. ihe
‘se Peo et ele
ere et
reshet Pt
ee
bees
os i
oo ine ets a=; SS
“937
RE
+
_> sate é
Biological . ; 4 re -
mological News.
2
EDITOR : HENRY SKINNER, M.D.
PHILIP P. CALVERT, Ph.D., Associate Editor.
Apvisory COMMITTEE:
b rv) 2 Gro. H. Horn, M.D. Ezra T. CRESSON. CHARLES A. BLAKE. s % U fh Rev. Hanry C. McCoox,D.D. CHARLES LIEBECK. fa) i" |
2 tn ad
PHILADELPHIA: ENTOMOLOGICAL ROOMS OF THE ACADEMY oF NATURAL SciENCEs, LOGAN SQUARE.
1896.
INDEX TO VOLUME VII.
THE GENERAL SUBJECT.
Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila., Ent. Section 58, 148, 283, 319.
American Ent. Soc. . 119, 120, 213
Attacks of the Year, Insect . 309
Biological Studies in Ento’gy . 231
Chicago Academy of Sciences, Entom. Section of, . 22, 119
Cleveland Natural History Club 310
Conservative, A . . . . . 179
_ Crest of the i ei Col- lecting on,. . . St ar ip RE Cyanide bottle, Anew . ... 230 Dendrolene . . . Se RARE 2, 0
Doings of Societies 21, 55, 93, 117, 146, 183, 212, 252, 280, 317.
Economic Entomologists, As- sociation of . 245, 269, 307
Economic Entomology 1o, 45, 46, 68, 82, 86, 106, 137, 141, 177, 204,
245, 269, 307. 3 Economic Entomology, Evolu-
POV Oe. oe Ren rence eee | Editoria’s 9, 45, Sr, 105, 136, 176,
203, 243, 268, 306. Elkhart, Indiana, Collecting at 104 Entomological Collections:
ere ee GH See & British Museum . . . . 4 Brussels. 2° 1; 97 California Ac. of Sciences, 253 Cambridge (England) . . 67
Cambridge (Mass.). . . 49 European 4, 66, 97, 131, 195, 258,
289. Fall's, eGo ht 2 "'a53 Florence. 5° 54.. Soe oes Genoa 2. KE a aed Maples... Ed Se ae0
SAN , B Turia?) es .. 289 U. S. National “Piieeush hites Vienna ... Se GS Wright’s, W. G. cde eee 1%
Entomological iitecitens 17, 50, 88, IT4, 141, 180, 206, 249, 274, 312. Feldman Collecting Social 21, 55, 93, I17, 129, 146, 183, 212, 252,
280, 317.
Pitch, Asa ooo ox So Ge Fourth of July Excundan . . 205 Georgia and Florida, pet col- lecting in: 2.055: * «308 Wea Who 22> gees oe OE Insecticides . 269, 270 Insect pins . 21, 197
Kerosene, A new oy touse . 10
Largestinsectegg . . . . 244 Luther's saddest experience . 16 Mt. Washington, Insects of . 262 Music, Effect of on spiders. . 38 Newark Entomological Society 282 Newspaper Entomology. . . 305
Notes and News 13, 49, 86, 111, 140 178, 205, 247, 273, 310.
>
Obituary: SRO ee Ss ee tS OG Bergenstamm, J. v.. . . 128 Eppelsheim,E. . . . . 256 BIOR Behe rss ic 5 POR Se. Re Gundlach,J. . . . . . 128 Lembert, J.B... .) ah Ormerod, Miss G. E. <. ee Ragonot, Bobo... .. >i gy 3k A ae eet Schoenborn, H. . . . . 256 Skuse, F.A, A... . . 288 DIG Wess cs Sire
Tugwell, W.H.. . . . 64
w
ii INDEX.
Peach Insects . 107
Photographs of entomologists 49, IIl, 140.
Plants, Identification of by in-
sect remains . ; aa Pollen distributing jowunba os eae Raupenleim . - 177° Ridings, J. . . 161 Snake bites, Remedy fox ee Tangier, Insects at . 266 Temperature effects on hopes
hold insects «ee 245 Trees, Insect enemies of _. . 307 Tumble-bug, To the . . 248 Zoological Record for 1894. . 42
ARACHNIDA. : Red bug . : . 2, 40, 80 Spider eggs, Parasites of . 319 Spider farming . . 239 Spiders, Effect of musicon . 38 COLEOPTERA.
Americo-Asiatico European C. 70 Anthonomus grandis. °. . . 48 Buprestid synonymy . HQAT Carabus vinctus, Food of ae ft
Carnivorous larve of Welanofus 200 Cicindela lepida . 284 Coccinellidz, Superstitions about
77- Collecting notes for 1895 . . 33 Copris gopheri . . 286 Crioceris . ie Sala . 281 Cryprnypnus. 6s. iy ee at RP ORIB 5, Sy OB ERS SRR CS aM CCRT: Cyllene pictus sla"? a rt aS Death watch beetle .-. . . 75 Dermestes vulpinus incork . 68 Diabrotica vittata, a green-
house pest . . 138 Fidia viticida . . .. .'. 82 Grape-root worm. . .. . 82 Illinois, C. of central . . 234
Lamprohiza reticulata 213, 281, 294 Lampyridz, Notes on - 294
Largest insect egg. . 244 LAVUS CONCEVUS = 6 5. ees Ludius . . 117, 148 Melanotus communis, Carniv- orous larve of -. . 200
Monocrepidius vespertinus in- juring beans 54°22 eye AO
Myodites stylopides he New species . : . 286 Painted hickory borer . 141
Paloris grain feeding in U. S. . 138. Physocnemum violaceipenne
MeSpe0 2% . . 286 Polyphylla Sasisiaek 3 . 242 Purpuricenus humeralis . 173 Pyractomena ecostata . 295 Random notes on C. . . 291 Saperda obliqua . 113 Scolytus, Ravages of II, 281 Spiracles of C. . . 214 Sternocera, Egg of . 244 Strangalia bicolor . X53
Superstitions about Ladybirds. 77
Xenorhiphis brendeli . . 284
DIPTERA. ; Brachypteromyia n. gen. reer yc B. femorata n. sp. . 185 Cecidomyid on a . 238 Chigoe 6G vice Dei Chrysops . : - 4; 21 Dolichopodid per) new 152, 185 Empid, A new . . 189
Ephydride, new subfamily of . 220 Gaurax arane@n.sp. . » 320 Hippoboscide, new genus of . 184
Ischalia costata . . 284 Lipocheta n.. gen. - . 220 L. slosson@ n. sp. # 221
Melanostoma vues postin Of... + Sasgheuene elena
Mosquitoes + 204
New species 121, 154; "TSS, 185, 187, 189,.215, 221, 320.
Ochthera .°. .. ye O. /auta 0.’Sp. V5 ee Pe © Parasite, Anew. . . . 62, 173
“aa
INDEX. | | ti:
Parhydrophorus n. gen.
P. canescens n. sp.
Pleurophorus cesus .
| Prosphorysa yea on owe bex . , -
Rhamphomyia scaurissima n. Sp.
Sargus ae bicw lise :
Thinophilus pectinifer n. sp. .
Tropidia montana .
Tropidia nigricornis n. sp. ars,
Xiphandrium americanum n.
sp. HEMIPTERA.
Adelges ; Aleurodes, Mexican , Aphis persice-niger . Aspidiotus esculi n. sp.
BS comstocki n. sp.
% Sorbesii n. sp.
ide ulmi n. sp. Chinch bug in Ohio Chionaspis americana n. sp. Het2roptera, Rank in Idolothrips coniferarum n. sp. Wew species. . . . . 63; Prionidius, Killing power of .
"Scale insects, New
HYMENOPTERA. -
Alcidamea producta and its parasites : Anthidium spldenithe' n. ‘n Ant fifteen years old . Ants as personal fists holders Ants, Mixed colonies of . Bembex ei eee parasite ean Calliopsis bakeri n. es ¥ innuptus Nn. sp. renimaculatus n. sp. Euplectus frontalis Flemiteles davidsonii n. sp.
“
Nesting habits of Anthiditum
Consimile . ., ss
. 185 . 187
. 284
62
New species . 25, 26, 59, 156, 218,
255, 287, 320. Oxybelus, new spp. 59, 156 Id., Notes on . . 59, 156, 171 O. sparideus, a Rejoinder . . 171 Parasite of angoumis gr. moth. 106 Perdita maculigeran.sp. . 255 Philanthus psychen. sp. . . 287 Polistes annularis, Nest of. §. 57 Stelis 6-maculatan. sp. . . . 218 Synonymy ... Bet eile RAD Torymus anthidiin. sp. . . 26 LEPIDOPTERA. Aberrations . . . . . 87, 267 Acronycta afflicta. . . . . 57 . pyralisn.sp. . . 26 Angoumis grain moth, bi
Rg See: . 106 Arachnis, Comparison of N. A.
BOS OR ih Sam rhea. '5 SOR Arachnis maia ti. sp. ... . 125 Argynnis diana ... . . 318 API MOPnYes* como. ee ms. SOM: Aromatic butterflies . . . . 193 Asymmetry in butterflies . . 273 Callimorphas, The white . . 218 Carnegia mirabilisn. sp. . . 134
Catoca/la, Imitative faculty of . 274 Chionobas tarpeiain N. Am. . 172 Cocoon hunting inthe Fall . 257
Colias cesonia in Ontario . . 205 Getorndn tarts a ai 5 YOR Deva trabea n. sp. bt ae Drasteria lividan. sp. . . . 223 Euchromid new to the list . . 69
Evanston, Ind., L. at. Feniseca targuinius chrysalis . 193
Flour mothin Mexico . . . 106 Hladena burgessi . . . 57 H. ( Xylophasia) sondnadicta n.
SOc ore 28
H. ( Xylophasia) ire n. wee 27 Hemaris thysbe var. uniformis 9, 86 Homohadena stabilis. . . . 29 Hybrids . =. . Reside? Hypolimus Misiboas in nF lorida 140
iv INDEX.
Imitative faculty of Cafocala . 274 Leucania unipuncta . . 204 Limenitis arthemis . 13° Melitza colon, Aberration of . 267 MM. pheton, Aberration of . . 87 Nathalis iole, Food-plant and larva: = 15 Neumoegen collection, Types in. x yin ln ee N. bidinpshink: i of ; 240, 297 New species . . 26, 125, 134, 284 Noctua treatii . . . .. . 22 Noctuidz desc. by Guenée 7, 288 Noctuidz, New species . . . 26
Oneonta, N. Y. L. atin 1894 . 72 Phryganidian, The imprudent. 174 Plusia insolitan. sp... . . 30
Prodenia exquisita . 242 Rhododipsa masonin. sp. . . 284 Sannina exitiosa . 107 Saturniid, New African . Boo South Dakota, L. of . . . 298 Sphingidz of N. Hampshire . 297 Swarm of butterflies . . 285 Syntomeida minima . . . . 69 thetla sheridantt . . og Thyreus abbotii \larva . 178 NEUROPTERA, Chrysopa, Cecidomyid on . . 238 Meleoma, On the genus 2i7s
M. slossonén. sp. . . 95 Termites destroying cablecs -COV-
ering . 268 ORTHOPTERA. Grasshoppers in Minnesota . 46 Nemobius mexicanus . 297
Periplaneta orientalis, Breed- ing habits of . oo eae
Praying mantis hard to kill. . 232
AUTHORS.
Aich, H,,,. si. os ee
Ashmead, W.H.,. . 25, 218, 320
Baker, C. F., . 59, 156, 231
ROPER iy. 6 wa: sc J
Blanchard, F., ° 4: ec Bowditch, F.C.) so a
Britton, W. E., . . 141
Bruce; Bi; 3, . 15, 162
Calvert, P. P., ig 31, 66, 97, 131, 195, 258, 289.
Castle, D. M., Bipeices: <8:
Chittenden, F. H., 107, 138
Cleveland; 'G. F.,.:. 6 osteo ee
Cockerell, T. D. A., . 22I= 242, 247, 255, 274, 297- Coquillett, D. W., . 220, 320 Ccry, Mrs. C. B., - 140 Cross, E. W., 274, 297 Cunningham, B. L., 112, 267 Davidson, A., . 22, 216, 319 . Davis, H. N., . 242 Dunning, S. N., us ey. Dyat,H. :G.,° >. i. tig eee Fernald, CH, ee ieee Fisher, W. K., +. ana Fiske, W. F., . 87, 179, 240 Foote, W. F., enowrce Fox, W. J., .. 131, I71, 206 Fyles, T. W:;) 2 eee Guldhorn, L. B., > ei eee Hamilton, J., 2, 70, 286, 291 Heilprin, A., oe pee aa Higbee, E. E., 249 PhliseG. F.5< oo Shee ROS Holland, W. J., 32, 68, 133 Horn, G. H., 50, 192, 203, 247 Howard, L. O.,. . 14, 48, 141, 244 Hunter, W. D., — 215, 305 Johnson, C.'W.,) .°°s5 aah sum ee Johnson, W. G., 106, 150. Kellogg, V. L., 174 King, G. B.,. . 167 Klages, E. A., 12, 13, 197 Knab, F., .) er Knaus, W., 3 ".)° .) ., 9a Kunze, R. EB, . 3. 9, 86. Lafier, H. A. . oS . Sa Laurent, P., 300 Letcher, B., 223, Lyman, H. H., 172
McLachlan, R., ™ .
q 5
INDEX. Vv
Menno... 80 Cee: Wey oe. 225 Cueeoege. Fr... ss. S200 Ottolengui, R., + 35,124, 227 Patton, W. H., . 202, 248 RE Ege wee ee 6B I i ee ee se AS Meemsecker,L.E., . . . . 230 Ridings, J. H., IIg, 120, 214 PROG Ee. e288 Schmitz, T. H., 22, 58, 95, 119, 184, ap ag aig 319. Seiss, C. F.,; > -. Pils eae iets Ft! DE ee eas eS ad Skinner, H., 59, 150, 279, 284
Slosson, Mrs. A. T., . 40, 238, 262 Smith, J. B., 10, 26, 46, 82, 106, 137, 177, 204, 245, 253, 269, 284, 307. Smyaer, Aa Ter se oo er 99 119 Stanley; H:-M.,° 2 03 4 H 239 earn Coe so crepe sass IFO RMNBIADES, Gk og a ie BOO Wrevater, Mo} cs. 08 199 MRT eeden to ee yc eek e FOR Wrenzél, He Woo ees 208 Wheeler, W. M., 121, 152, 185, 189 Mt, FCM ce So ee ae avilliston; SW.) cia tee BV OCDE, As Boiss oe cae ee
Ent. News, Vol. VII.
THADDEUS WILLIAM HARRIS, M.D.
ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS
7 JCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECT I0N,
ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA,
VOL. VII. . JANUARY, 1896. No. 1.
‘ ; CONTENTS:
Thaddeus William Harris, M.D........ 1 | Notes and News.. .....++-+.+- Ae 13 “ Hamilton—The Red Bug.............. 2 | Entomological Literature ............. 17 PE. Calvert—Notes on European entomo- | Doings of Societies..........e.eeeee0es 21 x logical collections............0+..++ 4 | Entomological Section............... “22
Schaus—Notes on the Noctuide, etc.... 7 | Davidson—On the nesting habits of An- PRPNOER Res dass pSiceclcee ssc sees es 9 thidium consimile.......¢........+- 22 Economic Entomology ...............- 10 | Smith—Desce. of new sp. of Noctuidz.. 26
f { t =. } d
THADDEUS WILLIAM HARRIS, M.D.
This month we present our_readers with a picture of one of the greatest entomologists America has produced. We suppose but few of our readers have already seen a picture of Dr. Harris and that is our reason for publishing it. He was born in Dor- chester, Mass., Nov. 12, 1795, and died on Jan. 16, 1856, at the age of sixty. Dr. Harris graduated from Harvard College in 1815, and took the degree of M.D. in 1820. He published about one hundred and fourteen papers on entomological subjects, but his principal work was ‘‘ Insects Injurious to Vegetation,’’ which | is a classic, and also of value to the present day; and it is doubt- ful whether the beginner can have any better general work on % entomology than the Flint edition of this book. It is not our
_ Purpose to say much about “Dr. Harris, as this has already been
ably done; we merely present his likeness to those who have not seen it.
DuRING one of my last collecting trips in September (Queens County, N. Y.) I found on sprouts of white birch, all from one root and not over thirty inches high, thirty-eight larvee of Paonius excecatus. Usually this
species does not Oviposit m more than three or four ova on one bush.—Dr. R. E. Kunze.
2 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. (January,
THE RED BUG. = By JoHN HAmILTon, M.D. .
Trombidium (Leptus) trritans Riley.—-This, for the informa- tion of the unitiated, is not a beetle, nor a butterfly; in fact, judging from its size, it is, so to speak, not much of anything. It.is said to be the larva of some species of Zrombidium—of which is yet unknown; it is scarlet red, about the size of a pin point, say the one thousandeth part of an inch in length and has’ six legs (for its figure see Riley’s Missouri Reports, vi, p. 122). A small thing, but mighty; a torturer—a murderer of sleep—the tormenter of entomologists, botanists and others who encroach on its domains; not that it bites or stings—it does neither; worse than either, it just tickles. In olden times, when torturing was in vogue, the very acme of human suffering is said to have been induced by a tickling machine, some of which seem to be yet extant in some museum collections of such implements.
It is thought to be a vegetarian, inhabiting the coarse grasses growing along ditches and low grounds. Its mode of action is about this: it gets on the clothing, perhaps by accident, and from its minuteness, readily passes through garments, even of the finest texture, till it reaches the skin, over which it crawls till it come’ to one of the larger sweat tubes or pores; say, one six hundred and seventieth of an inch in diameter, and not knowing what kind of territory it has traveled to, it starts down on a tour of investigation; as the tube is very tortuous and scarcely longer than the Red Bug (by which name it is univer- sally known) its progress is necessarily slow, requiring from - about 18 to 36 hours to reach the end of the tube which is closed, and which becomes its tomb. . The victim is not aware of what is in store till disrobing for the night, when, if there has been no former experience, there is suddenly developed a bad case of hives, nettlerash, urticaria, all blamed on the oyster, fish and pastry diet of the hotel; a rigid course of dieting and medication is instituted next day, the young hotel doctor always, to his great gain and reputation, confirming the diagnosis of the sufferer. The phenomena following its entrance into the tube is about this: a large circular elevation similar to that in nettlerash forms in a few hours, which on being exposed to the air by dissolving be- comes intensely itchy; don’t scratch; if you do, you are undone,
Ree re
1896.] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 3
the more you scratch the more you want to. In about thirty- six hours a little blister appears, succeeded by a scab the size of a split pea, the irritation gradually subsides, the scale falls in about six weeks leaving a deep and permanent pit as in small-pox. _ Such is the usual course, but there are some more serious records. A Georgia newspaper gives an account of a death from blood poisoning caused by this Red Bug. Medical journals con- tain notices of erysipelas of the lower extremities from the same cause, and the writer knows of a certain gentleman, who shall be nameless, who lay last Spring near two weeks in a Florida hotel with his lower limbs soaked with tannin in glycerin and done up in iodoform. Entire or comparative immunity from the Red Bug is enjoyed by many of the long-time residents of southern Florida, why, has not been ascertained absolutely,, but as they seldom acquire flesh, and their skin become swarthy with a leathery appearance, it may be that the larger sweat tubes con- tract too greatly to admit of its entrance.
' As palliatives of the horrible itchiness, camphor, ammonia, Pond’s extract, etc., are used with more or less success. If taken in time the bug can be killed and the itch arrested. According to an old gardener a good tathering with a strong soap before retiring does the business, if used in the evening of the day of infection, it being his opinion that the soap closes the pores and smothers the bug* before it has done much mischief. An effectual mode of abortion if done in time, as the writer has witnessed, is a good sponging with a solution of carbolic acid, one ounce in a quart of water, after a good soap bath.
The Red Bug is known from Florida to Texas, and northward to Missouri and along the Atlantic coast to New Jersey, though I never met with it there. My friend, Rev. Prof. Jerome Schmitt,
_ had a little engagement with it in southern Missouri. Mr. H. F.
Wickham felt one or two in Texas. It seems to have entirely neglected Mrs. Annie Trumbull Slosson, as she does not mention it, an omission highly improbable, as she always speaks in an inimitable way of the many curious incidents attending her en- tomological tours. Had she had an encounter with the aggres-
‘sive Red Bug, the narrative would doubtlessly have been in
sportive iambics or tragic verse, probably the latter.
4 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January,
NOTES ON EUROPEAN ENTOMOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS. ; By Puivie P. CALVERT, Ph.D.
It having been suggested that readers of the NEws would be interested to know something of European entomological mu- seums, the opportunities which the writer has enjoyed of per- sonally examining some of these have been availed of to gather some data of a general character which are here presented.
