record relating to the Coleoptera is secured. A complete list of these insects is in preparation, and will be presented at as early a date as practicable, so that any indefiniteness of specification in this paper will be remedied. Leaving Tacoma about the middle of June, a run of four days brought me to the first stopping-place in Alaska — the Yes Bay cannery — and as the steamer was to remain a few hours unloading freight, I went ashore to get some insects if possible. The rugged surface of the land with its heavy growth of conifers and thickets of blueberry intermixed with a vile plant known as the "devil's club" (Fatsia horrida) is not conducive to either ease or comfort while collecting, and the excessive dampness forms still another drawback. The ground is covered everywhere with a luxuriant carpet of moss, often many inches deep, into which the feet sink at every step. But little was found here, only a half dozen Ptcr- ostichus castaneus, a few Staphylinidae, twenty or thirty little moths, a fly or two and a couple of Hymenoptera. The moths were flying around the flowers of the devil's club," and before I had taken all the whistle of the steamer called me back. Shortly after we touched at the Loring cannery, where I took nothing but one or two Scolyticlae flying around newly-cut timber. Early the next morning we were running along the shore of Wrangel Island, which lies close to the mainland of Alaska, the 14° ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ June, upper end being directly opposite the mouth of the Stikine River. On the seaward side, only a very few miles from the river mouth, the town of Fort Wrangel lies on a narrow strip of beach, backed by high hills covered with the usual conifers and blueberry un- dergrowth; close to the beach this growth is replaced by thickets of salmon-berry and thimble-berry, the fruit of both being used as food by the native and white residents, but supporting little in the way of insect life. The great nettles, taller than a man, which are plentiful in these thickets, make the task of forcing a way through them or searching the ground anything but pleasant. However, I expected to make this place my base of operations for some weeks, and so made preparations accordingly. Investigation showed the insect fauna of the island to be by no means varied, and to present nothing remarkable as compared with other points in the North Pacific. A number of Carabidae may be taken, mostly along the edge of the beach, just above high-tide mark; among them may be mentioned Cychms angus- iicollis, C. marginatns, Loricera io-punctata, Nebria sp., Pteros- tic/ms crenicollis, P. vitreus, P. riparius, Bembidium fimereum, B. flavopictum, B. cautnui, Patrobus septentrionis, P. aterrimus, Platynus erasus and Amara littoralis. Of the Dytiscidae only an Agabus and a few specimens of Hydroporus oblitus were found, and these not in water, but under stones or pieces of wood in very wet places — the use of a net in pools and streams yielding nothing. Search under seaweed and other debris cast up by the sea proved much less productive than I had anticipated, very little except a few Staphylinidae being taken here. Trichopteryx parallela and a species of Ptenidium were found sparingly under logs and chips, while Cryptohypnus musadus occurred in some numbers under the shingle. Just within and along the outskirts of the brush, Athous ferrn- ginosus is seen quite commonly, flying where footsteps disturb the quiet of the spot. On rolling over sticks or small logs here, which were deeply imbedded in moss and much overgrown with grass, these insects would fly around in numbers, alighting on un- clothes and very easily captured — they often came from resting places near or upon the ground, running up the stems of plants until a good place was reached from which to take wing, when they would let go and fly slowly around the spot, something after the manner in which Myodites may be seen about golden-rods in 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 141 the States during Autumn. Occasionally Podabrus piniphilus may be found in the same localities as the Athous, but not in such large numbers. Far back in the woods but little can be found, except Pterostichus castaneus, and this only in small numbers, the growth of moss being so rank as to greatly obstruct search, and by it any logs that may chance to lie on the ground are soon bound down so lightly as to defy efforts to move them. Aphodius aleutus occurred once or twice in the first, also an Eros of a species not yet determined. Experience proved it more profitable to set traps for certain kinds of beetles rather than to go after them in their almost in- accessible haunts. With an eye, therefore, to the capture of such species as live in carrion, I piled up a great heap of carcasses of birds in a little thicket a few feet from my cabin-door, every day looking them over carefully and sifting the soil on which they lay, that nothing might escape. The results were far above what I had hoped, numerous species of Staphylinidae being thus obtained in large numbers, also many Cercyon fulvipennis, some C. aduin- bratum, Choleva