I.—THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
The Natural History collections of the British Museum were formerly also contained in the classical building on Great Russell St., Bloomsbury, London, W. C., which is now devoted to art and literature. They were removed to the present handsome Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London, S. W., rather more than a decade ago, under the direc- torship of Prof. (Sir) Richard Owen. The present director is Sir William Henry Flower.
While the Insects are represented in the show collections open to the public by specimens selected to illustrate their anatomy, development, habits, classification and such special subjects as mimicry and melanism, the valuable material ‘‘ for students only’’ is to be found in the Department of Insects, lodged in the base- ment in a continuous series of rooms between the front wall and a corridor parallel thereto. Light is afforded by the windows facing Cromwell Road, having a southern exposure; before these are the tables for the use of the Museum entomologists and stu- dents. The cases containing the collections are in that part of each room which lies next to the corridor, and are not so well lighted as one could wish, since the only source of light is the above-mentioned row of windows at the other end of the rooms. The specimens are preserved in drawers with glass tops, enclosed in cases with solid doors.
The staff of the Museum at the present time includes the fol- lowing entomologists, well known by name to the readers of the department of Entomological Literature of this journal: Messrs. A. G. Butler (Assistant Keeper), C. O. Waterhouse (in charge _ of the Department of Insects), E. E. Austen, C. J. Gahan, G. H. Hampson, F. A. Heron, W. F. Kirby and R. I. Pocock. There are also four boy attendants. While the Department can
1896. | - ENTOMOLOGICAL. NEWS. 5
not and does not undertake to identify insects for those who might
desire such a favor, it will answer inquiries addressed to it as to
whether specimens sent are or are not of such and such a given species, the type or types of which are presumably in the British Museum collections.
Thanks to the kindness of a friend, the following list mentions some of the more important contents of these collections.
GENERAL.
The original Museum collection quoted by Fabricius more than a hundred years ago.
Sir Joseph Banks’ collection of about the same date, kept as a separate collection in Fabrician order.
Dr. Leach’s collection.
Hope, Rev. F. W. Types of species described in Gray’s Zoo- logical Miscellany.
Curtis, J. Types of species collected by Capt. King, in South America.
Kirby, Rev. W. Types of his ‘‘ Century of Insects’ and of North American species. —
Stephens, J. F. His entirecollection (British).
Gray, G. R. Most of the species described in Griffith’s “* Animal Kingdom.”’
Newman, E. A considerable number of types of N. American and Australian species.
Walker, F. All those described in the Museum Catalogue.
COLEOPTERA.
Laferté. A first selection of his Lamellicorns (4000), includ- ing types from Reiche’s collection.
Clark, Rev. H. Entire collection of Hydradephaga and Phy- tophaga.
Bowring, J. C. Entire collection, 230,000 specimens, includ- ing Chevrolat’s Longicornia intact, Jekel’s Rhynchophora and Tatam’s Geodephaga.
Saunders, E. Buprestidz entire, 7200 specimens.
Bates, F. Heteromera entire, 22,000 specimens.
Wollaston, T. V. His collections from the Canaries, Madeira, Cape Verde Is., St. Helena.
6 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January,
Murray, A. Nitidulide, and a considerable portion of his Old Calabar collection.
Baly, J. S. Phytophaga entire, except Casside.
Crotch, G. R. Accollection made in the Azores by F. Ducane Godman and named by Crotch.
Blackburn, Rev. T. Collection made in the Hawaiian iste
Waterhouse, G. R. Nearly all his types.
Pascoe, F. P. Entire collection, about 3000 types, 48,000 specimens.
Godman & Salvin. ‘‘ Biologia Centrali-Americana.’’ As the different portions of this work have been completed, Messrs. — Godman & Salvin have presented to the Museum the specimens . referred to; so far 61,800 specimens have been received, including the
Geodephaga described by H. W. Bates.
Lamellicornia and Pectinicornia described by H. W. Bates. Buprestidze described by C. O. Waterhouse.
Eucnemide described by Dr. G. H. Horn.
Heteromera descrided by G. C. Champion.
Bruchidz described by Dr. D. Sharp.
Phytophaga described by M. Jacoby.
Longicornia described by H. W. Bates and C. J. Gahan.
Parry, Major. Portions of his Lucanide.
Gorham, Rev. H. S. Endomychide.
Wallace, A. R. Portions of his Cetoniidz, Euryomia, etc.
Walker, F. Numerous types of Ceylonese species, and species from Vancouver.
NEUROPTERA.
Hagen, H. A. Types of Termites collected by Bates on the Amazons. Pictet, F. A series of typical Phryganids.
HYMENOPTERA.
Kirby, Rev. W. Bees described in his ‘‘ Apium Angliz.”’
Smith, F. A first selection from his collection of exotics, in- cluding many types described by de Saussure.
Devignes. British Ichneumonide.
1896.] | _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 7
; LEPIDOPTERA. Haworth. Types of his ‘‘ Lepidoptera Britannica.’’ Stainton, H. T. Entire collection, 27,300 specimens. Hewitson, W.C. Entire collection of exotic butterflies, 24,600
SUE FETT Sa nce
specimens. Moore, F. Collection of Indian Lepidoptera. ee, Frey. European collection, 18,000 specimens. [2
Zeller. European collection, 31,000 specimens.
The writer would feel that he were lacking in courtesy were he
_ to omit to record his grateful appreciation of the fact—an im- portant one in this connection—of his being received here ard elsewhere in entomological circles in London with the greatest kindness, and afforded the opportunities of examining such in- sects and books as he desired for his studies. Nay further, his experience in Europe generally has been of such a pleasant char- acter as to lead him to state that the American entomologist has nothing but a kindly welcome to expect from his European co-
. laborers.
BERLIN, Oct. 26, 1895.
Sh a hi alli 3
~—
2)
Notes on the Noctuide Described by Guenee in the Saunder’s Collection.
By WILLIAM SCHAUS.
~ While working at Walker’s American types in the Oxford Museum I have come across the species described by Guenée from the Saunder’s collection, and I think the following notes of interest to American Lepidopterists. Perigea turpis Gn., spec. gen., Noct. i, 232.
This species is a small specimen of Perigea sutor Gn., the type of which I have recently examined through the kindness of Mr. Oberthiir, and both refer to P. claufacta Walk. = fabrefacta Morr. The species will stand in North American lists as P. sutor Gn.
Eriopus monetifera Gn., spec. gen., Noct. ii, 295.
Now placed in the genus Metathorasa Moore. Ingura lunodes Gn., spec. gen., Noct. ii, 310.
Correctly identified in collections. The species is widely spread, common in Mexico, and will probably be found in Texas.
8 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [.January,
Ingura oculatrix Gn., spec. gen., Noct. ii, 313. Correctly identified in collections. Diastema tigris Gu., spec. gen., Noct. ii, 317.
The types are with Mr. Oberthiir and at Oxford. Gonodonta serix Gn., spec. gen., Noct. ii, 370.
This is a synonym of G. pyrgo Cr.
Gonodonta holosericea Gn., sp. gen., Noct. ii, 371.
Correctly identified in most collections. : Gonodonta sinaldus Gn., sp. gen., Noct. ii, 372.
A well-known species.
Achantodes cerusicosta Gn., spec. gen., Noct. ii, 387.
This is a Pyral, and is correctly named in the Brit. Museum. Anomis grandipuncta Gn., spec. gen., Noct. ii, 400.
The synonymy of this species is correctly given by Prof. Smith in his catalogue of Noctuide, p. 243.
Cenipeta lobuligera Gn., spec. gen., Noct. iii, 32.
The type agrees perfectly with C. Z/acina Btl., which has been placed in the British Museum as a synonym of C. serapis Cr. ; this last being the oldest name.
Stictoptera vitrea Gn., spec. gen., Noct. iii, 53.
Correctly identified in collections. Bolina novanda Gn., spec. gen., Noct. iii, 64.
B. lucigera \k., B. agrotoides Wi\k., B. evelina Btl. and BZ. agrotipennis Harvey are synonyms of this species. Prof. Smith, in his catalogue of Noctuide, considers B. agrotipennis Harvey as a dark form of B. jucunda Hiibn. I have good series of both species, and have carefully examined the specimens in the British Museum, and believe them to be quite distinct.
Bolina heliothoides Gn., spec. gen., Noct. iii, 76.
A synonym of 7. andremona Cr.
Peosina saundersii Gn., spec. gen., Noct. iii, 133.
This is the 9 of P. mexicana Gn., spec. gen., Noct. ili, 132. Stonia opistographa Gn., sp. gen., Noct. iii, 212.
A distinct species, and not a synonym of S. Zgnaris Hiibn. Ophisma ablunaris Gn., spéc. gen., Noct., iii, 237.
A variable species.
Athyrma dormitrix Gn., spec. gen., Noct., iii, 263.
-A synonym of A. adjutrix Cr.
Azeta uncas Gn., spec. gen., Noct., iii, 359. A variable, but well-known species.
1896. ] 9
ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS.
Published monthly (except July and August), in charge of the joint publication committees of the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences; of Philadelphia, and the American Entomological Society. It will contain not less than 300 pages per annum. It will main- tain 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 considered well spent.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION $1.00, IN ADVANCE. Outside of the United States and Canada $1,20.
gas All remittances should be addressed to E. T. Cresson, Treasurer, P. O. Box 248, Philadelphia, Pa.; all other communications to the Editors of ENTOMOLOGICAL News, Academy of Natural Sciences, Logan Square, ~ Philadelphia, Pa.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., JANUARY, 1896.
Wir this number the News begins anotber year and another volume, and it has been decided by the joint Publication Com- mittee of the American Entomological Society and the Entomo- logical Section of The Academy of Natural Sciences to so con- tinue it and maintain the same low price, which is about one-third what the publication would cost if the services of those gentle- men devoting their time to it were paid. We think we give more for the money than any kindred journal in the world, and we are willing to continue the good work with a view of advancing the study of entomology. Our monthly edition this year will be six hundred copies. To accommodate those who contribute articles we should have at least fifty pages a month, so that all articles can promptly appear in print. Turn in and help us increase our subscription list and we will give you a fifty- page illustrated monthly journal of entomology that all may be proud of. .
DurInG July of 1895, I took on flowers of swamp milkweed, Asc/epias carnosa, and pasture thistle, two fine Wemaris thysbe, var. uniformis, in two localities of Westchester County, N. Y. I also received from a col- lector in Manitoba three specimens of the same variation, which seem to be the prevailing form in that Northern region.—Dr. R. E. Kunze.
10 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January.
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY.
Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N. J.
Papers for this department are solicited. They should be sent to the editor, Prof. John B. Smith, Se.D., New Brunswick, N. J.
A Correction.—The peculiar combination of letters in the title of Mr. Johnson’s note in the News for December, page 324, is intended for Ephestia kuhniella. 1 have been afraid to try to pronounce what the letters, as they are printed, actually do spell; but of course the mistake is chargeable against the “‘ devil.’? —The word ‘‘sprouts’”’ in the same article should read ‘‘ spouts.”’
Monocrepidius vespertinus Injuring Beans —In the December number is a short note in the proceedings of the Feldman Collecting Social, made by Mr. Wenzel, to the effect that the above species was found at Dacosta, N. J., feeding on beans in such numbers as to ruin the crop for market purposes. This insect is not usually a very common one in general col- lecting; but according to Mr. Wenzel’s story, corroborated by Mr. Bland, any number of them were to be found in this field of beans. They were feeding upon the pods, nibbling little holes here and there, around which a black spot then made its appearance, causing the beans to become unfit for market. I have never had such a case brought to my attention before, and have never found these insects in any numbers on cultivated land. It seems an exceptional habit; but possibly there may be other records that I have not noticed, and if so, this department of the News would be a good place to call attention to them. I have frequently seen black spots on wax beans, but these have been always due to the ‘‘ Bean spot,” a fungus disease.
A new way to use Kerosene.—A few days ago, after lecturing to my class on scale insects and the best methods to be adopted for their destruction, one of the students informed me that he had a very much simpler method of using kerosene than that described by me, and which always proved throroughly successful. According to him, when a tree on his father’s farm became scaly, or covered with lichens or other vegetable growth, the trunk was drenched during the Winter with kerosene, to which they then set fire. The kerosene burnt off clean, taking with it scales and all. abnormal vegetable growths and leaving it perfectly clean to the sound bark. He assured me that in no case were trees thus treated injured; but also said that it was the trunk and perhaps a few larger branches only that were treated in this way. I happened to have a number of twigs and branches that were badly covered with the Scurfy Scale, in my labo- ratory, and on two of these I tried the experiment. I dipped the speci- mens into pure kerosene and almost immediately set them afire, placing them upright on the steam radiator. The kerosene burnt off without
Vo Sew me ip Rye ey
(AT eaersS
PNR OT OEE ae 98S OR Pe
— -18¢6.] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. IT
touching the wood, except where it was dry and withered, and on cutting into the bark afterward I found that apparently no injury had been done below the outer surface; in fact, except for the smudgy appearance on the outside of the bark it was entirely normal. As for the scales, they had been burnt away nearly clean; here and there a partial cluster of eggs. could be found, and occasionally’a fragment of a scale still remained on the surface. Had I allowed the kerosene to penetrate a little before set- ting it afire, I have no doubt the scales would have been burned away completely. This seems like a very heroic remedy, but after all it may not be as bad as it looks. On living tissue a thin film of kerosene will burn away rapidly without developing heat enough to injure the bark itself, while at the same time it would probably take with it all surface excrescences and attachments like scales. The method is worthy of triat at any rate, and this note is published to induce those who may be in a position to test it, to do so. The tree should be sprayed with pure kero- sene through a Vermorel nozzle, and then, after allowing the material to- remain, say ten to fifteen minutes, it could be lighted at the bottom. Pos- sibly some of the yet lighter and more inflammable oils might also find a use in this way. A sound tree during the Winter season will stand a good deal of application to the outer bark without showing injury. If any ex- periments are made in this direction I would be obliged to hear of the results through this department of the News.
Scolytus 4-spinosus.—The article-in the November number of Enro- MOLOGICAL NEws on Scolytus g-spinosus Say, was of special interest to- me. ~
There are three species of the genus found near Crafton, Allegheny County, Pa., namely z-sfinosus Say, muticus Say, and rugulosus Ratz. The injury done by the former and latter of these species in this locality is such as to warrant the belief that unless some practical and efficient method for checking their ravages is adopted, that it will not be long be- fore the several varieties of hickory about here, as well as certain kinds. of fruit trees in young orchards, will be extirpated.
In this locality hickory is not very abundant; just one here and there as. it were. In March, 1894, I selected several trees conveniently located, and deadened a greater or less portion of each for the purpose of rearing insects. Among the trees was a large hickory, the upper twenty feet or so being deadened, but not cut down till about the first of April of this year, when I placed it in tight barrels with a piece of muslin serving as the top, it being held down by the hoops. For more accurate observa- tion I placed the twigs, large branches and trunk in separate barrels, which afterwards proved of some significance—more particularly with other kinds of wood, such as ash and butternut, in which it is even advi- sable to separate the trunk where the rough bark ends and the smooth bark begins. It might be well to state that none of the wood has ever been moistened since being barreled, or rather since being taken in.
I do not intend to enumerate the various species so far emerged, but
12 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January,
will confine myself to Scoly/us, two species of which were reared from this tree, principally from the trunk. They were .S. g-spimosus and S. ru- gulosus, there being but a few of the latter. As to the former species, a detailed account is appended showing when and how many emerged.
My own observations go to show that trees in full health and vigor are not so liable to be attacked by Scolytus. I do not mean to imply that it is always necessary for some other insect to start the work of destruction, but on the contrary the effects of a severe drought is sufficient excuse for these beetles to start their work on any trees that may have suffered from the lack of water.
The Summer of 1894 witnessed a severe drought in this locality; a few of our trees began to wither, and three of these were then attacked by Scolytus, who hastily completed the deadly work by eating holes in the bark, apparently for no other purpose but food. One of these trees was wild cherry, it being killed by S. rugudosus; the other two were “‘ Black Tartarian”’ cherries, and were killed by S. g-spinosus.
Scolytus muticus does not seem to be a pest here; I have found it very rare, save on the occasion of which I shall now speak. On the fifth of August, 1895, I ran across a tree which had been burned in the early part of the previous year. The fire had charred it to a considerable height, and upon examination I found that it contained a number of living in- habitants, among them being the larve and imago of .S. muticus. Being in need of the latter I sawed off one of the main lower branches and barreled it. The following list gives the dates of the emergence of the specimens:
Scolytus g-spinosus. Raised from hickory.
May 26— 1 June 7— 2 June 17—6
‘“ 29— 2 “ 8— 3 ‘* 18—2 ' “ 30— 8 “ g—Il © I9—8
‘“< 313 ** Io—I0 ‘< 20-§ June 1—I0 Si 2I--F§ “< QI—t
‘“ 2— 8 ‘© I2—14 ‘227
pt 3-='5 “ 263
‘* 4-12 “ 14— 8 28—1
“ 5—'t “* 16—I12 July 20—1
Scolytus muticus. Raised from burnt tree.
Aug. 6—10 Aug. 13—12 Sept. 3—6 ae ame iad 9 ea a: 8—25 “ 15— 8 “5-2 ‘‘ 9-20 = 16— 3 ‘62 “ lo5g kim 4 “oa ‘1115 “ 18— 2 “9-2 ‘ 12—12 31— 2 “ 10—4
EpwaArD A. KLAGES.
~_
ere Pere ae
ve ~ ee
}
PS
1896. } -ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 13
Lixus concavas Say, as an Injurious Insect.—In Allegheny County, Pa., the natural food-plant of this beetle is the common Burdock, the insect breeding in the stem of the plant. It is indeed unfortunate that this spe- cies is rapidly acquiring a decided taste for Rhubarb, upon which it already depredates to a considerable extent. These beetles being of some size and quite sluggish in movement may be readily picked by hand; they occur from early Spring until late in Fall, being more abundant about the first of June. . Epwarp A. KLAGEs.
Mr. Klages’ communication on the Zz2us is interesting. This particular species is a common eastern form, and is numerous on the Rhubarb in New Jersey; yet it rarely does any severe injury, because the growers find it profitable to keep the plants trimmed up in good shape, and to use up the leaves about as fast as they mature. Most of them have learned, by practical experience, that it does not pay to allow them to rot on the plants and therefore except in an abandoned patch here and there, the leaves are generally found to be in good condition. This is not an insect that need be much feared, provided reasonable care is exercised in keeping down those leaves in which the larve can develop. Although | the beetles are not active, yet they frequently evade capture by dropping to the ground when disturbed, and when this is among grass they are not easily found unless the place where they dropped is carefully noted.
Notes and News. 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.—Ail 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. Twenty-five ‘‘extras’’ without change in form will be given free when they are wanted, and this should be so stated on the MS. along with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged.—Eb.
THE staff of the Deparment of Insects of the U. S. National Museum has been reorganized as a result of the sad death of the former Honorary Curator, Professor C. V. Riley.
The reorganization has been effected by the appointment of Mr. L. O.
_Howard, Entomologist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to the
position of Honorary Curator of the Department of Insects; of Mr. Wm. H. Ashmead to the position of Custodian of Hymenoptera; and Mr. D.
W. Coquillett to the position of Custodian of Diptera. All museum cus-
todians are honorary officers. Mr. M. L. Linell will remain as general assistant to the Honorary Curator.
14 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. { January,
The Department is at present in excellent condition. It contains a very ‘great amount of material in all orders, and in many directions surpasses any collection in the country. Among others the following are of espe- cial interest:
The large collection, in all orders, of the late Dr. C. V. Riley. All of the material gathered during the past eighteen years by correspondents, field agents, and the office staff of the Division of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Part of the collection of the late Asa Fitch. The large collection, in all orders, of the late G. W. Belfrage. The col- lections in Lepidoptera and Coleoptera made by Dr. John B. Smith down to 1889, together with the types of the Noctuidz since described by Dr. Smith. The collection of Lepidoptera of the late O. Meeske. The col- lection of Lepidoptera of G. Boyer. The collection of Coleoptera of M. - L. Linell. A part of the collection, in all orders, of the late H. K. Mor- rison. The collection of Diptera of the late Edward Burgess. The type collection of Syrphidz made by Dr. S. W. Williston. The collection of Ixodidz of the late George Marx. The collection of Myriapoda of the late C. H. Bollman. Sets of the neo-tropical collections of Herbert Smith. The collection of Hymenoptera of Wm. J. Fox. The collection of Tineina of Wm. Beutenmiiller. The large Japanese collection, in all orders, of Dr. K. Mitsurkuri. The African collections, in all orders, of Dr. W. L. Abbott, Wm. Astor Chanler, J. F. Brady, the last “ Eclipse” expedition to West Africa, and of several missionaries. The large col- lection from South California of D. W. Coquillett, in Coleoptera, Hy- menoptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera. The Townend Glover manu- scripts and plates. In addition to this material there are minor c llections which have been the result of the work of government expeditions, or are gifts from United States Consuls and many private individuals.