egena, Ptilium columbianum, and occasionally other Trichopterygidae. Taking into account the seeming dearth of Coleopterous life on the island, the number of specimens taken in this way was really surprising. Little in the way of wood- or leaf-eating beetles was seen on the island, though careful search was made for them. A couple of specimens of Opsimus quadrilincatus were found, one of them under the wharf at Wrangel, the other resting on a fence, and a single dead Phymatodes was taken on a window. Not a single Chrysomelid \vas secured, and beating trees yielded only two specimens of a Magdalis. T\vo Hylobiini were taken from low sprouts. But little can be said of the insect fauna of the place as regards the other orders. Hymenoptera were scarce, Lepidop- tera by no means common, and Dipteni numerous only in indi- viduals. A large species of Dragon-fly was the chief representa- tive of the Neuroptera, while of Orthoptera there seemed to be a total lack. The few Hymenoptera that were taken were mostly Humble-bees, captured around the blossoms of white clover. Having spent several clays on the island I determined to make a trip to the mainland, and engaged, for the purpose, a white trapper and an Alaskan Indian, intending to send them after mammals while I employed my own time collecting insects. We ctl ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, left Fort Wrangel early one morning, and about half past four next afternoon reached our destination — about twenty-five miles from Fort Wrangel — which was to be my stopping place for two days. Next morning I sent my men across the bay with instruc- tions to ascend the snow-capped mountains opposite, in search of the mountain goat, and to bring back any insects that they might come across. Then, as it was raining and all vegetation was soaked, I could do little but turn over a few logs along the beach and search under seaweed for Staphylinidae. I was re- warded by finding a Liparocephalus , but took little else, and filled out the day by skinning birds shot on the way down. The night passed without interruption, except that caused by the cries of a captive baby seal which we had placed in a pen back of the camp — cries of the most homesick intonation, calcu- lated to melt the heart even of an entomologist without babies of his own. Morning dawned clear at last and promised a good day for collecting, so I lost no time in getting out and to work, with better success in some directions than on the island. By beating I took a few Syneta simplex, Corymbites caricinus, C. tarsalis and Anaspis rufa. A number of Anthobiums were found and one or two examples each of Leptalia macilenta and Pachyta monticola, but this was about all of the beetles, the remainder of the catch consisting of flies, moths and a few Hymenoptera. Midges and mosquitoes were an almost intolerable nuisance, and it was quite a relief to get back to the cabin, build a " smudge" and look over the day's catch. In the evening my men came back without the goat, though they had shot one away up towards the summit of the mountain and found the difficulties in bringing down the skin and necessary parts of the skeleton so great that the attempt was abandoned. However, they brought down a Donacia, which they had found in a snow-bank at a considerable altitude, an Eros and a Rhyncholus, all of interest from the locality in which they were taken. Both men were so weary that they said they were too tired to pick up any of the " bugs" they came across on the way down. Our return trip took us only a single day, and next day I was on hand to resume my entomological labors at Fort Wrangel. Leaving the Stikine River country for discussion in another paper, but two points remain to be spoken of — Hunter's Bay on Prince of Wales Island (if we may rely on the information as to 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 143 locality given by officers of the steamer), and Metlakahtla or Port Chester, a large Indian settlement under direction of a mis- sionary. At Hunter's Bay a few hours were spent with fair suc- cess, the same general character of country obtaining as in other places spoken of though some of the species of beetles were not found elsewhere. Pterostichus castancus, P. amethystinus, Epurtea truncatella, a fine Byrrhide, Pedilophorus acuminatus, a Scyd- msenid of considerable size, and a number of Xyloterus bivittatus were seen. At Metlakahtla the rain again interfered, but a few other species were added to my list, among them Pterostichus validus and Megapenthes stigmosns. All of the narrow coast strip as well as the islands which constitute southern Alaska con- sists of rocky and rugged hills with very little variety of soil or vegetation, so that an entomologist would hardly expect to find a great variety of species. Every spot seems, however, to yield something not found at others, and doubtless much that is new yet remains to be discovered. The difficulties of exploration have rendered anything more than a superficial examination out of the question, except in isolated localities, and the day is yet far distant when we shall be able to say that our knowledge of the Alaskan insect