This enormous mass of material is being cared for by the active and honorary force of the Department, and the perpetuity of the collection is assured. The National Museum building is fire-proof, and this, together with the fact that it is a national institution, renders the Department of Insects a good place for the permanent deposit of types by working spec- ialists in entomology. The policy of the Museum at large, with regard to the use of its collections by students is a broad and liberalone. Stu- dents are welcome in all departments, and every facility is given to sys- tematists of recognized standing.—L. O. HowarD.
In the Century Dictionary, under Chrysops, there is an error that would be misleading to any one not familiar with Diptera. Three figures are given with the following explanation: ‘‘1, Female of common cleg (Czry- sops cecutiens); 2 and 3, other species of same genus (all natural size).”” Now, number 1 is not C. cecutiens, but a Hematopota, probably HZ. plu- vialis, a species almost identical with our H. americana. Number 2 is _C. ceecutiens, and number 3 is Zabanus bovinus. All are European spe- cies. The figures are good and readily referable to the above species which I have in my collection. There is also a statement in the generic
1896. ] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 15
definition that has probably been derived from the description of the larvze of the genus Chrysopa, viz., ‘‘ Their larve are useful in destroying plant- lice.”” Although little is known of the larvz of the genus Chrysops, it is certain that this statement is incorrect. Like other members of the family ‘Tabanidz they are carnivorous, and live in damp earth. The larve of many of the Tabanids are subaquatic.—C. W. JoHNSON.
Foop-PLANT AND Larva oF NATHALIS IOLE Bdv.—In Mr. Osborn’s interesting notes of the Rhopalocera of Tennessee, he writes of MW. io/e, “food-plant unknown.’’ Permit me to give this information: The eggs are laid on the “‘ Fetid Marigold,” Dysodea chrysanthemoides Lag., a very ill-scented annual with yellow flowers. The eggs hatch in three days (the quickest of any butterfly eggs I am acquainted with); they are tall and slender like the eggs of Co/ias, but smoother. The mature larva is shaped like that of o/eracea, but has two bristle tipped projections in | front of second segment, the surface of body is also covered with stiff hairs arising from pale green tubercles, color of head and body dark green, with broad, purple-black dorsal stripe, and two fine lines of yéllow and black along the spiracles; duration of larval period ten to thirteen days; the pupa is .38 in. long, slender, the abdomen tapering, head-case produced, rounded bluntly at top, and rounded at sides; mesonotum rather prominent, the top narrow, but not carinated; color of dorsum and all the abdomen yellowish green, dotted thickly with yellow-white, ven- tral sides of wing-cases dark green; duration of pupa stage six to eight days. In Colorado there are several broods in the year, the last hiber- nating in pupa state, but frequently the frosts in September will destroy the plants and whole colonies of half-grown larve, and the insect is not seen in the same locality again for a year or two.—DAvID BRUCE.
Thecla sheridanii Edw.—This pretty species was first taken in Mon- tana, near the Yellowstone, and described by Mr. Edwards in “‘ Field and Forest”’ in 1877. I believe the type remained unique until 1890, when I turned up a few examples near Palmer Lake, Colorado. I have taken one or two specimens every year since. I also detected it in a small col- lection made near Denver by my friend, Mr. E. Oslar, of Colorado Springs, and Prof. Gillette has met with it near Fort Collins. It is a small species, dark grayish brown on upper sides, the under sides of all wings a dark, yet rich green, with a very distinct common white line cut into spots by the veins and edged inwardly with black; it occurs in April and July, and frequents low flowers in grassy slopes and meadows. Mr. Strecker, in his “ Synonymic List,’’ has devoted twelve lines to an amusing critique of the trivial ‘name of this insect, which, however, he failed to spell cor- rectly.—Davip BRUCE.
I WOULD like to ask two questions to be answered through subscribers to the Ent. News: What is the best way to kill and preserve Coleoptera and to pack them away for mailing without mounting them? What is the best and surest remedy for snake and spider bites and for scorpion stings, that can be carried along ona collecting trip >—G. R. PmLaTe, Tifton, Ga.
16 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January,
LUTHER’S SADDEST EXPERIENCE.
Luther, he was persecuted, Excommunicaied, hooted, Disappointed—egged, and booted; Yelled at by minutest boys,
Waked up by nocturnal noise, Scratched and torn by fiendish cats, Highwayed by voracious rats.
Oft upon his locks so hoary
‘Water fell from upper story;
Oft a turnip or potato
Struck upon his back or pate, Oh! And wherever he betook him,
A paper bull was sure to hook him.
But the saddest of all I am forced to relate; Of a diet of worms
- He was forced to partake,— Of a diet of worms For the Protestants’ sake; Munching crawling caterpillars, Beetles mixed with moths and millers; Instead of butter, on his bread A sauce of butterflies was spread, Was not this a horrid feast: For a Christian and a priest?
Now if you do not credit me, Consult D’Aubigne’s history. You’ll find what I have told you Most fearfully and sternly true.
Notr.—The above stanzas appeared in the ‘‘ Yale Literary Magazine”’ in or near the year 1852, from the pen, I believe, of a student. This transcript from memory is believed to be nearly accurate.
~ J. M. Wuriton.
The following lines ‘‘to a spider which inhabited a cell,” are from the Anthologia Borealis et Australis: ~
In this wild, groping, dark, and drearie cove,
Of wife, of children, and of health bereft,
I hailed thee, friendly Spider, who hadst wove
Thy mazy net on yonder mouldering raft: ~ Would that the cleanlie housemaid’s foot had left —
Thee tarrying here, nor took thy life away;
For thou, from out this seare old ceiling’s cleft,
Came down each morn to hede my plaintive lay; Joying like me to heare sweete musick play, Wherewith I’d fein beguile the dull, dark, lingering day.
Cowan’s Curious Facts.
1896. } -ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 17
Identification of Insects (Imagos) for Subscribers,
Specimens will be named under the following conditions: 1st, The number of species to be limited to twenty-five for cach sending ; 2d, The sender to pay all expenses of trans- portation 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. Before sending insects for identification, read page 41, Vol. III. Address all packages to ENTOMOLOGICAL NEws, Academy Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa.
Entomological Literature.
Under the above head it is intended to note such papers received at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia pertaining to the Entomology of the Americas (North and South). Articles irrelevant to American entomology, unless monographs, or con- taining descriptions of new genera, will not be noted. Contributions to the anatomy of insects, however, whether relating to American or exotic species wili be recorded.
1. Le NATURALISTE CANADIEN, xxii, 10.—The last descriptions of
L’ Abbe Provancher (cont.). Ibid, xxii.—Continuation of same artitle.
2. THE OtTawa NATURALIST, ix, 8.—Pamphila peckius, J. F. Sphinx luscitiosa, J. F.
3. ZOOLOGISCHER JAHRBUCHER (Abtheilung fiir Systematik, Geo- graphie und Biologie der Thiere), viii, Heft 5.—New experiments on the seasonal dimorphism of butterflies, A. Weismann. The genus Dory/us Fabr. and the systematic classification of the Formicidae, C. Emery. Or- thoptera of Paraguay collected by Dr. J. Bohls, E. Giglio Tos.
4. JENAISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT FUR NATURWISSENSCHAFT. HERAUSGE- GEBEN VON DER MEDISINISCH-NATURWISSENSCHAFTLICHEN GESELL- SCHAFT ZU JENA, xxx, Heft 1.—The development of the spinning appa. ratus in 7rochosa singoriensis Laxm., with regard to the abdominal appendages and the wings in insects, A. Jaworowski.
5. SCIENCE, New Series, ii, No. 46.—Katydid orchestration, E. Coues and A. P. Bostwick.
6. PROCEEDINGS AND TRANSACTIONS OF THE NOVA SCOTIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE. Halifax, vol. viii, pt. 4.—Notes on Nova Scotian Zoology, No. 3 [note on Acheta abbreviata], H. Piers.
7. TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, Bulletin No. 36.— Insect enemies of the sweet-potato, R. H. Price. Insecticides, ibid.
8. ENTOMOLOGISCHE NACHRICHTEN, JAHRGANG, xxi, Heft 20.—Ethio- pian Rhopalocera ii (conclusion), F. Karsch.—Ibid. Heft 21.—Review
{*
18 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. { January,
of the species of toe Coleopterous genus Necrophorus Fabr. of the pala- arctic fauna, E. Reitter.
g. JOURNAL OF THE NEW YORK ENTOMOLOGICAL Soctrety, September, 1895.—New genera and species of the Tachinidze, D. W. Coquillett. New North American Tettigine, ii, A. P. Morse. The eversible repugnatorial scent glands of insects, A. S. Packard. Some Acarians from a sphagnum swamp, N. Banks. Larva of Demas propinguilinea, its systematic posi- tion, H. G. Dyar. Note on the Smerinthinz, A. R. Grote. On the cor- relation of habit in Nemoscerous and Brachycerous Diptera between aquatic larvee and blood-sucking adult females, C. H. T. Townsend. Descriptions of the preparatory stages of Hnnomos Alniaria (Linn.), W. Beutenmiiller. Note on Ayperchiria io var. lilith, ibid. Insects at Watchogue and Beulah Land, Staten Island, N. Y., W. T. Davis.- [Note on} 7hecla acadica, Catocala coccinata, Phyciodes nycteis and Dichelo- nycha fuscula, W. B. Proceedings of the New York Entomological So- ciety (May 31 and June 4, 1895).
10. ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEIGER, No. 488.—The coxal gland of TJedy- phonus caudatus, T. Adensamer.
,
11. RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MuSeEuM, ii, 6 —On a case of pre- — sumed protective imitiation, F. A. A. Skuse.
12. REVUE SUISSE DE ZOOLOGIE ET ANNALES DU MUSEE D’ HISTOIRE NATURELLE DE GENEVE, Tome iii, fasc. 2.—Revision of the Tribes Panes- thini and Epilamprini (Orthoptera of the family Blattidz), H. de Saussure.
13. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL History, xxvi, pt. 4.—Descriptions of certain Lepidopterous larve, H. G. Dyar.
14. THE KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY, iv, No. 2.—Two remarkable genera of Diptera, S. W. Williston. On Yoxotrypana of Gerstaecker, W. A. Snow.
15. Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture, 1894.— Some scale insects of the orchard, L. O. Howard. The more important insects injurious to stored grain, F. H. Chittenden. Insecticides [direc- tions for their preparation.and use].
16. PSYCHE, a journal of entomology, December, 1895.—On the Ephe- meridz and venation nomenclature, V. L. Kellogg. On the nests and parasites of Prosopis varifrons Cresson, A. Davidson. The number of stages in Apatelodes torrefacta, H.G. Dyar. DReidamia inscripta, C. G. Soule. Schistocera americana in New England, F. H. Sprague. Insect collection of the U. S. National Museum. Proceedings of the [Cambridge Entomological] Club. New Homoptera received from the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station, i, C. F. Baker. The grape-vine Typh- locybids of the Mesilla Valley, T. D. A. Cockerell and C. P. Gillette. Some new insects, T. D. A. Cockerell.
—
Ee Hi
i
1896. ] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 19
17. OFVERSIGT AF KONGL. VETENSKAPS-AKADEMIENS FORHANDLIN- GaR, Stockholm, 1895, No. 7.—Contributions to the knowledge of the insect fauna of the Cameroons, iv.—Catalogue of the Hemiptera gathered by Yngve Sjostedt in northwest Cameroons, C. J. E. Haglund.
18. MITTHEILUNGEN DER SCHWEIZERISCHEN ENTOMOLOGISCHEN GE-
-SELLSCHAFT (Bulletin de la Société Entomologique Suisse), Schaffhausen, ix, pt. 5.—Dr. Standfuss’ experiments on the influence of extreme tem-
peratures on butterflies, F. Ris. Continuation of Coleoptera Helvetiz. —Ibid., ix, pt. 6.—The Papilionidz of North America in their relation to those of the Old Worle, H. Christ. Review of the other N. Americag Diurnals in their relation to those of the Old World, ibid.
19. THE ZOOLOGICAL RECORD, volume the thirty-first, 1894, 8vo. Lon- don, 1895.
20. ANNALES DES SCIENCES NATURELLES, ZOOLOGIE, T. xx, Nos. 4-6. —Male genital apparatus of the Hymenoptera (cont.), L. Bordas.
21. LEPIDOPTERA INDICA, F. Moore, part xxiii (deals with part of group Charaxina of the Nymphaline).
22. ARCHIVES ITALIENNES DE BIOLOGIE, Turin, xxiv, fasc. 2.—The weight of the cocoons of Bombyx mori, from the commencement of their weaving to the birth of the moth, L. Luciana and L. Tarulli. [Brief ex- tract from Atti della R. ‘Accadenila ia dei Georgofili, xviii, fasc. 2, 1895. ]
aa. ‘THE ENTOMOLOGIST. London, No. 391.—On the vertical distri- bution of the Rhopalocera of the Alps, W. Harcourt-Bath.
24. THE AMERICAN NATURALIST, December, 1895. —The classification of the Lepidoptera on larval characters, H. G. Dyar. Stemmatoiulus as an ordinal type, O. F. Cook.
25. TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA, second series, 1895-96 [Extract] — Presidential Address: Practical Entomology, J. Fletcher.
26. BIOLOGIA CENTRALI-AMERICANA, Zoology, part 124.—Arachnida- Araneidea, pp. 145-160, O. P. Cambridge. Coleoptera, vol. iv, pt. 6, pp. 49-80, pl. 3, D. Sharp. Lepidoptera-Heterocera, vol. ii, pp. 233-248, pls. 6r and 62, H. Druce. Rhyncota-Homoptera, vol. ii, pp. 89-112, pl. 7, W. W. Fowler. ;
27. Frail Children of the Air: Excursions into the World of Butterflies. By Samuel Hubbard Scudder. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston and New York. Price $1.50. The book is composed of a number of essays on butterflies under many different titles, such as “ Butterflies in Disguise; a Study in Mimicry.” ‘“‘ Deceptive Devices among Caterpillars.’’ ‘‘ But- terflies as Botanists.’’ ‘‘ Butterfly Sounds.’’ ‘‘ Nests and other Structures
20 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. { January,
made by Caterpillars.” ‘‘The Eggs of Butterflies.”’ ‘‘ How Butterflies pass the Winter.”’ ‘‘ Aromatic Butterflies.” ‘‘ Antigeny, or Sexual Di- versity in Butterflies.” ‘“‘A Budget of Curious Facts about Chrysalids.”’
“* Butterflies of the Past, etc.’’ As far as possible these papers have been divested of technical details, and in many cases revised or extended, to bring them up to date. These fragments will show, as well as a more elaborate treatise, that there is much to be learned from the study of the lives and structure of our every-day butterflies as can be gleaned in any other branch of natural history. This is a book that can’t fail to interest and instruct students of the Lepidoptera.
INDEX TO THE PRECEDING LITERATURE. —
The number after each author’s name in this index refers to the journal, as numbered in the preceding literature, in which that author’s paper is published; * denotes that the paper in question contains descriptions of new North American forms..
THE GENERAL SUBJECT. Packard 9, Davis 9, Sharp 1g.
MYRIAPODA. Cook 24. ARACHNIDA. Jaworowski 4, Banks 9*, Adensamer 10, Cambridge 26*. ORTHOPTERA.
Giglio-Tos 3, Coues and Bostwick 5, Piers 6, Morse 9*, de Saussure 12*, Sprague 16. NEUROPTERA. Kellogg 16. HEMIPTERA. Baker 16*, Cockerell and Gillette 16*, Cockerell 16*, Haglund 17, Fowler 26*. COLEOPTERA. Reitter 8, W. B, 9, Sharp 26*.
DIPTERA. Coquillett 9*, Townsend 9, Williston 14*, Snow 14. LEPIDOPTERA.
J. F. 2, Weismann 3, Karsch 8, Dyar 9, 13, 16, 24, Grote 9, Beutenmiiller g (three), Skuse 11, Soule 16, Ris 18, Christ 18 (two), Moore 21, Luciani and Tarulli 22, Bath 23, Druce 26*, Scudder 27.
HYMENOPTERA. Provancher 1* (two), Emery 3, Davidson 16, Cockerell 16*, Bordas 20. ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. Price 7 (two), Howard 15, Chittenden 15, Fletcher 25.
Meas Sel kor ag
ali Tia gS in
1896.] - ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 21
Doings of Societies.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. I0, 1895.
_ A stated meeting of the Feldman Collecting Social was held at the residence of Mr. H. W. Wenzel, 1509 S. 13th Street. Members present: Messrs. Bland, E. Wenzel, Johnson, Castle, Hoyer, H. W. Wenzel, Fox, Schmitz and Boerner. Honorary members: Prof. John B. Smith and Dr. Henry Skinner. Meet- ing called to order at 9.10 p.M., President Bland presiding. The Committee on Photograph made a final report, the same was ac- cepted, and, upon motion, the committee was discharged. Dr. Skinner called attention to difference of opinion among collec- tors as to the proper season for collecting Cychrus, desiring the members views thereon; the habits of the species were discussed by Messrs. Wenzel, Bland, Johnson, Smith and Fox, the data mentioned ranging from the end of February to the last of Oc- tober. Mr. H. W. Wenzel exhibited the following species of Cryptohypnus, stating that out of fifteen specimens of Cryptohyp- nus obliguatulus collected at Anglesea, N. J., only three speci- mens had color markings on the elytra, the other being unicol- ored, he also mentioned that Cryp/ohypnus charis had heen taken in numbers below south Camden, N. J., by himself and Cryp/o- hypnus exiguus at Westville, N. J., by W. Reineck. All the species mentioned were collected during the month of May.
Dr. Skinner suggested the idea of the Social advocating the adoption, among collectors, of a uniformity in the length of pins, specifying certain lengths for different orders, and after a discus- sion made the following motion. The F. C. S. advocates among collectors a general uniformity in the length of pins, and recom- mends 35 millimetres for pins under No. 6 Klaeger in all orders except Orthoptera, Neuroptera and Lepidoptera and for these orders 38 millimetres under No. 6, the motion being seconded by Prof. Smith ; it was carried by the members present without dissent.
Mr. Johnson stated that in going over a lot of Chrysops re- cently received from Dr. W. A. Nason, and the material collected in North Carolina and Virginia last June, he found it to be very full on account of the large number of males it contained. The first lot contained eleven specimens, seven species; the second
.
22 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. { January,
seven specimens, four species. Osten Sacken, in his Monograph, describes twenty-four species, but of these only five have the description of both sexes; the species are based entirely on the females. As the wing and abdominal markings vary considerably in the two sexes of the same species, it is sometimes quite diffi- cult to determine the males. Of the twenty-two species in his collection, he had the males of twelve. The females are very common during June and July, while the males are rare and usually found on flowers. The specimens taken in North Caro- lina were caught on the flowers of the ‘‘ Chinquapin,”’ or dwarf chestnut.
Prof. Smith stated that among the moths collected by Laurent, in Maine last Summer, were two very poor specimens of Noctua treatit, which is very rare, of which he knéw of but one other specimen which is in the collection of the National Museum.
No further business being presented the meeting adjourned to the annex at 10.45 P.M.
THEO. H. ScuHmitz, Secretary.
ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF ScIENCES.—The regular meeting was held in the Matthew Laflin Memorial Building, Lincoln Park, November 15, at 8 P.M. The Recorder of the Section, Mr. A. J. Snyder, gave an address, illustrated by maps and stereoptican views, entitled ‘‘ Snap Shots taken by an Entomologist in Utah, Idaho and Yellowstone Park.”
The Entornological Section ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. PROCEEDINGS OF MEETINGS.
The following papers were read and accepted by the Committee for publication in ENTOMOLOGICAL NEws:
ON THE NESTING HABITS OF ANTHIDIUM CONSIMILE. By A. Davipson, M.D., Los Angeles, Cal.
I discovered this bee three years ago, having captured my first specimen in the process of building its nest in the crevice of a rock near this city. Since that time I have gathered numerous specimens of its nest in various parts of San Bernardino and Los
1896. | - ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 23
Angeles Counties. These nests are built either in the crotches of the terminal branches of shrubs, as shown in the illustration, or in depressions or angles of stones or boulders lying on the ground. The nests vary in size according to the number of cells; if containing six or seven they may be as large as a walnut; if
Fic. 1. Fic. 2. 1.—Mass of cells of A. consimile Ashm. 2.—A. consimile Ashm, on twig. 3-—Cell showing cocoon in situ, with nipple-like projection.
only one, little more than a quarter of an inch long; but all are of the same composition, whether plastered in a crevice of a rock or cunningly perched on a twig. The main mass in which the cells are somewhat irregularly arranged is composed of a tough glue-like substance very copiously intermixed with comparatively large grains of sand.
Each cell when completed is covered over with these sand grains closely cemented over its surface, and the next cells placed alongside and similarly treated until the whole mass which is ulti- -mately neatly rounded off, looks like a fragment of sandstone, or a miniature conglomerate through which the twig had pushed its way. The outside, by exposure becomes almost as brittle as the rock itself. but internally the mass is always soft, though quite tenacious. The grains and stony fragments utilized to build and
24 . ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January,
cover it externally are those of the immediate neighborhood and may consequently be either sandstone or granite.
The bees make their exit in the first two weeks of June, and very soon after commence the construction of their cells, each nest being, I believe, the product of one bee. The food is the usual pollen-like mass of medium consistency, and I believe it is simply deposited in the cell, as with other members of this family, although in its habit of building this bee forms a strange and unique contrast to its congener, Anthidium emarginatum, the life-history of which I have already detailed in these pages.
The larva, when mature, spins a cocoon, as shown in the illus- tration; in form it closely resembles that of 4. emarginatum, but is thinner, and of a somewhat transparent texture, with a promi- nent nipple. The cell measures rather more than one-fourth inch long by one-eighth inch wide; the nipple-like projection is one line long and touches the opposite wall of the cell, the larva in consequence not filling the cell. The nipple is, as usual, on the side nearest the outer wall of the nest.
In making its exit the bee has a difficult task to accomplish, and it is not a matter of surprise that it should sometimes be unable to force its way through the tenacious mass of cement.
From the contour of the point of exit I feel assured that the exit is accomplished by the aid of a secretion that softens the cement and allows the bee to force its way out. No fragments were ever found that would indicate that the bees had gnawed their way out, nor does it seem possible that such material could be bitten through by a bee.
The hymenopterous parasites affecting this species are, on ac- count of the usually exposed situation of the nests, probably quite numerous, but so far only four have been discovered. The most common of these is a small bee identified as Alcidamea producta Cress., of which seven emerged in one instance from one group of cells. Many of the other parasites were unable to cut their way out, and were discovered dead in situ on breaking open the cell. Of these, A/onodontomerus montivagus Ashm. is the most common. Leucospis affinis Say, was found once. A- new species named Zorymus anthidit Ashm. occupied two cells. Of the last there were twenty in each cell, the larve having at- tacked their host just after the cocoon had been spun.
While collecting at Palm Springs on the Colorado desert in
Pe ea tag Wo i eS oe bee a We ee a Ce een . ; aire ier ae pe Nt te alin oe
-
1896. ] ' ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 25
April, 1893, I gathered a large nest of this bee from one of the desert shrubs; the nest had evidently been constructed the pre- vious season. Some of the occupants found their way out in the following June, and the remaining cells lay unmolested in my cabinet until this Spring, when my curiosity prompted me to examine them. On dissection I found in two of the cells dead,
but apparently full-grown, specimens of 7richodes ornatus var.
tenellus with the thin membranous shroud with which the larve had surrounded themselves. In two others larvz were found, one of which was of a dark vermilion hue, and is probably the larva of this 7richodes; the other was enclosed in an Anthidium co- coon. I put these two larve carefully aside, and the bee, which proved to be a typical A. consimi/e, issued in July. The beetle larva is still active and crawling around its prison with apparently no disposition to reveal its identity.
The Anthidium last to emerge must have remained in the larval stage for nearly three years, the egg having probably been de-
_posited in the Autumn of 1892, and having remained in my pos-
session since April, 1893. This, although unique in this family, is not the only instance of long continued existence in the larval state; the historic Osmza of the.British Museum having furnished an example of the same kind.
Instances of bees remaining for more than one season in the larval state are probably not so very rare. It seems reasonable to suppose that those species inhabiting such arid districts as Palm Springs must have some such natural provision to preserve them from extinction, as it frequently happens that in two succes- sive seasons absolutely no rain falls, and food must, of necessity, be very limited. ;
The beetles found, and the larva still under observation, are probably of the same species, and present the same peculiarity as the bees in question, in that some of them remain for an ex- tended period in the larval state. Of the habits of these beetles ( Trichodes) 1 know nothing, although I believe some members of this genus have been found in the nests of bees.
Appended is Mr. Ashmead’s description of the two new species:
Anthidium consimile Ashm. n. sp.—Female. Length 7 mm. Black, punctate; a line before front ocellus, the clypeus, the anterior orbit widened at clypeus, a small triangular spot on middle of face just below insertion of antenne, a stripe on posterior orbits, two large spots on an-
26 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. -[ January,
terior margin of mesonotum, the anterior margin of tegulz, a spot on the large dilated scale in front of tegulz, a spot on the anterior margin of mesopleura, hind margin of axillze and scutellum, stripe beneath the an- terior and middle femora, the tips of all femora, and the anterior face of tibiz, a spot at base ofxhind tarsi, the posterior margin of first abdominal segment dilated laterally, bands on margins of segments 2 to 5 interrupted medially, and two spots on the sixth segment, all lemon-yellow. The lateral middle of the yellow abdominal bands are all emarginated by a quadrate or quadrilateral black spot. The hind coxz beneath are armed with a small whitish spine. Wings hyaline, the marginal cell and the apices broadly fuliginous.
Allied to A. parvum and A. simile Cr.
Torymus anthidii n. sp. 9.—Length 1.75-2 mm.; ovipositor nearly as long as the abdomen. Dull bronzy gréen, finely sericeous, the collar an- teriorly and beneath bluish. Head and thorax finely shagreened; scape and tibie brownish yellow, tarsi whitish, the hind tibi#, except tips, sometimes embrowned; coxz and femora metallic; flagellum brown, the joints, except the conical last joint, all wider than long. Head transverse, very little wider than the thorax, antereo-posteriorly not very thick, flat behind the eyes; viewed from in front almost round, not longer than wide, the frons with a slight antennal impression; eyes large; ocelli subtriangu- larly arranged, the lateral closer to the margin of the eye than to the front ocellus; mandibles ferruginous; antenne inserted a little below the middle of the face. Thorax a little more than twice as long as wide, the parap- sidal furrows distinct, but not deep or sharply defined; scutellum convex, longer than wide, rounded posteriorly, the axilla a little nearer to each other than their width at base; metanotum very short, without a median carina, the spiracles very minute, round. Wings hyaline, the veins brown- ish yellow, the postmarginal vein twice as long as the stigmal, the mar- ginal vein one-half longer than the postmarginal. Abdomen short, sub- compressed, viewed laterally it appears nearly as deep dorso-ventrally as it is long, the first body segment is fully two-thirds as long as the whole abdomen, the second segment as long as the third and fourth united, the fourth being longer than the third, while the following segments are short.
Described from several 9 specimens, reared by Dr. A. David- son, from the cells of a bee, Anthihium consimile.
ray
DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF NOCTUIDA. By Joun B. Situ, Sc.D.
(Continued from vol. vi, p. 340.) Acronycta pyralis n. sp. PI. xv, fig. 1.*—Ground color a very dark powdery gray; head and thorax without distinct markings, but the tip of the collar grayish and the patagiz indefinitely black margined. The pri-~ _
- The references are all to Plate XV in the December number of Volume VI.
1896. } _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 27
maries have all the ordinary maculation evident, but not sharply defined. Basal line single, black, and marked on the costa only. T. a. line nearly upright, outcurved between the veins, black, preceded by a few pale scales. T. p. line widely outcurved over the cell and a little incurved below, usually remote from the center of the wing; black in color, lunate between the veins and followed by a paler gray shade. S. t. line obscure, and marked only by an irregular and incomplete preceding dark shade. There is a series of blackish terminal lunules and a very evident, blackish, somewhat diffuse shade across the median space close to and parallel with the t. p. line, somewhat obscuring the reniform. Orbicular large, oval, obscurely defined by black scales, with or without a dark central spot. Reniform broad, upright, a little incurved; outwardly a little paler than the ground color, but inferiorly obscured by the median shade. Secon- daries smoky, with an indefinite extra-median line and pale fringes. Be- neath, smoky and powdery; both wings with an outer line. Expands 31-34 mm.; 1.24-1.36 inches.
ffab.—Calgary, July 13.
Two specimens, both females, were sent me by Mr. Dod under the number 31, and this is said to represent his stock. The spe- cies is the darkest of all those known to me, resembling Zithospila in this respect, but quite different in markings.
Hadena (Xylophasia) versuta n. sp- PI. xv, fig. 14.—Ground color dull, dirty, blackish gray; the surface rough and powdery. The head is some- what paler; the collar gray tipped, and with an indistinct dusky central line. The primaries have all the ordinary marking, but all obscure and indistinct. Basal line geminate, blackish, marked by a little incurve to the base. T. a. line geminate, the defining line scarcely contrasting; as a whole outcurved and only a little irregular. T. p. line geminate, the inner defining line made up of a black or blackish lunules, the outer line even and only a little darker gray; as a whole, nearly parallel with the outer margin. S. t. line formed of white scales, more or less broken, but forming an obvious W, on veins 3 and 4. There is a series of black ter- minal lunules, and the dark fringes are pale spotted on the veins. Beyond the t. p. line the s. t. space is a little paler, shading however to the same dull gray color before the s. t. line. Ordinary spots obscure, but all traceable. Claviform outlined by black scales and with a narrow streak extending from it to the t. p. line. Orbicular large, defined only at the sides, anda little paler in the center. Reniform also very large and in- completely defined, paler powdered through the center. Secondaries whitish, semi-transparent towards the base, more smoky outwardly. There is an obscure discal lunule, and the veins are dark marked. On the underside the wings are powdery gray, the secondaries with a discal lunule and a vague outer shade. Expands 40 mm.,; 1.60 inches.
HTab.—Calgary, June 26 and July 2 ‘‘at Treacle.”’
28 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January,
Mr. Dod sent me two females and said they were the only ones taken in 1894. Both specimens are females, and represent an obscure species which I had previously seen, but had been afraid to name from lack of sufficient material. I now believe it to be a good one, and finds its allies near centralis, though it bears at first sight the appearance of a very much faded and poor castanea. There are several species belonging near the present, that yet remain to be described, and three of them at least are in my own collection at the present time.
Hadena (Xylophasia) contradicta n. sp. PI. xv, fig. 13.--Ground color a rich, rusty, red-brown. Head and thorax immaculate. The primaries have the median and terminal spaces like the thorax, of the darker ground color, while the basal and subterminal spaces are distinctly paler, with a more yellowish cast, and the wings are thus somewhat contrastingly col- ored. The ordinary lines are all distinct. Basal line black, with a little inward loop to the base of the wing, above the submedian vein. T. a. line broad, black, a little irregular, outwardly oblique, but a trifle curved; preceded inwardly by a somewhat marked paler shade. T. p. line dis- tinct, black, even, abruptly outcurved over the cell, and then evenly ob- lique to the hind margin. S. t. line irregular, marked by a following dusky shade, which becomes more prominent and broader, acutely in- denting the line opposite veins 2 and 5. Through tiis space the veins are black marked, while preceding the dusky shade there is a distinct paler line. There is a series of small, dusky, terminal lunules, and the fringes are dark cut in the interspaces. Claviform very small and pale, very narrowly blackish ringed. Orbicular round or nearly so, without distinct defining line, and of the pale ground color. The same may be said of the reniform, which is of moderate size and upright; only a little kidney- shaped. A fairly distinct median shade crosses the median space out- wardly, closely margining the inner edge of the reniform, and from that point running parallel and close to the t. p. line. Secondaries pale, whitish with a reddish suffusion, which becomes quite marked in the fringes. There is a distinct, blackish, extra-median line, and the terminal shading as well as a small discal lunule. Beneath, the wings are reddish powdered; the primaries a litle dusky centrally and both wings crossed by a very prominent, black, outer line. Expands 42 mm.; 1.68 inches.
Hab.—Calgary, June 22, ‘‘ Treacle.”’
Mr. Dod says this is a unique, and it certainly is a very pretty species and different from anything that I have seen. It is best placed in the group vu/tuosa, but has some affinity with the next, or finitima group. It is, however, more broadly and contrast- ingly colored than any other species in this series, and should, therefore, be rather easily recognizable.
i‘. s rf 4 :
1896. ] ' ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 29
Homohadena stabilis n. sp. Pl. xv, fig. 15.—Ground color obscure red- brown, with a smoky suffusion. Collar tipped with pale gray; otherwise the head and thorax immaculate. On the primaries the median lines are present, narrow, a little darker brown, not distinct in any specimen seen and sometimes almost obsolete. T. a. line slightly outcurved in one specimen, a little angulated inwardly at the center. T. p. line rather
‘broadly outcurved over the cell, and only a little incurved below that ‘point. It is a little relieved in some specimens by a faintly paler shade.
S. t. line wanting. There is no distinct terminal line; though there is a slight darkening at the base of the fringes. Secondaries dull, smoky brown, without markings of any kind, but the fringes are paler. Under- side uniform, dull, smoky brown, a little paler toward the base. The ordinary spots on the upperside are vaguely traceable in some specimens, but usually wanting. Expands 27-32 mm.; 1.08-1.28 inches,
ffab.—Calgary, in July. Mr. Dod sent me five specimens representing both sexes, all in good condition except the one from which the figure was made.
. This was used, because it was mounted on a low pin like the other
specimens photographed, and will serve only to give the general outline. It seems not uncommon, and besides the specimens sent me, I have seen a number of others sent to the late Mr. Neumoegen. The insect belongs with f#iguraza in the synopsis,
but differs from it by not having the median lines connected and
being much more obscure in color. There should be no difficulty
in 1ecognizing this simply marked form.
Deva trabea n. sp. PI. xy, fig. 16.—Ground color a pale whitish gray, overlaid by ocherous, golden and silver scales. Head and thorax pale,
_but the scales and hair are black and brown tipped, forming on the pa-
tagiz margining lines. Tuftings prominent, the vestiture entirely loose and divergent. The wings are mottled, difficult to describe, but all the ordinary markings are present. Basal space more or less silvery, crossed by a yellow-brown basal line, that is single and outwardly limited by the geminatet. a. line. ‘This line is silvery, margined on each side with yel- low-brown, and as a whole rather evenly outcurved. T. p. line geminate, the defining brown lines distinct, the included space silver gilt. Asa whole the course of the line is parallel with the outer margin, but it is irregular and more or less incurved between the veins, or angulated. There is a distinct, brown, median shade line, extending almost through the center of the wing, and parallei with the outer margin, S. t. line marked by the difference in shade between the s. t. and the terminal spaces. Terminal space very gray, and this invades the s. t. space in the costal region, where the line is marked only by a small costal spot. Op- posite the cell there are two brown dashes, below which the s. t. space is darker than the terminal space, though paler than the center of the wing.
30 ENTCMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January,
Blackish, scale powderings cover the surface throughout, but are most prominent in the paler parts of the wing. There is a continuous, brown, terminal line. The orbicular is round, broadly ringed with silver, and the center’is somewhat gilded. Below this spot is a U-shaped mark, broadly silver margined and centered with the ground color. The reni- form is obscure, scarcely outlined, and so nearly like the ground color that it is recognizable only on close examination. Secondaries whitish with a smoky suffusion and somewhat iridescent. Fringes whitish, set off by a continuous, blackish, terminal line. On the underside the wing is whitish, powdered with gray, and on both pairs there is a more or less obvious median line and a subterminal shade; also a continuous, blackish, terminal line. Expands 39 mm.; :.56 inches.
FTab.—Calgary, 1894.
The specimen is numbered 20, and is said by Mr. Dod to be unique. The species is a strongly marked one, quite different in character from those heretofore described, and it agrees with them in the enormously long palpi which project for half their length above tne vertex. ;
Plusia insolita n.sp. Pl. xv, fig. 17.—Ground color a rich golden brown with metallic reflections. Head uniform, rusty brown in color. Collar ‘is tipped with bluish gray, beneath which is a rusty brown band, inferiorly margined by another gray line, and the lowest portion is yet paler; more -grayish. Thoracic vestiture gray tipped, the usual tuftings prominent. Abdominal tuftings also well marked, prominent, and brown. Taken as a whole the primaries have a brown base, velvety in parts, and with golden reflections when turned obliquely to the light. Along the costa and in the basal space is a suffusion of lilac gray scales, and beyond the t. p. line is a broad lilac band. In the terminal space are other lilac shadings. Below the silvery mark, which extends through the median space, is a yellowish streak, broadest at thet. p. line. Basal line silver gilt, preceded by a few black scales, and joining the base in the submedian interspace. ‘T. a. line silver gilt, followed by black scales and preceded by golden brown. It is outwardly bent from the costa, touches the orbicular, and is then inwardly oblique, reaching the hind margin very close to the base. T. p. line yellowish, a little silvered, preceded and followed by narrow, brown, defining lines. It is acutely angulated on the costa, then evenly oblique inwardly to the silver mark, where it makes an abrupt angle over the submedian vein, and is thence evenly oblique to the inner margin. S. t. line very irregularly sinuate, with a broad outward tooth nearly op- posite the middle of the outer margin. There is a narrow, terminal, brown line, and a slender line through the fringes. The ordinary spots are fairly evident; the orbicular elongated, oval, decumbent, deep brown, -with a slender silver outline, and it rests upon the beginning of the silvery amark which extends from that point in the form of two lines which unite
at! each:
¥
1896. ] ‘ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 31
before they reach the angle of the t. p. line. The reniform is narrow, oblique, faintly outlined by silver gilt scales-outwardly, black shaded, but this shading crossed by the gilded veins. Secondaries of the usual smoky color, with a yellowish tint, as is also the underside. There is a vague
paler line through the secondaries, and the wings are dusky outwardly.
Expands 35-40 mm.; 1.40-1.60 inches.
Fab. —Calgary, in 1894.
Two specimens, Both females, were sent me by Mr. Ded, who says “they are rare.’’ The species of P/usza are difficult to de- scribe, and a reference to figure 17 will be perhaps more satisfac- tory than the description. The species is unlike any known to me, and I cannot identify it with the descriptions of any species not in my collection.
Neuronia americana Smith.
It was quite a surprise to me to receive a specimen of this in- sect, numbered 61, and marked Calgary, Aug. 28, 1894. It is a female, larger than the specimens I| had seen before, and ex- pands 37 mm. or 1.50 inches. Mr. Dod writes concerning it, ** rather common at light August, ’94.’’
THOSE who recognized General Count ‘‘ Dejeau”’ and *‘ the late Joseph O. Westwood” in the News for November last, in spite of their disguises, ‘may have read, with some amusement, in the same number (p. 302) cer- ‘tain statements attributed to me, likewise in disguise, regarding Mal- pighian “ tubercles” without recalling that the proper term was employed in a paper in the News for June, 1895, p. 181.—PHILIp P. CALVERT, Berlin, Germany, Dec. 16, 1895.
OBITUARY.
Monsieur EMILE Louis RAGonot, Président de la Société Entomolo- -gique de France, Officier D’ Académie.—It was with feelings of the most profound sorrow that I received quite recently a letter deeply bordered with black announcing the sad departure from this life of Mons. Emile Louis Ragonot, the distinguished President of the Entomological Society of France, one of the most widely known and accomplished entomolo- gists of the latter half of this century. Mons. Ragonot died at his home, No. 12 Quai de la Rapée, on October 13, in the fifty-third year of his age.
My departed friend will be known forever in the annals of entomological
“science as the most accomplished and faithful student of the Phycitidz -and Pyralidz, who has appeared upen French soil during the present
32 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ January,
century. His labors have been extensive and various, but they find their crown in the magnificent Monograph of the Phycitinz of the World, the first portion of which comprises the seventh volume of the “‘ Mémoires sur les Lépidopteres,’’ which are being edited and published by His Im- perial Highness, the Grand Duke Nicholas, of Russia. The second vol- ume was in course of preparation at the time when death overtook the indefatigable laborer, but it is hoped that the work is so well advanced that it may be brought to a successful and worthy completion, even with- out the guiding hand and controling mind of the distinguished author. Monsieur Ragonot was a banker; possessed of the means to enable him to prosecute his researches widely and thoroughly. He had succeeded in bringing together one of the most important and complete collections representing his favorite groups which is in existence, and his well-known reputation for strict probity and scientific ability led to his being entrusted with the treasures of most of the private and public collections of both hemispheres in order to facilitate his labors upon the monumental work which he had undertaken.
In early life he had been actively engaged in business in the city of London, having resided there for many years. In consequence he was a perfect master of the English tongue, and some of his friends have been in the habit of regarding him as more typically English than French in his style of thought. No one corresponding with him in English would have imagined from the style of his letters that he was other than English, so pure was the idiom and so genuinely English was the style. But he was as intensely French as he was English, and no one familiar with the pleas- ant life of his home, can fail to remember it as a typical French household, full of the brightness and vivacity which characterize the life of that people.
In person, Monsieur Ragonot was of an engaging presence, modest, affable, earnest, yet nevét so deeply engaged in the absorbing duties of his calling, or the favorite recreations of his study, as to fail to have a taoment for.the interchange of quiet pleasantries. Bright, quick, precise in speech, instantly ready to grasp an idea, it was a thorough pleasure to be thrown, if even for only a short time, into his society. In his death science has lost one of its leaders.