fauna approaches completeness. -o- Notes on the COCCINELLID/E observed in San Diego Co., Cal. By F. E. BLAISDELL, M.D. Anisosticta seriata Melsh. — Plentiful in September. Occurring along the bay-shore in favorable localities. Large numbers are on the wing during warm sunny days; when at rest, clustered in the tops of small shrubs and in the ice-plant {Mesembryanthemum crystallinum). Megilla maculata DeG. — Rare. Occurs in the eastern portion of the country, along the Colorado River. Megilla vittigera Mann. — Quite plentiful in Summer on sedges along water courses. Hippodamia ambigua Lee. — Common everywhere. Hippodamia convergens. — Guer. — Abundant. Interbreeds with the preceding species ; both congregating during the colder months of the year under bark on trees, and in the dead leaves 144 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, heaped about the bases of clumps of sycamores, where they can often be observed in immense numbers. Hippodamia parenthesis Say. — Very rare. Occurs on squash vines at Povvay. Identical with eastern examples in my collection. Coccinella q-notata Hbst. — Plentiful. Confined to the coast region ; not observed in the interior — at least, fourteen years' col- lecting has failed to discover it at Povvay (fourteen miles from coast, elevation 700 feet) and higher altitudes. Coccinella californica Mann. — Very common. This species, besides being aphidivorous, feeds upon the buds of the wild sun- flower {Helianthus californica}. Interbreeds with the preceding species. Coccinella sanguined Linn. — Plentiful throughout the county. Coccinella abdominalis Say. — Not common. Frequents citrus groves, loco-weed (Astragalus leucopsis), and pig-weeds (Cheno- podiuni). Psyllobora ttzdata Lee. — Plentiful on plants along water courses and in vineyards. Have observed them feeding upon a small aphis infesting the under surface of the grape leaf, where the beetle was also noticed in all stages of development. Chilocorus cacti Linn. — Quite abundant in certain localities upon Agave americana, Astragalus leiicopsis, and citrus and olive trees infested with the Black Scale. Exochomus pilate i Muls. — Rare. Occasionally taken with the preceding species on Astragalus leucopsis. Exochomus marginipennis Lee. — Moderately common on dif- ferent flowering shrubs, especially Primus demissus. Scymnus lophanthce* Blais. — Vortriede's Ladybird is not widely distributed, occurring mostly on the Coronadian peninsula. In color, the elytra are a shining black, with a feeble purpurescent lustre, and not strongly metallic as stated in my descrption in ENT. NEWS, March number p. 51. Post-coxal arcs distinct in outline, semi-circular; outer margin feebly concave, terminating at apex of metathoracic episternuin. Scymnus marginicdllis Mann. — Plentiful everywhere. Several undetermined species ot Brachyacantha, Hyperaspis and Scymnus. * We are informed by the Agricultural Department at Washington that this is one of the introduced Australian species, the name of which has not yut been ascertained. — ED. 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 145 A new species of CRIORHINIA and Notes on Synonymy. By Dr. S. W. WILLISTON, Lawrence, Kan. Criorhinia coquilletti n. sp. cf. — Front separated by nearly the width of the ocelli; ocellar prominence shining black; front below and the face covered with dense, light yellow pubescence and pollen, and, on the sides of the face above, with long, light yellow pile; cheeks broadly shining black. Antennae brownish red, first joint but little longer than the second, third joint much broader than long, produced somewhat acutely above to the base of the arista. Proboscis moderately elongate. Thorax deep, shining black; on the dorsum, metallic; the color, however, is largely concealed beneath dense, long pile, which is yellow in front of the wings, both on dorsum and on the pleurae, and black behind the wings. Abdo- men deep black, shining, somewhat metallic, on the fourth segment markedly so; pile long, moderately dense, on the first three segments black, [slightly intermixed on the third], on the fourth segment yellow. Legs deep reddish brown or reddish black; the knees, the narrow base of the tibiae, and the basal joints of the four anterior tarsi yellowish; pile black. Wings brown on' the anterior and distal parts; subhyaline behind. Length 9 — 10 mm. Hab. — Southern California. The specimen upon which the foregoing description is based, was sent me by my friend, Mr. D. W. Coquillett, who had recognized it as belonging to a new spe- cies. The species is closely allied to C. lupina Will., but differs in having the first antennal joint less elongated, in having the third joint more acute above, a shorter proboscis, and in the ab- sence of the facial stripes, etc. I have seen but very few species in this family since the publication of my " Synopsis." Several of these, of not a little interest, will be shortly described by Mr. W. A. Snow. Since my studies of the North American forms, however, I have had the opportunity of studying nearly three hundred species from Central America, the West Indies and South America. The nomenclature of a few North American species is affected by the results of these studies, as follows: Melanostoma stegnum Say, Journ. Acad. Phil, vi, p. 163; Com pi. YVr. ii, p. 358 \_Syrphits~\ ; \Yilliston, Biol, Centr.