W. J. Hotvanp.
ENTOMOLOGICAL News for December, was mailed November 3o, 1895.
Ent. NEws, Vol. VII. Pi; Ti,
ANDRENA VICINA LOADED WITH POLLEN.
(From a photograph, enlarged 8 diameters)
_ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION,
ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA.
VoL. vil. FEBRUARY, 1896. No. 2. CONTENTS: Bowditch—Coleoptera collecting notes Notes and. NewS i:s. a's o0<ceciccmeopes 49 SS ers 33 | Entomological Literature ............ a ae Ottolengui—Types in the Neumoegen Doings of Societies..........0cceccceee 55 SRE ee eee 35 | Entomological Section............e.e0 58 The effect of music upon spiders...... 38 | Baker—Notes on Oxybelus, etc........ 59 Slosson—More about the Red Bug.... 40 | Lafler—A new parasite..............+. 62 POoIomical Record... 6.2.2.2 2ceceseces 42 | Pergande—Desc. of a new species of EG. Jack caves oo Vanicc.c’ne cccese 45 TROON TINS <0. Jaebs .enndevents «vase 63 Economic Entomology ...........--++- 46
COLEOPTERA COLLECTING NOTES FOR 1895.
By Frep. C. Bowpircn, Boston, Mass.
The early Spring gave one good day for collecting on the ice,
_the conditions most favorable being a south slope free from ice or
.
snow, with a small pond or flowed meadow at the foot covered with ice, a bright warm sunny day and a gentle wind from the slope over the ice at the foot; the insects take wing and are borne onto the ice; or the little streams of water which trickle from the slopes carry minute species down to the ice edge, the collector’s work is only walking over the ice, picking up the fallen, or searching the grass blades just at the edge of the little rivulets for minute forms which gather in clusters as they are brought down by the water. Almost any patch of melting ice in a meadow will reward the collector who searches the edges, but the south slope gives the best field. Fresh hard wood sap was also good last Spring and furnished very fine series of two species of Nitidulide, the best place being between the bark and the stump where the former had just begun to warp away from the latter.
My store of twigs and branches produced a fine lot of Ceram- bycidz, chief among which were about fifteen Xylotrechus 4-
2
35
34 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWs. ~_ [February,
maculatus Hald., which emerged from beech branches gathered in August, 1894. The species operates in branches of an inch to an inch and one-half in diameter, making a clumsy cut very different from that of E/ap4idion, but which weakens the branch, so that it falls after a severe wind, the curious part of it, being that several specimens may come from a single limb, while only one makes a breaking cut on the branch; whether any remain in the stump left on the tree I have not yet determined; the species in its mode of operations is midway between Elaphidion, which makes a clean cut and fails, and Goes, which makes no cut at all and remains.
Hickory twigs yielded a fine pair of Purpuricenus humeralis var. axillaris Hald. I am inclined to think it a common species, but comparatively seldom seen as it prefers the tops of trees. A pair of /chnea laticornis Say also appeared for the first time in my hatching-box. I later took a third specimen on the branch of a freshly fallen red oak (Winter of 1894).
Leptostylus macula Say occurred plentifully on déad poison dog wood (Rhus glabra).
About a dozen or fifteen of a species, called for the present Acanthocinus obsoletus Oliv., occurred on freshly-cut white and Scotch pine logs, about the same number of specimens were taken in 1894 under similar circumstances; it seems very short lived, only appearing for a few days about June 15th. Two Chrysobothris azurea Lec. were taken from alder on June 8th; on the 23d I captured a third on recently-cut twigs of red oak; about a week later I saw a fourth in the same place, but failed to take it; I find it. the liveliest of our Buprestidz, and withal one of the rarest, and its beauty always makes the loss of a specimen cause for regret.
Dying black alder bushes yielded both sexes of Dicerca pu- gionata Germ. and Acoptus suturalis Lec.; two specimens of Flormiscus saltater Lec. were picked off a hickory twig, one in June, the other in August. The Summer drought made the early September water beetle collecting uncommonly good, specimens being concentrated in the few places not dried up, * mere numbers were excessive; from the mass I got quite an amount of picked material. The Autumn collecting on fungi was excellent, and I took many small Silphide and Nitidulide, among them many good things which I have not had an oppor-
1896.] ~ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 35
_tunity to study. What pleased me most was the capture of a pair of Mycetophagus tenuifasciatus Horn in a small brown fungus growing on wild cherry; the specimens were taken August 24th and September 29th; since then I have found the same fungus on white oak.
The early part of the season was favorable for Chrysomlide, and yielded many. good things, but the drought cut vegetation so that the latter part of the season was poor.
oO
TYPES IN THE NEUMOEGEN COLLECTION.—III. WITH A FEW NOTES THEREON.
By Dr. RoDRIGUES OTTOLENGUI.
THYATIRID.
Euthyatira lorata 3 Grt. Washington Terr., Morrison. Bombycia semicircularis § Grt. Washington Terr., Morrison.
NOCTUID~. Acronycta quadrata 3 (3) Grt. Nebraska. Acronycta edolata $2 (3\2) Grt-—Arizona, Doll. Rhynchagrostis bimarginalis § (2) Grt. Hot Springs. Rhynchagrostis crenulata J (Q) Smith. California. Adelphagrotis stellaris 2 (3) Grt. Arizona, Doll. Abagrotis erratica 3 (Q) Smith. California. ; Pachnobia monochromatea J Morr. Boston, Mass., Morrison. FPachnobia manifesta 3 Morr. Locality not given. Morrison. Pachnobia elevata J Smith. Colorado, Bruce. Pachnobia scropulana 2 Morr. Mt. Washington, Morr. ' A note by Mr. Neumoegen says that this is a synonym of Pachnobia wocket Moeschl.
Pachnobia claviformis 3 Morr. New Hampshire, Morrison.
A note says this is a synonym of Pachnobia salicarum Walk. Selagrotis planiformis 2 Smith. British Columbia.
A note says this is a synonym of Noctua vocalis Grt. Peridroma grandipennis J Grt. Hot Springs. _ Peridroma tenuescens § Smith. Nebraska, Morrison. Noctua clemens 3 Smith. California. Noctua invenusta 2 Grote.
This is a synonym of MWoctua vocalis Grt., which was rechrist- ened Setagrotis planiformis by Smith. Thus Grote named it twice, and Smith once, verily quite a baptism.
36 _ ENTOMOQLOGICAL NEWS. [ February,
Chorizagrotis terrealis 2 Grt. Hot Springs. Rhizagrotis proclivis 2 Smith. Arizona, Morrison.
Smith’s check list credits this name to Morrison, but the type label is in Smith’s writing, and bears his name. Mr. Doll con- siders prociivis to be a synonym of acclivis. The type of pro- clivis is a 9, while acclivis is represented in the collection by % %, which were taken at the same time by Mr. Morrison. Mr. Doll has recently received specimens from same locality, taken at the same time, and all of the males are of the form acc/livis, while all of the females are Jroclivis. This seems significant. Rhizagrotis albicosta 3 (Q) Smith. Arizona, Morrison.
Rhizagrotis apicalis 3 Grt. California. Feltia longidens 3 (2) Smith. New Mexico. Feltia stigmosa § (9). Cambridge, Mass., Morrison. A note declares this to be a synonym of Feltia volubilis Grt.
Porosagrotis satiens 3 Q Smith. N. W. British Columbia. Porosagrotis doliii 82. Arizona, Doll. Carneades neomexicana 32 Smith. New Mexico. Carneades niveilinea 8.2 Grt. Arizona, Doll. Carneades insertans $ Smith. British Columbia. Carneades brevipennis 3 (3'2 2) Smith. Nevada.
A type % is also in the Doll collection.
Carneades oblongostigma 2 Smith. Montana. Carneades flavidens 2 Smith. Arizona, Doll. Carneades perexcellens 2 Grt. Carneades infelix g Smith. The types of perexcellens and infelix are both present. They are synonyms.
Carneades cogitans 3\2 Smith. California. Carneades atristrigata 3 Smith. British Columbia. Carneades atomaris $2 Smith. California. Carneades moerens 3 (2) Grt. Arizona, Doll. Carneades muscosa 2° Grt, Colorado.
This is a synonym of cenzs Grt.
Carneades xyliniformis 2 Smith. New Mexico.
Carneades conjuncta 3 (3'2) Smith. New Mexico. ° Carneades teleboa 2 Smith. New Mexico.
Carneades murdockii $3 (2) Smith. British Columbia.
Carneades fernaldi 2 Morr. Maine, Morrison.
Carneades tristicula § Morr. Maine, Morrison.
Carneades basifiava 3 (3) Smith. British Columbia.
Carneades spectana 2 Smith. California.
Carneades furtivis 32 Smith. California.
Se ee Pore
1896. ] ' ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 37
Agrotiphila rigida 9 Smith. Colorado, Bruce.
Agrotiphila colorado 2 Smith. Colorado, Bruce.
Eutolype depilis 2 Grt. Ohio. [rondacks. Barathra occidenta 3 (2) Grt. Type from Hot Springs; 9 from Adi-
Smith’s check list gives this occidentata, but occidenta is the -
reading on type label.
Mamestra gnata 3 Grt. Arizona, Doll.
Mamestra prodendiformis J (Q) Smith, Arizona, Morrison, Mamestra hadeniformis 3\ Smith. Colorado, Bruce. Mamestra trifolit var. oregonica § (2) Grt. California. Mamestra glaciata J Grt. Arizona.
Mamestra bella 9 Grt. New Jersey.
A note says that this is a synonym of JZamestra ectypa Morr.
Mamestra spiculosa § Grt. Arizona, Doll. Mamestra incurva 3 (3) Smith. Arizona, Doll. Mamestra longiclava J Smith. Colorado, Bruce.
Mamestra vittula 3 Grt. Hot Springs.
This name occurs twice in Smith’s check’ list, once under Mamestra numbered 1894, and again at the end of that species, E but below the asterisks, which I believe means that its proper place is doubtful. Here it is numbered 1954.
Scotogramma submarina 3'3'2 Grt. Montana. The type label calls this an Azarta. Ulolonche orbiculata 3 Smith. Colorado, Bruce. This name also appears in Smith’s list under Mamestra. 4 Ulolonche dilecta § Hy. Edw. Arizona, Doll.
The type label reads Perigea, but Mr. Neumoegen places it
here, though with a (?).
Fladena perpensa 3 Grt. Arizona, Doll.
Hadena transfrons 3 Neum. British Columbia. Hladena chryselectra 3 (38.2) Grt. Arizona, Doll.
This is a synonym of Perigea benigua Hy. Edw. Hladena smaragdina 3\ Neum. Arizona, Morrison.
Fladena misera 2 Grt. Arizona, Morrison.
With only a part of one antenna remaining this poorly spread, lonely representative of a species, seems admirably named. Pseudanarta faicata § Neum. Arizona, Morrison.
This is probably a Hediothis.
Oligea grisea 8 Grt. Arizona, Doll.
_ This was omitted from Smith’s check list. Perigea loculosa 3\(Q) Grt. Arizona, Doll. Perigea periplexa J Q (Q) Grt. Arizona, Doll,
38 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February,
Perigea pulverulenia 2 (83Y) Smith. Arizona, Doll. Perigea dilecta 3 Hy. Edw. Arizona, Doll. Perigea benigna 3\ Hy. Edw. Arizona, Morrison.
This is a synonym of Hladena chryselectra. Homohadena inconstans 3\P Grt. Arizona, Doll. Homohadena epipaschia 3 Grt. Hot Springs. Homohadena vulnerea 3\§ Grt. Arizona, Doll. Oncocnemtis umbrifascia 3 (2) Smith. British Columbia. Oncocnemis levis 3 (38\'2 2) Grt. Colorado, Doll. Oncocnemis pernotalis 2 Grt. Arizona, Doll.
Smith’s check list calls this pernofata, but the type is Boe pernotalis.
Oncocnemis extremis 2 Smith. British Columbia. Oncocnemis major 3 (2) Grt. Colorado. Oncocnemis curvicollis 3 Q Grt. Arizona, Doll. 3
Smith’s check list declares that major and curvicollis are syn- onyms, but judging by superficial characters they seem to be quite distinct. Ae Oncocnemis griseicollis 2 Grt. Arizona, Doll.
Hadenella pergentilis J Grt. No locality label. Trichopolia dentatella % Grt. Arizona, Doll. Trichopolia ptilodonta § Grt. Arizona, Doll. Lupolia licentiosa 3 Smith. Utah.
This is a type of a new genus, Smith, as well as new species Smith, though I cannot find it in his catalogue, Bulletin 44. Possibly it has been described since that publication.
Polia edeon J Grt. California. Polia contadina 3 Smith. British Columbia.
Oo
THE EFFECT OF MUSIC UPON SPIDERS.
Illustrative of the singularly pleasurable effect of music upon
spiders, in the Histoire de la Musique et de ses Effets, we find the
following relation:
‘Monsieur de , captain of the Regiment of Navarre, was con- fined six months in prison for having spoken too freely of M. de Louvois, when he begged leave of the governor to grant him permission to send for his lute to soften his confinement. He was greatly astonished after four days to see, at the time of his playing, the mice come out of their holes, and the Spiders descend from their webs, who came and formed in a circle round him to hear him with attention. This at first so much surprised him, that he stood still without motion, when having ceased tg
| : ‘
_—
—— a
i it
~-
1896.] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 39
play, all those Spiders retired quietly into their lodgings; such an assem- bly made the officer fall into reflections upon what the ancients had told of Orpheus, Arion and Amphion. He assured me he remained six days without again playing, having with difficulty recovered from his astonish-
_ ment, not to mention a natural aversion he had for this sort of insects, nevertheless he began afresh to give a concert to these animals, who
seemed to come every day in greater numbers, as if they had invited others, so that in process of time he found a hundred of them about him. In order to rid himself of them he desired one of the jailors to give him a cat, which he sometimes shut up in a cage when he wished to have this company and let her loose when he had a mind to dismiss them, making it thus a kipd of comedy that alleviated his imprisonment. I long doubted the truth of this story, but it was confirmed to me six months ago by M. P , intendant of the duchy of V———, a man of merit and probity, who played upon several instruments to the utmost excellence. He told that being at , he went into his chamber to refresh himself after a walk, and took up a violin to amuse himself till supper time, setting a light upon the table before him; he had not played a quarter of an hour before he saw several Spiders descend from the ceiling, who came and ranged themselves round about the table to hear him play, at which he was greatly surprised, but this did not interrupt him, being willing to see the end of so singular an occurrence. They remained on the table very attentively till somebody came to tell him that supper was ready, when having ceased to play, he told me ihese insects remounted to their wets, to which he would suffer no injury to be done. It was a diversion with which he often entertained himself out of curicsity.” (Aizst. de la Mus. i, 323)
The Abbé Olivet has described an amusement of Pelisson du- ring his confinement in the Bastile for refusing to betray to the government certain secrets intrusted to him by a friend who was a leading politician at the court of Louis XIV, which consisted in feeding a Spider which he discovered forming its web across the only air-hole of his cell. For some time he placed his flies at the edge of the window, while a stupid Basque, his sole com- panion, played on a bagpipe. Little by little the Spider used itself to distinguish the sound of the instrument, and issued from its hole to run and catch its prey. Thus calling it always by the same sound, and placing the flies at a still greater distance, he succeeded, after several months, to drill the Spider by regular exercise, so that at length it never failed appearing at the first sound to seize on the fly provided for it, at the extremity of the cell, and even on the knees of the prisoner. To this account, in the ‘‘ History of Insects,’’ printed by John Murray, 1830, i,
40 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February,
269, is added: ‘‘ The governor of the Bastile hearing that this unfortunate prisoner had found a solace in the society of a Spider, paid Pelisson a visit, desiring to see the manceuvres of the insect. The Basque struck up his notes, the Spider instantly came to be fed by his friend, but the moment it appeared on the floor of the cell, the governor placed his foot on its body and crushed it to death.”’
At a ladies’ school at Kensington, England, an immense spe- cies of Spider is said to be uncomfortably common, and that when the young ladies sing their accustomed hymn or psalm before morning and evening prayers, these Spiders make their appearance on the floor, or suspend overhead from their webs in the ceiling, obviously attracted by the ‘‘ concord of sweet sounds.”’ —Cowan’s Curious Facts in the History of Insects.
)
MORE ABOUT THE RED BUG. By ANNIE TRUMBULL SLosson.
On the eve of my departure for Florida I received the January News, and read Dr. Hamilton’s interesting paper on the Red Bug. As soon as I saw the title I knew that I ought to close the magazine and forego the pleasure of perusal. But there was a horrible fascination in the theme and I read on to the bitter end. I have known little peace of mind since then. An absence of eight months from Florida had somewhat dulled the memory of certain agonizing experiences there, but this article has revived them all. I wish the good doctor had been correct as to my immunity from the little scarlet pests, but he is sadly mistaken; I have known them long and intimately. That I have not made
mention of them in my occasional papers is owing to the dislike
I feel to dwelling upon painful topics. But I can vouch for the truth of all the learned doctor says of this little fiend. Its diving, head first, into a sweat pore, its subsequent decease there, and the unhappiness ensuing, are described with painful accuracy. As for the remedies spoken of I have tried them all, and many more but with little benefit. Residents assure me that kerosene rubbed
over the body just as soon as the tickling sensation shows the
presence of the bugs will kill the little pests and prevent further trouble. I have not tried this, but I have seen excellent results from certain heroic treatment. One of my friends always resorts
le ee ea 8
Se ee
a} yee. *
Aa).
1856. | ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 4I
to the knife. He cuts open the swelling or pustule, and takes out its contents, perhaps removing the bug itself, but of this I am not sure. It is a severe remedy, but certainly seems to shorten the period of discomfort. A darkey told me that rubbing a piece of salt pork on the ‘‘rising’’-—his name for the swelling—was a sure cure. ‘.
Two years ago I captured some of these tiny creatures on my arm and examined them closely; then I put them into alcohol with some spiders. and ticks I had collected for Mr. Banks. I omitted telling him what they were and they appeared in the list he returned simply as 7rombidium sp. (young). My own opinion is that there are several species included under the popular name of Red Bug and having the same unpleasant habits.
I am now en route to South Florida, but I sincerely hope that I may have no opportunities for investigating this matter. I gladly leave all discoveries in the life-history of this young Arachnid to others.
This subject is too serious to put into verse, as Dr. Hamilton suggests, or I might try my hand at something like this:
I sing of the Red Bug, You know that this said bug Doth e’en as a dead bug Sting, tease and inflame; A sweat pore doth enter And dive to the centre, There, flat on its venter It dies, but dies game, For it gives up the ghost At expense of its host. It’s far beyond telling Save by groaning or yelling— The itching and swelling, The burning and heat, From your head to your feet, Which this little Arachnid— Nay, the subject ’s too hackneyed, I must stop it And drop it.
ERRATA.
In Dr. Hamilton’s article page 2, last News, line 14 from bottom, for longer read wider ; also line 2 from bottom for dissolving read disrobing.
42 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ February,
ZOOLOGICAL RECORD. 5
The amount of entomological work recorded in the present volume is apparently greater than that of any previous year, the titles numbering 1173 against 1069 last year. We have, however, to record but little extensive systematic work on any group of Insects. Handlirsch’s monograph of the Hymenopterous genus: Bembex being, perhaps, the most important work dealing with Insects of all the world. Brauer and Bergenstamm’s tables of some Calyptrate Muscidz have been completed. A large num- ber of new species have been described in faunistic works ; God- man and Salvin’s great work on Central America continues to occupy a predominant position in this respect. Berthoumien has commenced a work on the Ichneumonide of Europe, a subject that has been treated hitherto in a very piece-meal style. Three volumes of Dalla Torre’s Catalogue of Hymenoptera have ap- peared ; as well as a second volume of the general Catalogue of Hemiptera. We are glad to find that M. Severin announces his intention of continuing this work, notwithstanding the lamented decease of his co-laborer, M. Lethierry. A great deal of work has been expended on Hamilton’s Catalogue of the Coleoptera common to Europe, Northern Asia and North America; it is accompanied -by tables intended to elucidate the origin of these widely distributed forms, and will be of considerable assistance to those studying geographical distribution in the region it deals with. Leech’s work on the butterflies of China and Japan has been completed.
The series of papers by Fox, Uhler, Ashmead, Pergande and Horn—that of the latter being a memoir of considerable extent —-makes a very large addition to our knowledge of the Ento- mology of Lower California, a region that has been heretofore much neglected by entomologists, though of considerable impor- tance. The series of faunistic papers resulting from the work of the W. India Committee has received a remarkable addition in the memoir of Riley, Ashmead and Howard, in which no less than 340 species of parasitic Hymenoptera are recorded from the island of St. Vincent. Large as it may appear, this is far from being the total number to be found there, as certain of the sub- families still remain to be worked out. It is remarkable that only 6 new genera have been proposed, although 2¢9 new species are
SE oe
Pe ee a ee Nt RR
1896. ] -ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 43:
described in the paper. In Lepidoptera, on the other hand, the number of new generic names is very large, 170 hese beem proposed i in one paper by Warren.