-Amer. Diptera, iii, p. io.=ltfe- lanostoma tigrina Osten Sacken, Western Dipt. p. 323; Williston, Syn- opsis, etc., p. 47, pi. iii, fig. 8. Melanostoma mellinum Linne", etc. I identify M. prninosuin Bigot as a closely allied, but distinct species. Baccha clavata Fabricius, Ent. Syst. iv, p. 298 [Syrphns]; Syst. Antl. p. 298; Wiedemaun, Auss. Zweifl. Ins. ii, p. 94; Schiner, Reise d. Xovara, 6* 146 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ June, Diptera, p. 341; Williston, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. xv, p. 270; Biol. Cent.- Amer. Diptera, iii, p. ^.^Baccha babista Walker, List, etc., iii, p. 549; Williston, Synopsis, p. 117, pi. iv, fig 9. =Baccha facia/is Thomson, Eugen. Resa, Ins. p. sv\.=Spazigaster bacchoides Bigot, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1883, p. 326. Ocyptamus trigonus Wiedemann, Auss. Zweifl. Ins. ii, p. 125 \_Syrphus\\ Schiner, Reise d. Novara, Diptera, p. 346; Williston, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. xv, p. 265; Biol. Centr.-Amer. iii, p. $o.=Baccha torva Williston. Synopsis, etc., p. 124. Males which seem to be of this species have the wings hyaline. Volucella pallens Wiedemann, Auss. Zvveifl. Ins. ii, p. 204; Williston, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. xv, p. 275; Biol. Centr.-Amer. Diptera, iii, p. 53, = 1'olncelia sc.vpunctata Loew, Wien. Ent. Monatschr. v, p. 38; Centur. vi, 37; Williston, Synopsis, etc., p. 141, pi. vi, fig. 2. Eristalis vinetorum Fabricius, etc. Eristalis thoracica Jaenuicke is not a synonym of this species, but of E. obsoletus Wiedemann. Eristalis albifrons Wiedemann, Auss. Zweifl. Ins. ii, p. 189; Roeder, Stett. Ent. Zeit. 1885, • p. 341; Williston, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. xv, p. 283; Biol. Centr.-Amer. iii, p. 62.= Eristalis albiceps Macquart, Dipt. Exot. ii, p. 56; Williston, Synopsis N. Amer. Syrphida;, p. i72.=Erisfalis seniculus Loew, Centur. vi, p. 63. Eristalis scutellaris Fabricius, Syst. Ami. p. 190 {_Milesia}\ Wiedemann, Auss. Zweifl. Ins. ii, p. 159; Macquart, Dipt. Exot. ii, 2, p. 41; Schiner, Novara Exped. p. 364; Williston, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. xv, p. 279; Biol. Centr.-Amer. iii, p. d$=Palpada scutellata Macquart, Hist. Nat. Dipt, i, p. 513; Dipt. Exot. ii, 2, p. 38 [Eristalis~\. =Eristalis fascithorax Mac- quart, Dipt. Exot. 4 Suppl. p. \y).=Doliosyrphus scutcllatus Bigot, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1883, p. 222.=Do!iosyi-p/iits rilcyi Williston, Synopsis, p. 1 78, pi. viii, fig. 8. A wider acquaintance with allied species makes me disinclined to accept the genus Doliosyrphus Bigot. Trojridia albistylum Macquart, is a distinct species, a specimen of which is in the National Museum. Xylota elongata Williston, Synopsis, p. 234, is a synonym of A", angus- lircutris Loew. -o- NEW JAMAICA TACHINID/E.-I. By C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND. The following species was transmitted to me by Mr. Cockerell. Curator of the Museum, with the record that it was taken at Cinchona, Jamaica, a place which is high up in the mountains. Pseudoliystricia exilis n. sp. $.— Eyes brown, with some bronzy reflec- tions, pubescent; front averaging one-third width of head, frontal vitta blackish, velvety, hardly one-iifth width of front; five posterior pairs of 1892.] , ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 147 frontal bristles directed backward, two orbital bristles; front, face and cheeks of a clear golden-yellow, shading to brassy or cinereous in spots on front, pile on sides of face and cheeks golden-yellow; antennce brown- ish, first two joints dark, base and posterior half of third rose-rufous, third joint one and a half times as long as second; arista blackish, first two joints elongate and of equal length; proboscis black, palpi elongate, widened and enlarged toward tip, rufous-yellow, occiput brassy, thickly clothed with brassy pile. Thorax black, thinly silvery, with four narrow vittse, the outer ones heavier and interrupted at suture; humeri and pleurae black, very faintly silvery; scutellum deep brownish rufous, very spiny. Abdomen deep brownish rufous, with purplish reflections, densely beset everywhere, except on sides anteriorly, with spiny macrochaetae; venter with macrochastae on median portion and on sides posteriorly. Legs black, front femora somewhat silvery on outside, tibiae spiny, especially middle and hind pairs, claws and pulvilli a little elongate, pulvilli tawny yellowish; front tarsi not dilated. Wings brownish fuscous, veins blackish at base; tegulas fuscous, halteres rufous. Length of body n mm.; of wing 9.5 mm. Described from one specimen; Cinchona, Jamaica. Collected by Mr. W. Fawcett, Head of the Botanical Department of Jamaica. o Our ATYPID/E and THERAPHOSID/E. By NATHAN BANKS, Washington, D. C. These two families of spiders contain what are commonly called tarantulas, the Mygalidae of older authors. They have four lun^- . sacs, the