Hubbard’s sketch of the Insects inhabiting the baie of a tortoise, points out a ia peld of observation; Wachtl’s paper on the larva of ‘‘the nun,’’ suggests an important function dis- charged by some of the hairs; while Blanc has given an elaborate study of the head of a Lepidopterous larva, conveying much_ anatomical and physiological information. This paper was pub-- lished in 1891, a periodical devoted to technical rather than to- scientific matters, and has only recently come to the Recorder’s.
- notice. Hansen’s paper on Hemimerus shows that enigmatical.
insect in quite a new aspect, and introduces us to what appears to be a mode of viviparous reproduction previously unknown in Insects. Binet’s memoir on the structure of the ventral chain of nerve ganglia is accompanied by experimental observations.
C. Janet has given excellent descriptions and figures of the
stridulatory organs in one of our common ants. Gonin’s lucu- bration on the metamorphosis of Lepidoptera, and the formation of their wings is interesting, and touches some very important and difficult points. = .
Considerable attention has been devoted to the anatomy and:
morphology of the terminal segments of the abdomen and their sexual modifications by Verhoeff, Escherich and Peytoureau. This last memoir includes a summary of the subject, with criti- cisms and suggestions. _ Nassonow has been able to elucidate, to some extent, the very obscure question of the development of Strepsiptera; and Nagel’s paper makes a valuable addition to the subject of the senses and sense-organs of Insects. Lowne’s comprehensive work on the blow-fly, designed by the author as a résumé of the principles. of anatomy, physiology and morphology as applied to~Insects,. has been completed.
Bateson’s work on variation includes several entomological sections, and will be found valuable even by those who are not prepared to become disciples of ‘‘ discontinuity,’’ until that term shall have received a more definite application.
Plateau has contributed some sensible remarks on the subject of the ‘‘protection’’ of Adraxas grossulariata. Redtenbacher’s paper on the different kinds of migratory locusts gives informa-
44 : ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ February,
tion that will be of interest in many parts of the world; it is to be regretted that it should have appeared in an almost inaccessible publication. Wasmann’s Catalogue of Myrmecophilous and Ter- mitophilous Arthropods is a very useful work that has involved an enormous amount of labor. .
Brongniart’s work on early fossil Insects is certainly one of the most valuable of its kind that has ever appeared, if only in con- sequence of the number and excellence of the illustrations; one of these represents, of the natural size, an insect of over two feet in expanse of wing. The text of this work is in large part de- voted to a review of the question as to the origin of wings, and
the nomenclature of their nervures. This discussion, however,
does not deal with the chief difficulty of the subject, viz., our insufficient knowledge of the histology and development of wings. Scudder’s work on fossil Tipulidz appears to be one of the best monographs that has yet been produced on a special family of fossil Insects. |
Last year the Recorder called attention to the insufficient way in which new species and genera are frequently indicated to be such, and he takes this opportunity of alluding to a practice of the opposite kind that appears to be rapidly extending, viz., the publication of descriptions as ‘‘new species,’’ or ‘‘gen. nov.,”’ although diagnoses or descriptions have previously appeared in some other work. In these cases it is not infrequent that all reference to so important a fact is suppressed. The Recorder will venture to suggest that societies and editors should endeavor to render such a proceeding less feasible than it appears to be at present.—D. Sharp’s Introduction to Insecta, Zoological Record
Sor 1894.
PicKAPACK.—On the tst of July last I found a yellow geometrid cater- pillar that had, what seemed to be, a bunch of bluish green follicles, just at the bend of the back. This proved to be a batch of larva, compressed, and having their nozzles buried in the skin of their victim. Ina day or two the caterpillar succumbed, and the larve spread themselves over its under parts and drained its remaining juices; they then spun their cocoons. In the beginning of August the perfect flies appeared. Mr. Ashmead kindly identified them for me as specimens of Zup/ectus frontalis Howard. —Rev. THomAs W. FyLeEs, South Quebec.
ieee
1896.) 3 45
ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS.
Published monthly (except July and August), in charge of the joint publication committees of the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, and the American Entomological Society. It will contain not less than 300 pages per annum. It will main- tain 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 considered well spent.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION $1.00, IN ADVANCE. Outside of the United States and Canada $1.20.
g@= All remittances should be addressed to E. T. Cresson, Treasurer, P. O. Box 248, Philadelphia, Pa.; all other communications to the Editors of ENTOMOLOGICAL News, Academy of Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa.
PHILADELPHIA, PA., FEBRUARY, 1896.
ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY.
WE find that many of our subscribers are interested in prac- tical or economic entomology, and we are receiving letters like the following: ‘‘If Prof. Smith, in the Economic Department, would put in some articles pertaining to insects that do or are likely to injure the peach and plum especially, they would in- terest the fruit growers in this locality (Tifton, Ga.).”’
Prof. Smith says he will gladly answer any questions that may be asked by farmers and fruit growers, and that they will be an- swered in his department of the News. He also says he will publish from time to time, articles on insects injurious to peach and plum trees, and also on kindred subjects of interest to the agriculturist and horticulturist.
Owinc to illness, Mrs. A. T. Slosson has been ordered by her physician to give up entomological work fora time. Hard and persistent collecting in New Hampshire hasS had an injurious effect. Mrs. Slosson has done an enormous amount of work in supplying specialists with material and now needs a rest, and the attention of her correspondents is called to this fact. The work covered by Mrs. Slosson has been the entire field of Entomology, and some of us who only study a single order find we have plenty of work on hand, thus showing what her efforts have been.
46 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February,
DEPARTMENT OF EGONOMIG ENTOMOLOGY,
Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N. J,
Papers for this department are solicited. They should be sent to the editor, Prof. John ‘B. Smith, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N. J.
(See Editorial, page 45.)
Grasshoppers in Minnesota.—Dr. Otto Lugger has sent us a very inter- esting account of his operations against the migratory grasshoppers in his State, the essential points of which are as follows: Very early in July letters were received from Taylor Falls, Minn., in which it was stated that great damage was being done by grasshoppers, and that farmers in that region feared to lose their entire crops. After consulting with the proper authorities it was agreed that steps should be taken to assist the farmers against this insect, that all possible means should be employed to prevent ‘the pest from extending over a larger area than already occupied. It was found that a space from 36 to 40 square miles was more or less badly infested with grasshoppers; in some places the ground was perfectly black with them, while in others near by but few could be detected. This showed that the young were still in the vicinity of the place in which they were born. The damage at that time was slight, as apparently only pas- ture land had yet suffered; but the young hoppers were moving towards Timothy and grain fields, so that no time was to be lost. It was con- cluded to utilize ‘‘hopper-dozers’’ and kerosene oil, as no other remedies could well be applied at that late period. Consequently 230 hopper- dozers were made and operated near Taylor’s Falls, Rush City and Duluth, which required in all 95 barrels of kerosene oil. Besides this, smaller amounts were bought at the beginning of the work, in all about ten barrels, and in some cases the farmers also furnished some oil. The hopper-dozers were made as follows: A piece of ordinary sheet iron such as is used for stove pipes was turned up’1%4 inches around the edge and riveted at the corners. This made a shallow pan about 8 feet long, 2 feet broad and 1% inches deep. To the bottom of this were riveted six small strips which could be fastened to the three runners on which-the pan rested. At the rear of the pan was screwed a light wooden frame as long as the pan and 1% feet high over which canvass was stretched. This frame has the important office of throwing back into the oil all those grasshoppers that would otherwise jump clean over the pan. The run- ners were usually made from sapplings, or small pieces of board curved upward in front to prevent them from catching in the ground. The front ends of the runners were fastened by screws to a cross piece which was drawn in turn by two ropes; one at each end. These ropes were joined in front and fastened to a single tie. Sometimes two hopper-dozers were fastened to a long pole by means of short ropes and this was very easily
4 ; q : ; | |
ie
1896. ] -ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 47
drawn by one horse. Just in front of the pan was fastened a piece of rope which swept the ground a few inches in advance and served to stir _ up the hoppers to jump into the pan. In the pan was also a piece of
cloth thoroughly saturated with water and about a pint of kerosene was then thrown in, the upright backing of canvass being also moistened with «il. The machine was then drawn slowly over the pastures where the hoppers were thickest, and in a short time it was partially filled with dead and dying insects. The slightest touch of kerosene either from the pan or the canvass sheet means death to the hopper, for the oil spreads over his body as a single drop does over a large surface of water. It seems to produce a paralysis, which is first shown by the stiffening of the legs. A very large proportion of the hoppers that come into contact with the oil in the pan immediately jump out again, but they invariably die in the course of a few seconds or minutes. The nature of the ground in the infested region did not in many places admit of using more than one thopper-dozer at a time. The farmers watched with great interest the operation of the first few hopper-dozers, coming from far and near for that purpose, and when they saw the possibilities of these simple ma- chines they were not slow to realize that by faithful work they could
largely protect their very promising crops. Generally speaking, the far-
mers showed a very commendable spirit to fight their enemy and they went to work with a will. Yet notwithstanding all this, the grasshoppers would have done a vast amount of damage if the climatic conditions had not been very favorable to the farmer. At the time when the grasshop-— pers are most voracious, and when they usually move about in large armies from field to field, a great number of light rains fell at short intervals, assisting the plants most wonderfully in their growth, while greatly damp- ing the ardor of such warmth loving insects as the grasshoppers, which are not fond of moisture. These rains helped the plants and retarded the growth of the grasshoppers. Later, when these rains ceased to fall, the rye, oats and wheat were so close and rank that the ground was thoroughly shaded and retained the moisture for a long time. This con- dition of the grain fields was not at all to the liking cf the grasshoppers; they wandered about the edges of such fields, but did not enter. Only in cases where the growth was poor, or the stand of grain irregular, did they enter or cause damage; chiefly to the oats. Asa general rule, how- ever, the grain escaped unhurt, and only pastures, meadows and some old Timothy fields suffered. This state of affairs assisted farmers greatly in fighting the enemy, as they did not have to use the machines in the grain itself, but only along the borders. Immense numbers of grasshop- pers were killed before they caused much damage. How many were killed by a hopper-dozer is difficult to say, as 9 out of 10 that jump into it jump out again, only to die soon after in the field; but if only 5 or 6 bushels of the small grasshoppers are swept off the dozer during a day’s labor, this would mean 50 to 60 bushels killed by a single machine. This is by no means an exaggerated estimate, but if only 10 per cent. of this
48 . ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ February,
amount were killed it would well pay for the work. Kerosene has this additional advantage: it leaves a strong odor behind, which is very apt to spoil the appetite of the grasshoppers which escape destruction and which drives them away to less heavily scented pastures. As this oil kills plants as well, proper care in handling must be had, otherwise much injury can be caused by careless work. .
Hopper-dozers, though very good machines upon level ground cannot be used in all places. Some farmers living upon newly cleared land managed their machines very ingeniously. Instead of moving the hopper- dozers, they drove the hoppers themselves into the pan which in this case was used in the same way as a coral is used to capture cattle or horses. Though much slower they still succeeded in killing the greater number of their enemies and saved their crops.
But after all, no matter how useful hopper-dozers may be against grass- | hoppers, they are only a make-shift to be employed when other remedies can no longer be employed. In many places they cannot be used at all— for instance the hill-sides of Duluth upon which immense numbers of grasshoppers have found a home. Here other remedies might be used to capture the grasshoppers in bags, and in which the insects are ground up by rollers. Poison could also be applied where cattle or chickens can be kept away. The true remedy consists in plowing, as has been shown before, and wherever grasshoppers are numerous this method must be resorted to. Of course it would be best to plow the soil containing eggs during the Autumn, as by so doing the surface of the plowed ground. becomes thoroughly compacted by rain and snow. Plowing in Spring, if well done and as early as possible, will also be successful, though in most cases a few grasshoppers may succeed in reaching the surface.
In regard to the ‘‘ Rocky Mountain Locust,’’ it is possible that a small swarm of this destructive species has again settled in our State. At least it was stated in some newspapers published in the Red River Valley that a swarm had been observed, some time during the middle of August, flying in a southeasterly direction over Polk County. Inquiry failed to decide positively whether they had settled in our State or not. If they have they will be found south of Crookston, and farmers located in that region should watch carefully and give timely warning of their presence so that steps can be taken to prevent their increase.
INASMUCH as Anthonomus grandis Boh. has now thoroughly established itself as a member of the south Texan fauna, collectors of American Co- leoptera will naturally be glad to get specimens. We have now in the Department of Agriculture a large series, and will be glad to send speci- mens to Coleopterists.—L. O. Howarp, United States Department of Agriculwre, Division of Entomology, Washington, D. C.
1896.) - ‘ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 49
Notes and News.
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. Twenty-five “extras” without change in form will be given free when they are wanted, and this should be so stated on the MS. along with the number desired. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged.—Eb.
_ WE call the attention of our readers to the journal devoted to wild flowers (see advertising column), botany and the higher branches of general gardening, edited by Prof. Thomas Meehan, the well-known horticulturist and Pennsylvania State Botanist. The publication is beau- tifully illustrated, and should be in the hands of all lovers of flowers and plants.
Pictures for the album of the American Entomological Society have been received from Mrs. Annie Trumbull Slosson, W. C. Wood, George A, Ehrmann, J. M. Aldrich, C. S.-McKnight, H. C. Fall, G. R. Pilate and Dr. John Hamilton. This is the most interesting collection of the pictures of entomologists in the world, and was started thirty-five years ago. Remember, we wish the pictures of all persons interested in ento- mology. It is not necessary to have published anything, as we want the pictures of ‘‘ little bugs” as well as the so-called ‘‘ big”’ in bugology.
A visit TO CAMBRIDGE.—Some months after the death of Dr. LeConte I considered it a duty to assist in fulfilling his will by suitably preparing his cabinet and transporting it to the Museum at Cambridge. Annually, since, I have made one or two visits for the more accurate study of its types after a thorough study of my own material had been completed. In that collection I find not only the bare facts, for which I seek, but much besides. In the more than thirty years of our association there is not a box which has not been before us the topic of discussion or for consulta- tion. Every one recalls its memories, and even particular specimens recall incidents of interest. To me such a visit is therefore more than the comparison of specimens, it puts me again in touch with a friend.
A visit in December last found the collection in excellent condition, and the careful custodian, Mr. Henshaw, is rapidly arranging the specimens in a neater manner, the types defined, and, in those cases in which types are in other cabinets, specimens have been obtained through our united efforts, so that very few remain unrepresented.
The means for the preservation of the specimens from danger arising
2*
50 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February,
within are as perfect as it is possible to have them, and at the same time hold the specimens accessible for study. All museums are at times liable to have specimens stolen, but it is to be hoped that no one who studies that collection wz// be found so devoid of honor as to rob it.
I regret greatly that many of the traditions of the collection are known only to me. Frequently specimens have something about them indicating their origin and types from Chaudoir, Mannerheim, and others, even including Dejean, may be known thereby. As many of these traditions concern individual specimens it is hardly possible to give any general data. Ina collection of the character of that of LeConte it is important that no label attached to a pin, however unimportant it may seem, should be removed.—GEo. H. Horn.
EWLIN, in his book of Travels in Turkey, has recorded a singular tra- dition of the history of the Flea and its confraternity, as preserved among a sect of Kurds, who dwelt in his time at the foot of Mount Sindshar. ‘‘When Noah’s Ark,”’ says the legend, “‘ sprung a leak by striking against a rock in the vicinity of Mount Sindshar, and Noah despaired altogether of safety, the serpent promised to help him out of his mishap if he would engage to feed him upon human flesh after the deluge had subsided. Noah pledged himself to do so; and the serpent coiling himself up, drove his body into the fracture and stopped the leak. When the pluvious ele- ment was appeased, and all were making their way out of the ark, the serpent insisted upon the fulfillment of the pledge he had received; but Noah, by Gabriel’s advice, committed the pledge to the flames, and scat- tering its ashes in the air, there arose out of them Fleas, Flies, Lice, Bugs, and all such sort of vermim as prey upon human blood, and after this fashion was Noah’s pledge redeemed.”’—Aiis?¢. of Jus. (Murray, 1838) ii, 312.
Identification of Insects (Imagos) for Subscribers.
Specimens will be named under the following conditions: 1st,¢The number of species to be limited to twenty-five for each sending; 2d, The sender to pay all expenses of trans- portation 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. Before sending insects for identification, read page 41, Vol. III, Address all packages to ENTOMOLOGICAL Nrws, Academy Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa.
Entomological Literature.
Under the above head it is intended to note such papers received at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia pertaining to the Entomology of the Americas (North and South). Articles irrelevant to American entomology, unless monographs, or con- taining descriptions of new genera, will not be noted. Contributions to the anatomy of _insects, however, whether relating to American or exotic species wili be recorded.
1. BULLETIN OF THE ILLINOIS STATE LABORATORY OF NATURAL His- tory, vol. iv.—On the entomology of the Illinois River and adjacent
—_
ee ae Sn et en,
‘fege,y ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 51
waters, C. A. Hart. Description of three new parasitic Hymenoptera from the Illinois River, W. H. Ashmead.
2. Ou1o AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, BULLETIN 62,—The grape root worm, /idia viticida Walsh, F. M. Webster.
3. DEUTSCHE ENTOMOLOGISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT HERAUSGEGEBEN VON DER DEUTSCHEN ENTOMOLOGISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT, 1895, Heft 2.—- Pecilophana nov. gen., Cetonidz, erected for Cefonta ochroplagiata Heller, G. Kraatz. On termitophilous Cicindelide, E. Wasmann. Re- view of the species of the Coleopterous genus M/agdalis Germ. known to me, E. Reitter. piphanops nov. gen., Curculionide, E. Reitter. Review of the species of the Coleopterous genus Stvophomorphus Séidl. known to me, E. Reitter... Review of. the species of the Coleopterous genus Pholicodes Schonh. known to me, E. Reitter. On some new spe- cies of the Melonthid genus Dicrania Serv., G. Kraatz. New Chryso- melidz, with synonymical remarks, J. Weise. New species of Cicindelidz, W. Horn. On the Carabid genus /maibius Bates, G. Kraatz. New spe- cies of exotic Cetonida, G. Kraatz. Argyrophegges nov. gen., Golia- _ thidz, G. Kraatz. Acanthovalgus nov. gen., Valginidz, G. Kraatz.
4. THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, xxvii, 12.—The plum-twig gall- mite, M. V. Slingerland: Partial preparatory stages of some moths, G. H. French. Curious behavior of Ewdamus pylades larva, H. H. Lyman. Note on Aphilanthops, C. F. Baker> The larve of North American saw- flies, H. G. Dyar. Two new Crocofas found in western Pennsylvania, G. A. Ehrmann. The life-history of Pamphila manitoba Scudder, F. W. Fyles. Note on the sete of the larve of Thyatiride and a correction, i. G. Dyar. A new genus and species in the Aphelinine, L. O. Howard,
5. ANATOMISCHER ANZEIGER, xi, No. 11.—The tracheal end-ramifica- tions in the spinning glands of Lepidopterous larve, E. Holmgren.
6. ANNALES AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL History, No. 96.—New genera and species of Phyralidz, Thyridide and Epiplemidze, W. War- ren. Australian entomophytes, or entomogenous fungi, and some ac- count of their insect hosts, A. S. Olliff.
7. SITZUNGSBERICHTE DER NATURFORSCHENDEN GESELLSCHAFT ZU LErIpzic, 1892-1894.—New exotic Hymenoptera of the family Ichneu- monide, Kriechbaumer.
8. ARCHIV FUR NATURGESCHICHTE, Berlin, 61 Jahrgang, 1 Band, 2 Heft.—The male sexual organ of Vespa germanica, H. E. Kluge. Com- parative morphological researches on the abdomen of the Endomychide, Erotylidz and Languriide (in the old sense), and on the muscling [Mus- kulatur] of the sexual apparatus of Zvip/ax, C. Verhoeff.
9. BULLETIN OF THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL EXPERI- MENT STATION, No. 104.—Climbing cutworms in western New York, M. V. Slingerland.
52 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. - [February,
10, PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (2), vol. v, pt. r.—On the power of adaptation in insects, H. H. Behr. Some Mexican Neuroptera, N. Banks. Some parasitic Hymenoptera from Baja California and Tepic, Mexico, W. H. Ashmead. The California Phry- ganidian (Phryganidia californica Pack.), V. L. Kellogg and F. J. Jack. Explorations in the Cape Region of Baja California in 1894... , G. Eisen. [Other entomological:-articles contained in this volume were noted previously ].