fang of the mandibles moves vertically, the legs are short and stout. The two families may be tabulated thus: Maxillae broadened at base, palpi lateral . . . Atypidae. Maxillae not broadened at base, palpi terminal, or almost so. Theraphosidae. Of Atypidae we have but one genus, Atypus; two species of which have been described from the Western States. A. bicolor Lucas may, if any one is fortunate enough to obtain a specimen, form another genus on account of the arrangement of the eyes. It is probably the species to which Hentz refers as the "A. rujipes found by Mr. Milbert." A. bicolor Lucas is black, with red Ic^s; only known from "Philadelphia." A. niger Hentz is wholly black; from Mass., Md., D. C., Va., N. C. The Theraphosidae may be divided into two subfamilies: Inner distal angle of maxillae slightly prolonged, palpi somewhat lateral. Eriodontiuee. Inner distal angle of maxillae not prolonged, palpi terminal. Theraphosinae. 148 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, The Eriodontinae are represented by three genera: A. S. E. the largest eyes ......... 2. A. M. E. the largest eyes ....... Anthrodiaetus. 2.— S. E. farther apart than M. E. .... Myrmekiaphila. S. E. not farther apart than M. E ...... Nidivalvata. In Anthrodicetus the S. E. are widely separated, the anterior row is longer than the posterior row and recurved. One species, A. unicolor Hentz is described from Alabama. Myrmekiaphila has the S. E. widely separated, but the anterior row is not longer than the posterior row, and is slightly procurved. One species, M. foliata Atk. is described from North Carolina. Nidivalvata has the S. E. close together or touching, anterior row procurved, a little shorter than the posterior row. Two species are described, both from North Carolina, by Prof. Atkinson: S. E. and P. M. E. touching, in one group . . . . N. marxii. S. E. and P. M. E. distinctly separated N. angustata. The Theraphosinse may be divided into two tribes: Three claws to tarsi ......... Trionchi. Two claws to tarsi ......... Dionclii. The Dionchi have one genus, Eurypelma, in Western States, of which five species are described. These are the genuine ta- rantulas. As the species are extremely close, a key will not be given, but the species arranged in two series according to locality. California: E. californica Auss., E. rileyii Marx, E. leiog aster Auss. Southern W. S. : E. hentzii Girard, La., Tex., Kans. ; * E. steindacherii Auss. , N. Mex. E. kentzuis'the most common; E. mordax Auss. is the same as E. hentzii Girard. The Trionchi are divided into two groups: Median groove longitudinal ...... Mecicobothri. Median groove transverse ....... Aepicephali. Group MECICOBOTHRI. Spinnerets four ...... . Brachybothriiun. Spinnerets six ............ 2. 2. — Eyes about equal in size, third article of spinnerets hut little longer than second ......... Atypoides. A. M. E. much smaller than others, third article of spinnerets much longer than second ........ Hexiira. Brachybothrium is represented by two species, one B. pacijicum Simon from Wash. State, the other B. accentuation Simon from 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 149 North Carolina. Hexura and Atypoides have each one species: H. picea Simon from Wash. State; A. riversi Cambr. from Cala. Group AEPICEPHALI. Tibia III flattened at base .... . Pachylomerus. Tibia III not flattened at base ... .... 2. 2. — Lip much longer than broad at base ...... 5. Lip at most as long as broad at base . ... 3. 3. — Abdomen truncated behind . . . Cyclocosmia. Abdomen rounded behind ... ... 4. 4. — Mandibles pointed in front . . ... Cteniza. Mandibles rounded in front ... . Bolostromus. 5. — Eyes crowded together in two curved parallel rows . Madocjnatha. Eyes more separated, in two rows not parallel . . Clllosterochilus. Cyclocosmia truncata Hentz from Alabama. Cteniza calif ornica Cambr. from California. Bolostromus fluvialilis Hentz from Alabama. Maclognatha abbottii Lucas from Georgia and " Phila- delphia." Chlosterochilus gracilis Hentz from Alabama. Chlo- sterochilus pertyii Lucas, Ann. Ent. Soc. Fr. , Second Series, Vol. Ill, 1845, p. 60; not Vol. VI, p. 377, as given by Marx in the Catalogue. This was described as Actinopus by Lucas, but the eyes do not differ in arrangement from Ch. gracilis; the A. S. E. are, however, much larger than the A. M. E., while in Ch. gracilis the A. S. E. are about equal to the A. M. E. It was de.