11. TRANSACTIONS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 1895, part 4.—On a probable explanation of an unverified observation relative to the family Fulgoridze, W. L. Distant. Contribution towards the history of a new form of larvz of Psychodidz (Diptera), from Brazil, F. Miller. Remarks on the homologies and differences between the first stages of Pericoma Hal., and those of the new Brazilian species, C. R. Osten Sacken. Supplementary notes on Dr. Fritz Miiller’s paper on a new form of larvz of Psychodidze (Diptera) from Brazil, A. E. Eaton. New species of North American Tortricide, Lord Walsingham.
12. MIssissIpPI AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE EXPERI- MENT STATION, BULLETIN, No. 36.—Insects injurious to corn, H. E, Weed.
13. THE ENTOMOLOGISTS’ RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION, London, vii, 6.—The ‘‘ Basket Caterpillar’? and ‘‘ Bagworm,”’ J. W. Tutt.
14. TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, xxii, pt. 4.—Catalogue of the Coleoptera of southwestern Pennsylvania, with notes and descriptions, J. Hamilton.
15. THE AMERICAN NATURALIST, January, 1896.—On the girdling of elm-twigs by the larve of Orgyia leucostigma, and its results, J. A. Lintner.
' 16. Notes from the Leyden Museum, xvii, Nos. 1-3.—On a new species _of the family Cicindelide from Argentina, W. Horn. Description of two new Brenthida, A. Senna. New digger-wasps in the collection of the Leyden Museum, A. Handlirsch.
17. BIOLOGIA CENTRALI-AMERICANA, Zoology, pt. 125.—Coleoptera, vol. iii, pt. 1, pp. 377-400, pl. 17, G. C. Champion. Coleoptera, vol. vii, pp. 209-216, H. S. Gorham. Hymenoptera, vol. ii, pp. 369-376, P. Cameron. Lepidoptera-Rhopalocera, vol. ii, pp. 401-416, pl. 87, F. D. Godman and O. Salvin. Lepidoptera-Heterocera, vol. ii, pp. 249-272, pl. 63, H. Druce. Rhyncota-Homoptera, vol. ii, pp. 113-120, W. W. Fowler.
18. PsycHE, a journal of Entomolgoy, January, 1896.—Notes on the Acrididz of New England,—ii, Tryaxiline i, A. P. Morse. The Arctic Lymantriid larva from Mt. Washington, N. H., Dasychira rossii Curt., H. G. Dyar. Notes on the species of Zxorista of Temperate North
1896. ] _ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 53
America, C. H. T. Townsend. Note on Smerinthus cerysii Kirby, F. L. Harvey.
I9. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILA- DELPHIA, 1895, pt. 3 [Extract].—Synopsis of the North American species of Gorytes Latr., W. J. Fox.
- 20. UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STA- ‘TION, BULLETIN viii, 4.—The Chinch Bug, C. E. Chamblis.
21. DEUTSCHE ENTOMOLOGISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT HERAUSGEGEBEN VON DER GESELLSCHAFT [RIS ZU DRESDEN, Jhg., 1895, 2es lepidopterolog- isches Heft (Iris, Dresden, Bd. viii, H. 2).—Descriptions of new Lepid- optera from Tibet, O. Staudinger. On Lepidoptera from Uliassutai, ibid. New exotic butterflies, ibid.
' 22. ENTOMOLOGISCHE NACHRICHTEN, xxi, Heft 23 and 24.—Ethiopian Heterocera, ii, F. Karsch. Corrections on species of Agrias, O, Staud- _ inger.
* 23. Report of the Secretary of Agriculture, 1895.—The Mexican cotton boll weevil. The San José scale. Appearance of insect pests.
24. ZOOLOGISCHE JAHRBUCHER. ABTHEILUNG F. SYSTEMATIK, GEO- GRAPHIE UND BIOLOGIE DER THIERE, ix, 1.—On the morphology and physiology of the ovaries of the worker-ants, E. E. Bickford.
25. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR WISSENSCHAFTLICHE ZOOLOGIE, 60 Bd., 3 H.— ‘The double-spermatozoa of the Dytiscidz, E. Ballowitz.
26. LE NATURALISTE CANADIEN, xxii, 12.—The last descriptions of Tl’ Abbe Provancher (cont.), Hymenoptera.
27. ANNALES OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, vili, 6-12.— The Arachnida of Colorado, N. Banks. Coleopterological Notices, vi, meee. Casey.
28. JOURNAL OF THE NEW YorRK ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, December, 1895.—The life-histories of the New York slug caterpillars, H. G. Dyar. ‘On the probable origin, development and diffusion of North American species of the genus Diabrotica, F. M. Webster. Final note on the Platypterygidez, A. R. Grote. A new Datana, H. G. Dyar. Schrank’s genera, A. R. Grote. Early stages of some Bombycine caterpillars, A. S. Packard. Preliminary Handbook of the Coleoptera of Northeastern America (cont.), H. F. Wickham. Correction of a misidentification— Attacus splendidus, H. G. Dyar. Egg-capsules of Chrysochus auratus (Fab.), J. L. Zabriskie.
29. REVIEW. There has recently appeared from the press of MacMillan & Co. (London and New York) Volume V of the Cambridge Natural History series with the modest title of ‘‘ Peripatus, etc.’’ which certainly deserves the careful perusal of all students of the articulata.
The book begins with a scheme of classification (to be continued in a
54 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. { February,
succeeding volume) giving the most recent results of taxonomic study, extremely useful to those whose restricted special studies make it difficult to keep in touch with all that is being done on lines unrelated to their own work.
Peripatus, which serves as a title for the volume, occupies but twenty- six pages, is well-nigh exhaustively treated. The discussion of its Ar- thropod affinities seems conclusive, and the anatomical details, embry- ology, habits and the complete bibliography leave very little to be desired.
Chapter ii, treating of the Myriapoda, will be read with greater interest by our students from the fact that we have them abundantly about us.
Beginning with chapter iii, Dr. David Sharp enters on a discussion of the Insecta.
In the treatment of the details of the Insecta many widely scattered facts are brought together and discussed. Fortunately, prolixity has been avoided, a difficult point to attain with such an extensive knowledge of detail and the tendency to seek reasons for, or causes of, modification which Dr. Sharp has so often shown.
The Aptera are briefly treated in chapter viii, of great interest in many ways, but difficult of study from the fragility of many of the species.
The Orthoptera occupy chapters viii to xiv, and the Neuroptera xv to xxi, and give, in a summary manner, the accepted arrangements of the families composing those two orders.
The next two chapters treat of the Hymenoptera.
The volume concludes with an abundant index, without which a book of this character suffers greatly.
To the naturalist, whether teacher or student, the entire series of which this volume forms a part, has great value, and the general reader will find an abundance of interesting and easily assimilable information.—G. H. H-
INDEX TO THE PRECEDING LITERATURE.
The number after each author’s name in this index refers to the journal, as numbered in the preceding literature, in which that author’s paper is published; * denotes that the paper in question contains descriptions of new North American forms.
THE GENERAL SUBJECT. Hart :*, Olliff 6, Behr 10, Eisen to. No. 29.
ARACHNIDA. Slingerland 4, Banks 27*. . ORTHOPTERA. Morse 18*. NEUROPTERA. Banks 10%, HEMIPTERA.
Distant 11, Fowler 17*, Chamblis 20.
1896. ] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 55
COLEOPTERA. Kraatz 3 (six), Wastnann 3, Reitter 3 (four), Weise 3, Horn 3, 16, Ver- hoeff 8, Hamilton 14, Senna 16, Champion 17*, Gorham 17*, Ballowitz 25, Casey 27*, Webster 28, Wickham 28, Zabriskie 28.
DIPTERA. ; Miiller_11, Osten Sacken 11, Eaton 11, ‘Townsend 18%,
LEPIDOPTERA.
French 4, Lyman 4, Ehrmann 4*, Fyles 4, Dyar 4, 18, 28 (three)*, Holmgren 5, Warren 6*, Slingerland 9, Kellogg and Jack 10, Walsing- ham 11*, Tutt 13, Godman and Salvin 17*, Druce 17*, Harvey 18, Staud- inger 21* (three), 22, Karsch 22, Grote 28 (two), Packard 28.
HYMENOPTERA.
Ashmead 1%, 10%, Baker 4*, Dyar 4, Howard 4*, Kriechbaumer 7, Kluge 8, Handlirsch 16, Cameron 17*, Fox 19%, Bickford 24, Provancher 26*.
ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY.
Webster 2, Slingerland 9, Weed 12, Linter 15, Chamblis 20, Howard
23 (three). -
Doings of Societies.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 14, 1896
A stated meeting of the Feldman Collecting Social was held at the residence of Mr. H. W. Wenzel, 1509 S. 13th St. Mem- bers present: Messrs. Bland, H. W. Wenzel, Boerner, Fox, Castle, Laurent, Trescher, E. Wenzel, Johnson and Schmitz. Honorary member: Dr. Henry Skinner. Meeting called to order at 9 P. M., President Bland presiding. The Secretary and Treas- urer read their annual reports, which were, upon motion, accepted as read. The President then made his annual address, reviewing the history of the Social, and it was moved that the same be incorporated in the minutes:
‘“To-night being the anniversary meeting of the ‘Feldman Collecting Social,’ another year has been added to its life and history; it has been one in which the members have worked with zeal and determination; looking forward to our monthly meetings with pleasure, vieing with each other in exhibiting their trophies and imparting the knowledge gained in the fields, woods and mountains, in pursuits of their favorite study and pastime.
56 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February,
‘The display of specimens has been creditable, showing spe- cies captured within a short distance of our city that in former years were obtained for our cabinets from remote sections of the country. I have noticed that species frequently taken in this locality in former years were not among the exhibits made; many
that were desirable for cabinet exchanges seem lost to us. I refer -
to favorites in Coleoptera, such as Myas coricinus, Cychrus, two
species; Ca/asoma, one; Platynus, two or three; Elateridz, two;
Lucanide, two; most all of the large species in Cerambycide are seldom taken; are they becoming extinct? or has the breaking up of their haunts by the tide of improvement in extending the city driven them to sections we have not yet been able to locate;
perhaps the collectors in other orders have met with the same
results. My own experience in collecting has given me the knowledge that many species which may be widely distributed and are outlined in a geographical fauna and habitat of great extent are very local in a State or even county within that area. In our immediate district the woods are being cut down, as a sequence,, the timber feeders are destroyed or driven to new fields; with them we lose their natural destroyers; where have they. gone?
‘‘To solve these mysteries I believe is part of the work of the collector; also to know the fauna of his district, making a note of any loss or addition, recording it where it can be used for reference. We do not pretend our Social to be a scientific body, but I do claim it is an auxiliary one to science, obtaining infor- mation that is brought forth by field work.
‘Tt has been a great source of pleasure and information to us in having our honorary members meet with us; each is well known to the devotees of Entomology throughout the country, being eminent in their special studies; they have made our meet- ings attractive; they have joined freely in the conversational part of our meetings in the way of verbal communications, question- ing the collector and bringing forth facts which otherwise would not be recorded. They have increased to a great extent the in- terest in our work by their impromptu remarks.on the anatomical differences of genera and species, illustrating them by drawings
on the black-board. Seeing we are thus encouraged I feel that
the members appreciate the advantage of our Social and will con- tinue individually their efforts to make our meetings pleasant and
See eee ee
e 4 4
a 4 J \
1896. ] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 57
_ profitable to each other. I know much has been done; ours ap-
pears to be an inexhaustible study, as we advance a fresh mine opens with an enchanting charm to seek further to satisfy the desire for new material and knowledge. In view of the fact that our records are being published by one of the prominent ento- mological monthlies of the world, we should maintain a high standard of work. That our Social endeavors to hold the favor- able position which it now occupies is the desire of your presiding officer.”’
Dr. Skinner, in reply, complimented the President on his ad- dress, stating that on behalf of the honorary members he desired to express their appreciation of the hospitality of the Social, and that they had undoubtedly been benefitted by the: transactions at its meetings.
Mr. Laurent stated that he had received a letter from Dr. Rodrigues Ottolengui, inviting the membets to attend his first annual sale of insects, which takes place in New York City on January 25th. Mr. Laurent exhibited two specimens of Lepid- optera, Acronycta afflicta, from Jamesburg, N. J., and Hadena burgesst from Arlington Beach, N. J., which were identified for him by Prof. Smith, and which he states were not before recorded from the State of New Jersey.
Mr. Fox exhibited two nests of Polistes annularis collected by Mr. C. W. Johnson at Denison, Texas. The nests were unusu- ally large, one measuring 11 x 6 inches, being larger by far than any nest of the species of the genus Polistes heretofore seen by the speaker.
Dr. Skinner spoke of the importance of arranging males on the left hand side and-females on the right in the columns in the drawer of the cabinet. Too little attention is paid to the neces- sity of having females where antigeny or secondary sexual dif- ference is not marked, or does not exist. Females, as a rule, are much harder to get than males, and there is no special effort made to get them where the sexes are alike in markings. If Specimens are arranged in the cabinet as above advocated the absence of females will be at once noticed. There is great ne- cessity for having both sexes in many interesting entomological Studies, and the speaker hopes the above-mentioned method will be used more generally.
58 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. _ [ February,
The following officers were elected to serve another year:
President, JAMES H. B. BLAND. Vice-President, Dr. DAVID M. CASTLE. Treasurer, H. W. WENZEL. Secretary, THEO. H. SCHMITZ.
Dr. Skinner extended an invitation to the members, inviting them to hold the next meeting at his residence; so ordered, the secretary being instructed to notify the members previously of the place of meeting. No further business being presented the meeting adjourned to the annex.
THEO. H. ScuHMITz, Secretary.
~Errata.—In the-December minutes the name C. chars should be C. chorts.
The Entornological Section ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. PROCEEDINGS OF MEETINGS.
Nov. 21, 1895.
A regular stated meeting of the Entomological Section of the Acadeiny of Natural Sciences was held in the Hall, S. W. cor. Nineteenth and Race Streets, this evening, Dr. Geo. H. Horn,
director, presiding. Members present: Seiss, Fox, Skinner, —
Ridings, Liebeck. Associates: Reinick, Gerhard, Castle. Mr. C. Few Seiss stated that he had been experimenting with a cap- tive specimen of Prionidus cristatus Linn. in relation to its killing other insects. A red legged grasshopper (17. _femur-rubrum) struggled violently when first seized, but almost instantly after the beak of the Prionidus was inserted its struggles ceased, and in thirty seconds the grasshopper, to all outward appearances, was dead. In the case of a yellow-bear caterpillar, two inches in length, all evidence of life and motion disappeared in thirty-five seconds after seizure by the Prionzdus.
ae
eee
4
1896. ] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 59>
A business meeting was held December goth, and the following gentlemen were elected to serve as officers for the ensuing year >
Director, G. H. HORN, M.D.
Vice- Director, C. S. WELLES.
Treasurer, E. T. CRESSON.
Conservator, HENRY SKINNER, M.D.
Secretary, W. J. FOX.
Recorder, HENRY SKINNER, M.D.
Publication Committee, C. W. JOHNSON, J. H. RIDINGS.
Dr. HENRY SKINNER, Recorder.
The following papers were read and accepted by the Committee for publication in ENTOMOLOGICAL NEws:
NOTES ON OXYBELUS, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES.—I.
By Cart F. Baker, Fort Collins, Col.
All of the species mentioned below belong to that section of the genus having the squama terminating in a strong curved point. The spine is entire in all but the last one, and in all ex- cept this is either gradually narrowed to tip or with the sides nearly parallel. These species all have the pleura in front of middle coxa distinctly crested, as in many species of Cvradrvo. All have black or piceous mandibles. I have followed Mr. Rob- ertson’s method of describing quite closely in order that the de- scriptions given may be readily and rape compared with those in the ‘‘ Synopsis of N. A. Oxybelus.”’
Oxybelus cornutus Rob.—Occurs at Fort Collins, throughout August, on So/idago. Mr. Robertson mentions a male with the mesonotum rufous in front. I have a female which also shows the same peculiarity. The females measure about 10 mm. in length.
Oxybelus rejectus n. sp. ’.—Head and thorax densely coarsely punc- tured. Ocelli as in cornutus. Tubercle on vertex behind ocelli entirely wanting. Prothorax, scutellum and postscutellum, carinate; squama arising from posterior lateral edges of postscutellum, produced into long
incurved points ; spine long, narrow, sides nearly parallel, tip obtusely rounded. Metathorax reticulate above; median area triangular, open
60 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February,
above, transverse striz within, below passing into a long median carina; —
lateral faces striato-punctate, the striz transverse. Abdomen long trian- gular, rather strongly constricted between the segments, coarsely punc- tate, with four pairs of lateral spines; last segment trapezoidal, evenly emarginate at tip. Color black; flagellum dark rufous; silvery pubes- cence thin on face, sparse on thorax and abdomen. Tegulz rufous; tu- bercles, squamz, widely separated spots on sides of abdominal segments 1-4, and two faint discal spots on segment 5, lemon-yellow. Legs black, small spots at tips of fore and middle femora beneath, and a line on out- side of all tibiz, lemon-yellow; tarsi rufous towards tips. Wings hyaline, nervures quite dark. Length 7 mm.
Fort Collins, August. This species is nearest cormutus, with which I at first placed it as a well-marked variety. It, however, shows specific differences as above described.
Oxybelus striatus n. sp. ¢.—Thorax coarsely punctured, on mesothorax
more coarsely. Occiput up to back of posterior ocelli coarsely trans- versely striato-punctate. Face very finely sparsely punctured. Ocelli nearly normal, but showing a tendency towards the position‘in cornutus. Vertex behind posterior ocelli with a distinct median tubercle. Prothorax carinate, sharp angled at the sides. Mesonotum, scutellum and postscu- tellum, carinate. Posterior margins of mesonotum and scutellum coarsely _ Tugose; squamez arising from lateral edges of postscutellum, rather sud- -denly narrowed to a point, which is strongly bent inward. _ Spine long, narrow, slightly larger towards the tip. Metanotum above reticulated; median area large, triangular, nearly smooth within, tip approximating apex of metanotum and passing into a very short median carina; lateral faces finely transversely striato-punctate. Abdomen broad oval, slightly constricted between the segments, punctures of medium size, rather sparse, especially on discs; with three pairs of lateral spines. Last two segments very coarsely punctured, the last nearly rectangular, gently emarginate at tip. Color black; pubescence of face brownish in certain lights, on rest of body silvery; flagellum deep chocolate. Tubercles, spot on tegulz, squamz, tip of spine, and narrow fasciz on abdominal segments 1-5 (slightly interrupted on 1-4), whitish. Posterior margins of abdominal segments silvery. Legs black; fore tibiz and all tarsi ru- fous, stripes on outside of all tibize white. Wings hyaline, nervures rufous. Length 6.5 mm.
Fort Collins, August. This species is near swdcornutus Ckll. Among other differences, however, the scutellum is strongly carinate, and the squamz are confined to the sides of the post-
scutellum.
Oxybelus punctatus n. sp. ¢’.—Closely related to striatus, but differing as follows: Mesothorax closely punctured. Extreme vertex coarsely punctured. Occiput more strongly punctured, the striz not nearly so
oti
1896. } ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 61
distinct; postscutellum rugose, not carinate; squamz more flaring, points not so strongly incurved; spine tapering very gradually to tip. Abdomen more closely and coarsely punctured.
Fort Collins, August. This species, in color and form, is almost the exact counterpart of s/r7a¢us. But with the material at hand it is impossible to unite them.
Oxybelus 4-notatus Say.—I have a large series of this variable species from Michigan and Colorado. It is common at Fort Collins in August, on So/idago. The variety montanus Rob. occurs with the typical form.
Oxybelus subulatus Rob.—Specimens collected in Michigan (Agric. College, 6-29-88, on flowers of Spirea sorbifolia) do not differ from the common Colorado form (Fort Collins, August, on Solidago). 1 have one female resembling the variety from Colorado described by Mr. Robertson. This specimen has, however, all of the abdominal bands interrupted, and two yellow spots on the scutellum. .
Oxybelus acutus n. sp. 2.—Head and thorax densely coarsely punc- tured. Prothorax, indistinctly carinate, punctured, rounded at the sides. Mesonotum in front, scutellum and postscutellum carinate; squamz nearly joining behind, points short net strongly curved; spine very short, but little exceeding the tips of the squamz, base broad, rapidly narrow- ing to an acute tip. Metanotum above with polygonal reticulations; me- dian area subtriangular, sides rounded, partly closed above, rugose within, passing below into a short carina; lateral faces coarsely rugoso-punctate. Abdomen ovate, coarsely punctate, strongly constricted between the seg- ments, last segment triangular, very coarsely punctured. Color black; pubescence silvery, except on last two abdominal segments; flagellum deep chocolate. Tubercles, tegulz, squamz, two oval spots on segment I, two transverse spots on segment 2, and narrow continuous bands on segments 3-5, yellowish white; hind margins of abdominal segments 2-5 silvery. Legs black; anterior tibiz rufous, middle and posterior piceous, all tibiz with whitish stripes outwardly; tarsi rufous towards tips. Wings hyaline, slightly smoky on distai margins, nervures rufous. Length 6.5 mm.