-cribed from " Amerique du Nord." Dr. Marx, in his Cata- logue, also places Pachyoscelis nifipes and Theragreteswalkenaerii (the male of Sphodros abbottii according to Walckenaer) as in our fauna. This is not the case, as may be seen from the follow- ing quotation from Lucas in his article on the subject: . . . " car 1'espece que M. Walckenaer regarde com me le male du 6". ab- bottii 9 se trouve dans le meme localite que mon Pachyloscclis rufipes, 1'un et 1'sutre out ete trouves au Bresil dans les Campos geraes. ' ' Of Pachylomerus we have two species. There seems to be considerable trouble in the genus. Prof. George Atkinson de- scribed three species as new, and redescribed P. carolinensis Hentz, and suggested that P. solstitialis Hentz was the male of the same species. It is very probable that P. carolinensis and P. solstitialis are the same, though there may be a slight differ- ence in the proportionate width of the cephalothorax. But as P. solstitialis comes before P. carolinensis in the descriptions, 150 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, and as it is a male, I think there is no doubt but what the species should be called P. solstitialis Hentz. Moreover, the species identified, described and figured by Prof. Atkinson as P. caro- linensis does not agree with Hentz's figure of that species. But P. turris Atk. does agree with Hentz's figure of the eyes. There- fore I consider P. turris = P. carolinensis = P. solstitialis. I see no characters of specific value between Prof. Atkinson's P. carabivorus, P. carolinensis and P. quadrispinosus. The varia- tion of width in the cephalothorax is so slight as to be of no value; the arrangement of spines and teeth on claws are not of specific importance. The males are not known. There is no great difference in the eyes. I thus write the species under one name, P. carabivorus Atk., at least until the males show differ- ences in the palpal structure. The two species may be separated thus: P. S. E. as near to A. S. E. as to P. M. E. . . . P. solstitialis. P. S. E. nearer to P. M. E. than to A. S. E. . . . P. carabivorus. P. audouiniiLueas, 1837, described from "Ameriquedu Nord;" if from W. S. may be one of the above species. Lucas placed it in Actinopus; Ausserer says it is a Pachylomerus; why, I do not know. A NEW DALMANNIA FROM CALIFORNIA. By D. W. COQUILLETT, Los Angeles, California. Up to the present time only two species of the Conopid genus Dahnannia have been reported from America north of Mexico. To these I now add a third, and present a table for identify ing these three species : 1. Scutellum and humeri marked with bright yellow . . . .2. Scutellum and humeri wholly black .... vitiosa n. sp. 2. The yellow on hind margins of abdominal segments three and four prolonged forward each side, nearly crossing the segments; cheeks of male yellow picta Will. The yellow not prolonged forward each side; cheeks of male with a large black spot nigriceps Lw. Dalmamiia Vitiosa n. sp. r?\ — Front yellowish brown, darkest on the upper half, where the dark color forms two indistinct stripes; antenna? black, apex of style yellowish; face and cheeks yellow, the former with two brown median stripes; occiput black. Thorax, pleura, breast and scutellum wholly black. Abdomen black, hind margin of the second, 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 151 third and fourth segments yellow; segments three, four and five each with a median yellow stripe and a broader one each side; venter yellow, a basal triangle and sides before the apex, black. Legs yellow, apices of middle and hind femora, upper side of front femora, tibiae, except at the apex of each, and whole of tarsi, brownish. Wings grayish hyaline; halteres brown, the knob yellow. Length 4 mm. Los Angeles County, California. A single specimen. The second basal and discal cells are united in each wing, but whether this is a permanent character, or simply a defect of this individual specimen, I am unable to say. In all other structural characters it agrees perfectly with Dalmannia picta Williston, originally described from Arizonia, but which I have collected in various parts of southern California. NOVEL SMUGGLING. — The account of the smuggler recently arrested by the Customs authorities in this city, who had a quantity of diamonds under a porous plaster on his back, reminds me of an even more in A el device that came to my knowledge some years ago. A Philadelphia physician was attacked by that most seductive craze, the collector's mania for beetles and bugs. After this had been going* on for some years and the result had become one of the finest collections of Coleoptera anywhere extant, he began to find that the mad desire for very rare specimens to rill up the occasional gaps in his otherwise perfect series of creeping things was too great a drain on his exchequer. To be sure he was a bachelor, under light expenses, and already blessed with a fair inheritance. Then, too, he had built up a considerable practice in that branch of medi- cine which he described as " leading man at baby matinees." Still, rare bugs come high, and he could not afford the continually increasing drain. Just at this juncture some one seems to have hit upon a very novel expe- dient. Whether the fertile brain belonged to the doctor, or to a young friend, a scion of one of Philadelphia's oldest and proudest families, who was and is a member of a prominent house of jewelers, I never learned. However that may be, the interest of the story hinges on the fact that certain rare beetles came in from South Africa — the Kimberly diamond fields, in fact — nicely packed in raw cotton, and some of the largest of these were most unaccountably heavy. While the outer anatomy was of most interest to the doctor, who valued these rare specimens as such, the inner anatomy appeared to be of far greater interest to his friend. A careful investigation, I am told, resulted in demonstrating the fact that the added weight in these specimens was due to a certain undigested mineral substance that was found in the abdominal cavities of some of the largest specimens. Though these specimens were pronounced to be herbifenms, still when certain cutting and polishing processes were finished 1 heard that these mineral substances were found to be "of good color and the first water." Whether the method of thwarting the watchful Customs agents is still in use I cannot say. — AViv York Toicn Topics. 152 [June, ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. Published monthly (except July and August), by the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, with the endorsement of the American Entomological Society. It will contain not less than 240 pages per annum. It will maintain no free list whatever, but will leave no measure untried to make it a necessity to every student of insect life, so that its very moderate annual subscription may be con- sidered well spent. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION .$1.00, IN ADVANCE. $*&* All remittances should be addressed to E. T. Cresson, Treasurer, P. O. Box 248, Philadelphia, Pa.; all other communications to the Editor of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, Academy of Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa. PHILADELPHIA, PA., JUNE, 1892. This number of the NEWS contains thirty-six pages. The copy for the Elementary article arrived too late for publication in this issue. We desire to thankfully acknowledge, from a friend and patron of science who is interested in the progress of Entomology and who desires to aid ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS in the publication of useful information, the re- ceipt of a generous contribution which will enable us to publish promptly much interesting material. To those who are endeavoring to make the NEWS a permanent success, and who give freely of their time and talent to that end, such liberal assistance as is given by our kind friend is very helpful and encouraging. Notice to authors Of papers for the NEWS. — In the future papers for pub- lication in the NEWS will be limited to three pages for anyone month, and those papers largely made up descriptions of species will be limited to two pages. All articles exceeding these limits, if worthy of publication, will be referred to the Publication Committee of the American Entomo- logical Society for publication in its "Transactions." We publish below an interesting extract from the "American Farmer," which has a direct bearing on Entomology, and shows the magnitude and importance of agricultural experimentation. We predict that in the future the interest in Entomology will be largely increased, and also the number of students of this branch of natural history, more especially as it is now being more fully recognized as a study of practical value. The iiiiigiii/itiff of t/i<' .l^rii'iillnral l<~.\-f>eriinenl Station aw/- /;/ the U. S. — Few persons reali/e the vast proportions to which agricultural experiment work has grown in this country. The chief part of the growth has been within the last live years, since the Hatch bill went into opera- tion. Jiy the terms of this law there are appropriated annually by the I8g2.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 153 General Government $15,000 to each State and Territory that shall accept the terms of the grant and establish and maintain an Agricultural Experi- ment Station. There is also established in Washington a central office, called the Office of Experiment Stations, in which the results of the station work in the various States are digested and tabulated, and which also has a consulting and advisory interest in the progress and execution of the work. Under the act of Congress, approved March 2, 1887. known popularly as the Hatch bill, agricultural experiment stations are now in operation in all the States and Territories with the exception of Alaska, Montana and Idaho. In a few of the States more than one station has been established, so that in all 49 are now in operation. In Alabama, Connecticut, Massa- chusetts, New Jersey and New York, separate stations are maintained wholly or in part by State funds. The total grant of money made last year by Congress for the experimental work amounted to $728,000 for the Hatch bill stations and the office of experiment stations, and $50,000 for the sugar experiments. The amount expended in experimental work by the grass stations and entomological division is not accurately known, but reaches probably not less than $20,000, making the total expenditure by the Department of Agriculture for experimental work in round numbers $800,000. In regard to the particular amounts expended by the Depart- ment of Agriculture in direct co-operation with the experimental work in the several States, the following list will be found reliable: For entomo- logical work— Nebraska, $600; Iowa, $600; Ohio, $1500; Michigan, 5ioco. For botanical work — Texas, $700; Arizona, $700; Colorado, $1000; Utah, $500; South Dakota, $500; Wyoming, $500; North Dakota, $500; New 'Mexico, $500; Louisiana, $750; Florida, $250; Georgia, $500; North Caro- lina, $500; Mississippi, $1600. In addition to this the State and private contributions to this work amount to fully $200,000, making in all the sum of $r,ooo, ooo devoted annually to thecauseof the experimental promotion of Agriculture. Five hundred persons are employed actively in this work. Among these are 71 directors, 120 chemists, 47 agriculturists, 50 horticul- turists, 30 botanists, 36 entomologists, 22 veterinarians, 14 meteorologists (excluding all employed by the Weather Bureau), 4 biologists, etc. During the year 1891, excluding publications coming directly from the Depart- ment, the stations published 49 annual reports and 255 bulletins. The mailing list of the stations (exclusive of the Department lists) now con- tains 350,000 names. About 40,000,000 pages devoted to information on agricultural subjects were printed and distributed during tin- year, not counting the Department publications. This does not include the hun- dreds of newspapers which publish accounts of the work. It is safe to say that at least 10,000, ooo of our reading people read moiv or less ol tin's work every year. In addition to this acid the number reached directly by the Department, and the vastness of the interests of this work, measured by the number of people directly benefited, is at OIK e apparent. 154 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. |_June, Notes and. ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS OF THE GLOBE. [The Conductors of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS solicit, and will thankfully receive items of news, likely to interest its readers, from any source. The author's name will be given in each case for the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] To Contributors.— All contributions will be considered and passed upon at our earliest convenience, and as far as may be, will be published according to date of recep- tion. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS has reached a circulation, both in numbers and circumfer- ence, as to make it necessary to put " copy'1 into the hands of the printer, for each number, three weeks before date of issue. This should be remembered in sending special or im- portant matter for certain issue. Owing to low subscription rate, " extras" will be charged for, and when they are wanted, it should be so stated on the MS. along with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged. — ED. Mr. E. V. B BALES, of Denver, Col., is doing a good work in trying to interest the boys and girls of his city in Entomology by means of popular articles in the Denver Sun. It is said that many nets are to be seen in Denver this Spring. This should stimulate others to try and make young entomologists in the same way. Rev. C. J. S. BETHUNE, editor of the " Canadian Entomologist," spent the month of March in the Bermudas in order to get over an attack of grip. We are glad to say he has returned in good health. BARON VON FELDER, of Vienna, has sold his famous collection of but- terflies to Hon. Walter Rothschild, of London, for $25,000. The Baron, who is now seventy-eight years of age, believed that he was too old to care for his collection properly. It is said that Hon. Walter Rothschild intends to leave his collection, now the finest in the world, to the British Museum when he dies. — Newspaper clipping. Miss PALMER'S " SILK WORMS." — Chambersburg, Pa., January 28th. Pretty Miss Aloysius Marguerite Palmer, formerly of this city, and whose parents still reside here, was yesterday convicted in the Federal Court at Topeka, Kan., of fraudulently obtaining $3000 from E. E. McClelland, of Topeka, claiming that she sold him silk worm eggs, though she really- sold only mustard seeds. She is liable to imprisonment for from one to five years. — Newspaper clipping. TRANSACTIONS of the American Entomological Society, vol. xix (1892). —Pages 89-128 inclusive, have been printed since our last issue, contain- ing the continuation of C. H. T. Townsend's " Notes on North American Tachinida;. Paper III." DOES ACANTHIA PIPISTRELLI OCCUR IN NORTH AMERICA? — 111 ENT. NEWS, Vol. I, pp. 26-27, is a note by Mr. C. P. Gillette, stating that he has found numerous specimens of an Acanthia in the nests ol Barn Swal- 1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 155 lows, and that Mr. Ashmead had determined the species as A. pipistrelli (notpapishitta, as the name is written in KNT. NEWS). As A. pipistrelli does exclusively live on Bats (/ --'espcrtilio pipistrcllns and other species) and in their nests, the American specimens must certainly belong to A. hintndinis, which is not uncommon in the nests of Barn Swallows in North and Central Europe. A. pipistrelli is a rare species, which has been found in Central Europe and once in great abundance in Sweden in an old hol- low tree inhabited by bats. It is, however, very possible that both A. pipistrelli and A. columbaria, which lives in dove-cots, also occur in N. America, although they have been overlooked. Descriptions and figures of these three species are published by Jenyns in Annals of " Natural His- tory" 1839, pp. 241-244, and by Schenck in "