Foot-hills west of Fort Collins, 6-30-95. This species is nearest subudatus. It differs from all known North American species in the extraordinary form of the spine. It may also be separated from sawéu/atus by other characters as above described.
Oxybelus cockerellii n. sp. ¢'.—Vertex and thorax coarsely, rather closely punctured. Face finely and more sparsely punctured. Occiput transversely striato-punctate, but not strongly so. Vertex with a median tubercle. Prothorax carinate, rather sharp angled at the sides. Meso- notum in front, scutellum and postscutellum, strongly carinate; squamz
‘62 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February,
arising from basal sides of postscutellum, the rather short points not “strongly curved; spine of medium length, narrow at the base, strongly broadened to a thin emarginate tip. Metathorax above with fine oblique -carine, reticulate at immediate base of spine; median space short and broad, triangular, open above, smooth within, passing below into a long carina; lateral faces finely sparsely punctate, with few indications of striz. Abdomen ovate, rather finely closely punctate, not strongly constricted between the segments, last two segments very coarsely punctured, the last rectangular and truncate at tip; with three pairs of distinct lateral ° “spines. Color black; pubescence silvery, thick on face, sparse on rest of body, that on face brown in certain lights; flagellum rufous beneath at tips. Tubercles, tegulz, squamz, tip of spine and transverse spots on. - sides of abdominal segments 1-5 (all narrow and widely separated), . whitish. Legs black; fore tibiz and tarsi rufous, all tibiz with a whitish © stripe outwardly; middle and hind tarsi with first joint whitish at base, = last joint rufous. Wings hyaline, nervures dark brown. - Length 5-7 mm.
Fort Collins in August, on Solidago. This species belongs to
a group of this section of the genus, which contains but one
-other species, cresson?z. It is separated from that species, most noticeably, by the strong scutellar carina, closely punctured ab- -domen, color of antennz and mandibles, and lager size. I have dedicated this species to Prof. Cockerell, in recognition of his
-successful labors in American Hymenopterology.
ra’ Vv
A NEW PARASITE. By H. ANDERSON LAFLER.
During the past season I have studied, somewhat, our com- monest ‘‘ digger wasp’’ here (De Witt, Neb.) identified as Bem- _bex nubilipennis. This species digs burrows about 18 inches in length in the dry, compact earth of roadways, paths and bare ; places in suitable localities, which they provide with flies upon which the egg is laid.
A seemingly new fact in regard to this species or any of the genus Bembicum, is that this species is parasitized by a 7achina. Of a large number of burrows which were dug into, all were found to contain in the cavities in which was the larva of the wasp, the larve of a Zachina. There were from four to twelve in each cavity. They were feeding on the provisions made by ‘the wasp for her own larva. In one instance no larva of the wasp or empty pupa case was found, but the cavity contained
a a
a a ee
1896. ] ' ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 63
eight of the Dipterous larve and an abundant supply of food. ‘Pupz were also found in same place as the larve.
_ Specimens of full grown larve which were secured were placed in earth, pupated and gave out the imago in eighteen days be- tween August 18th and September 5th. Of another lot secured on September 5th only one has emerged to date: A specimen ‘was submitted to Prof. S. W. Williston, who was unable to de- termine the species, it being ‘‘in all probability yet undescribed.”’ It belongs to the genus Prosphorysa.
No flies resembling these at all were noticed about the holes or wasps, and I do not know how the flies gained access to the larval cavities, as in almost every instance the mouth of the bur- row is carefully covered with earth by the wasp both when leav- ing the hole or remaining in for some time. In the latter case the dirt is pushed up from below, the angle of descent being small, so that the earth does not run down into the hole. The state- ment that no parasites are known that feed upon provision of flies in the nests of any of the species of the genus Bemébecinus is upon the authority of Prof. L. O. Howard.
“O DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF IDOLOTHRIPS. By THEO. PERGANDE, Washington, D. C. .
Idolothrips coniferarum n. sp.—Length 3.6-4.8 mm. General color black and polished; the head and legs with a faintly bluish, and the pro- thorax with a slight purplish reflection. Eyes dark brown; ocelli color- less. Antennz black, with the basal two-thirds of the third, basal half of the fourth and base of the fifth and sixth joints yellow; anterior tibiz, especially in the male, frequently yellowish brown; tarsi dark brown to black; sutures of the abdomen, if extended, dark red. Wings clear and colorless, the veins and a short streak at base of costa of front wings brownish or blackish; fringes dark brownish. Head about three times as long as broad, cylindrical, its sides parallel; conical in front of eyes and fringed along each side with sparsely set, short and stiff hairs; eyes oval and slightly projecting; antennz slender and somewhat longer than the head; third joint longest, the fourth slightly shorter, the following joints gradually diminishing in length; joints 3 to 5 clavate, the last three fusi- ‘form; all are furnished with a few very slender hairs around the apex, the hairs becoming somewhat more numerous on the last three joints. Pro- thorax conical, anteriorly as broad as the head, arcuate and broadest posteriorly and with a prominent lateral angle beyond the insertion of the legs, each of which bears a rather long and stiff hair or bristle, while the
64 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. { February,
posterior margin is provided each with two or three short and stiff hairs; meso-metathorax quadrangular, longer than broad, slightly broadest and arcuate anteriorly, and with a prominent lateral angle each side. Abdo- men much elongated and longer than the rest of the body, broadest in front, tapering gradually towards the end, the tube or iast segment cylin- drical and about as long as the posterior tibia and tarsi combined; each joint of the abdomen is furnished each side near its posterior margin, with apparently three slender and radiating, pale brownish hairs, which gradually grow longer and more bristle-like towards the end of the body, while the apex of the tube is surrounded by six long and radiating bristles alternating with short and reflexed hairs. Legs rather long and stout, with the anterior femora, especially those of the male, much inflated to- wards the base; tarsi of the female simple, while the anterior pair of the male bear a Jarge and stout, acute tooth at inner side of base; all legs are sparsely furnished with short and stiff hairs. Wings narrow, of equal width throughout, rounded at the apex, gently and uniformly curved and reaching nearly to the tube; veins of both pairs scarcely one-fourth the length of the wing; surface of the head transversely striated, the thorax finely granulated; prothorax with a shallow, impressed, median line and a shallow, more or less elongated fovea or puncture each side of it ante- riorly.
Described from numerous specimens. Found in the vicinity of Washington, D. C., during the Spring and early Fall on green and dry branches, and during late Fall and Winter under the loose bark of Pinus inops, Juniperus virginiana and Adies sp.
OBITUARY.
Witiiam Henry TUGWELL died on Sept. 20, 1895, at Lewisham Road, near London, England, aged 64 years. He was interested in Lepidoptera.
ENTOMOLOGICAL News for January, 1896, was mailed December 31, 1895.
ENT. NEws, Vol. VII. | ag ap 8
Dr. ASA FITCH.
7) ee
—
~ ee
4 i oe >
eee
a =
ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS -
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION,
ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA,
VOL. VII. MARCH, 1896. No. 3. CONTENTS: BRP EMMMTIEETN, Gov cs ccc cccccnscccecccce: 65 | The “‘ Death-watch”’ beetle..........+. 1S Calvert—Notes on European Entomo- Superstitions about “‘ Lady-birds”..... 77 logical collections ..............00+ 66 | Bditorial sis ein. cs enigats dave kasas 81 Holland—Ravages of Dermestes vul- Economic Entomology .......+.se+00e: 82 MUMNEEEE COVE. cs cecbcctdeosscavvse 68: + Notes and News... sc. ccsSeccecccceuces 86 Dyar—Another Euchromiid to be Entomological Literature ............. 88 Baded to.0ur Jist.....cccccsscoseces 69° |-Doings of Societies....0..0...sccescess 93 Hamilton—A review of T. L. Casey’s.. 70 | Banks—A new species of Meleoma.... 95
Cleveland—A List of Lepidoptera, ete. 72
Dr. ASA FITCH.
Dr. Asa Fitch was a son of Hon. Asa Fitch, M.D., and was born Feb, 24, 1809, at Fitch’s Point, Salem, Washington County, N. Y., and died at his home April 7, 1879, aged 70 years. In the death of Dr. Fitch Economic Entomology, in this country, lost one of its ablest votaries, who spent the larger part of his life in the untiring and successful study of the insects injurious to agriculture and horticulture. While his earlier writings were contemporaneous with those of Harris, and his later ones with those of Walsh, he will, judged by the work he did, take a high rank among the fathers of applied entomology in America. He practised medicine for eight years, but in 1838 gave it up to as- sume the management of his father’s business. From this time on he devoted himself to agricultural pursuits, which gave more opportunities for investigations in entomology. He was ap- pointed State Entomologist of New York, which position he held for seventeen years, and among other things published fourteen
reports on the noxious, beneficial and other insects of the State of New York.
v
66 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. (March,
NOTES ON EUROPEAN ENTOMOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS. By PuHiLip P. CALveRT, Ph.D.
(See the News for January, 1896, vol. vii, p.-4.)
IIl.—OXFORD.
The.entomological collections of the University of Oxford are contained in a series of rooms on the second floor of the Univer- sity Museum, which also accommodates the zoological collections in general, the zoological laboratories and library. Prof. Edward B. Poulton, the present occupant of the Hope Professorship of Zoology as successor to the late Prof. J. O. Westwood, and Curator of the Entomological Department, has kindly furnished the following notes on the insects :
“The foundation of the Oxford Collection is the Saunders’ Collection bought by the Rev. F. W. Hope and presented by him with his other collections and a very complete library to the University, together with the endowment of the Hope Chair and a small endowment for keeping up the collections. Other im- portant collections now in the Hope Department are those of Miers and of Burchell; all these three extend into all Insect Orders, but the Coleoptera are probably the most complete. There is also the Bell Collection of Crustacea, containing numer- ous Beli types. In the Saunders’ Collection are many thousand Walker types; how great a number will not be known until the collections have been carefully studied and each one marked plainly. This we are doing as quickly as possible, but of course it is a tremendous task. The Coleoptera are rich in Hope types. All orders are rich in Westwood types, gradually described by him during his long tenure of the chair and published in his * Thesaurus,’ ‘Cabinet of Oriental Entomology,’ ‘ Revisio Man- tidarum,’ etc. These, too, will require the same careful marking. It is now a matter of investigation to make out the types when any one desires to study them.* There are also some of the types of Haworth’s ‘ Lepidoptera Britannica.’ Many of the ob-
* I can personally testify to the truth of this remark of Prof. Poulton’s. Mr. McLachlan had told me of the existence, at Oxford, of Rambur’s types of Odonata described from the Marchal collection, and these I desired to see. Unfortunately, Prof. Pouiton was ab- sent at the time of my visit, but his Assistant, although unable to give information con- cerning them, very obligingly gave me full access to the cabinets, and, after some search, guided by a peculiar style of label, and by the French handwriting, I found the specimens in question. They agree with the information given by Rambur concerning the individ- uals he described.
*
Ra ae ee ee mee
1896.] |. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 67:
scure groups of insects, such as the Membracidz, are very rich. There are also many types of Stoll, Boisduval, Saunders and others, but really we do not yet know at all fully the treasures of the collection until it has been gone through and arranged
_ properly. The late Professor, who knew it thoroughly, never
left a completesaccount of it and a great deal will require learning over again. The Pierinz and the Sphingidz are now rearranged, but these groups contain few types, and the moths generally have been studied, the Oriental by Col. Swinhoe, the American by Mr. W. Schaus. The Cicadas are now being done, and the Membracide by Canon W. W. Fowler; the former contain some types of Stoll. :
Many of our specimens are of great interest, being Wallace’s Malay specimens, and many collected by Bates, on the Amazons, and by Belt, in Nicaragua, but the Wallace are the richest and the most interesting in this collection.’’
I1Il.—CAMBRIDGE.
Here, as at the sister University, the University Museum build- ing shelters the Entomological collections, as well as those of other branches of zoology andthe zoological laboratories. To the kindness of Dr. David Sharp, Curator of Insects, the fol- lowing notice is due :
‘‘The Museum has a general collection of British Insects which, however, is in certain groups of a deplorably minus char- acter. It possesses the European collection of Coleoptera of the late G. R. Crotch, and his typical collection illustrating his works on Erotylidze and Coccinellide There is also a small lot of €xotic insects, most of which were presented by the late Neville Goodman, and were collected by him in the Amazons Valley and in South Africa.
*“* At present we have in the Museum.a quite wonderful collec- tion of Termites and parts of their Termitaria, formed by Mr. Haviland, chiefly in Borneo and Singapore. This collection differs from all others as it was made entirely from the nests themselves, and thus contains the various forms of each species which are wanting in all other collections so far as I know. I hope Mr. Haviland may be able to describe this collection which consists of about go species, of which probably as many as 75 or 8o are new.”’
68 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March,
; RAVAGES OF DERMESTES VULPINUS IN CORK. By W. J. Hotzanp, Ph.D., F.Z.S., Ete.
Messrs. Armstrong, Brothers & Company, of Pittsburgh, who are the largest manufacturers of cork in the United States, re- cently sent me a couple of specimens of cork Which had been completely riddled by Dermestes vulpinus. A bottle cork one inch in diameter and one and one-third inches in length had in it five burrows, or tunnels, each containing an adult Dermestes with the larval exuvium closing the orifice by which entrance had been gained. Messrs. Armstrong Brothers reported to me that a large invoice of cork from Spain had been found to be infested by these insects, occasioning a loss of fully two per cent.
The destructive character of this beetle is too well known to require any comment, but its presence in cork, which is so largely used as a lining material for the drawers in insect cabinets, sug- gests the propriety of thoroughly poisoning all cork before it is used as the lining of cabinets. In doing this I have found that the best medium is carbon bisulphide, and I have made it a rule in recent years, when I have any cabinet drawers constructed, to have the cork, before it is placed in position, immersed for a time in carbon bisulphide, after which the sheets are allowed to remain in the open air until the fluid has evaporated. This method of destroying not only Dermestes, but specimens of Azodium and other cork-infesting beetles is far preferable to the method which has been sometimes recommended of painting the cork or satu- rating it with an alcoholic solution of corrosive sublimate. The effect of corrosive sublimate upon the pins is not good, and in the second place it is a dangerous substance to use, inasmuch as the cork in all properly constructed drawers after it has been glued to the bottoms should be sand-papered by machinery, in doing which clouds of fine dust are raised, some of which inevit- ably enters the nostrils and lung passages of the workmen and is liable to produce irritation. In fact, one builder positively refused to construct a cabinet for me some years ago using cork which had been steeped in a saturated solution of corrosive sublimate.
> o a
Ce eee, ee
f ) 4 +
1896. ] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 69 ANOTHER EUCHROMIID TO BE ADDED TO OUR LIST. By Harrison G. Dyar.
Another Cuban moth has occurred in southern Florida. It is
;Syntomeida minima Grote, and is represented by a pair in Dr.
Ottolengui’s collection; captured 7 coztu at Miami, Fla., on March 12, 1895.
The specimens are somewhat larger than Mr. Grote’s original example, expanding 29 mm. in the male, 26 mm. in the female. There is an additional white spot on the primaries below the me- dian vein at basal third of cell, narrow, elongate. In the female the basal white spot on secondaries is wanting, and the white abdominal dots vary in the two examples,. the male having two, the female four on each side above. These variations do not warrant a varietal name, as the white spots are variable in the other species of the genus.
In his original description in 1867, Mr. Grote remarks that in the then state of the subject, this species could be put in the genus Aiippola of Walker. Aippola is now made a synonym of Syntomeida by Kirby; but Mr. Grote’s remarks remain as true to-day as when first written fearly thirty years ago, for they imply the unsatisfactory condition of the genera of the Euchro- miidze, which still need revision.
S. minima agrees structurally with our other species of Syzio- meida, except that the hind legs are long and tufted as in Phy/- lecia. The type of Phylecia is, however, not known to me (7. punctata Guer.), nor that of Cadlicarus (C. pennipes Grt.) placed in the synonymy by Mr. Kirby. Our P. fexanus agrees with SS. minima in the tufted legs, but differs in the presence of an accessory cell, which, however, I find is not constant. — Still minima may remain in Syxfomeida at present, I think, as its pattern of maculation corresponds, and it falls there in the syn- opsis of genera (see Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc., i, 100, 1893).
The following synopsis will separate our specics of the genus:
Abdomen banded with fulvousand black. . . . . . . . ipomee. Abdomen not banded. Abdomen with a red tip; expanse 45mm. . . oe 6 Claas.
Abdomen without red tip; expanse 29 mm. or less . . . . Minima.
79 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March,
A Review of T. L. Casey’s Reasons for Striking Certain Spe- cies of Coleoptera from the American-Asiatico-European Catalogue.
By Joun HAMILTON, M.D.
Conurus (Conosoma) pubescens Payk. was placed as one of the species common to the two hemispheres in the first edition of the catalogue of the Coleoptera common to these regions on the authority of investigations made by Dr. .Horn and others, and on the authority of comparisons made by myself with sev- eral Swedish examples. There seemed no difference whatever, except a little tendency in the Swedish to color variation. Mr. A. Fauvel published a French edition inserting pudescens and extending. its American distribution. Now comes T. L. Casey, in Coleopterological Notices No. vi, recently published, with the announcement that pubescens is not American. This is done on the strength of a comparison with what he says are well authen- ticated European types. From what is said of these types they probably belong to an extreme variety known in Europe as c7p-
ticola, which is in my collection, and which is so different in as- |
pect from pubescens as to be readily convertible into a new species by any one on the lookout for such opportunities. The weight of the evidence is not favorable to Mr. Casey’s view. Anthicus basillaris Say.—Mr. Casey, in the work cited, unites this with flora/is Linn. placed in his new genus Hemantus.
I fell into the same error in the first edition of the catalogue re-.
ferred to, as it was considered at that time to be the 9 of floradis. In the French edition Mr. A. Fauvel rectified the error and added éasillaris to the list of common species, uniting with it quisguilius Thoms. Since that time a new European catalogue has made its appearance in which an older name; formicarius Goeze, has been resurrected with which guzsguzlius has been united, consequently carrying with it daszlaris. The species now stands in the Catalogue: A. formicarius Goeze, basillaris Say.
Any one conversant with Say’s mode of describing will see at once on turning to his description of dasz//aris that he had not before him examples of /floradis, as it is highly improbable he would have omitted so prominent a character as the two tuber- cles on the apex of the thorax. Those not caring to adopt Mr. Casey’s genera will now find two species in Anfthicus, each with
‘re
1896. ] -ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 73
the name formicarius, and as Laferté’s species is the more recent
-it may be known by the name myrmecoides. ;
' Some of Mr. Casey’s remarks under florvalis seem a little ne-
phelic. He states that the American form is the true floradis of
Linné, ‘‘ but quite possible that it [the American form] may be different from the Anthicus floralis of European authors.’’ If he means that he has not seen the European. floralis, which seems the more obvious interpretation, he may rest assured that they are identical, as I have made the comparison more than once.
Lepyrus colon Linn. = palustris Scop. (an older name). In the Notices cited, Mr. Casey strikes this species from the Amer- ican list for scarcely any other reason, if he is rightly understood, than that he has never seen an Anferican example. This will scarcely be accepted as a scientific procedure, and that Mr. Casey should have resorted to this method of getting rid of an Europeo- American species is only to be understood in connection with his often expressed unwillingness to admit the identity of European and eastern American forms not imported.
Lepyrus colon was considered by Mr. Kirby, Schoenherr and others, as well as Dr. LeConte, to be common to the two hemis- pheres, and it can scarcely be doubted that they all saw examples
. from both countries and knew what they did see; yet Mr. Casey _ consigns into synonymy with a single sweep of the pen all their
determinations, for the reason that he had not seen an American example, therefore they had not. Mr. Casey does not verify his assertion by any examination of a type: soine of Kirby’s are probably extant yet in the British Museum, while some of Dr. LeConte’s as determined for the Canadian Explorations and Sur-
veys, are deposited according to Mr. Harrington, in the Museum
of the Natural History Society of Montreal. Mr. Casey’s ‘‘ hy- pothesis,’’ as he styles his reasons for uniting the co/on of the above mentioned authors with geminatus Say, cannot be accepted.
INSECTS AND FLOwERs are more or less closely connected in the study of Nature, and especially is this true with those interested in Hymenop- tera and Lepidoptera; we therefore feel sure that Success with Flowers— an excellent monthly magazine, published by the Dingee & Conard Co., West Grove, Pa., at only 25 cents a year,—cannot fail to interest and profit all lovers of flowers. They have also issued a handsomely illus- trated Guide to Rose Culture, containing a complete collection of all flowers worth growing, a copy of which will be sent free to intending purchasers upon request. See their advertisement in ¢#7s number, and
don’t forget to mention ENToMOLoGICAL News when you send for a copy of their publications.
72 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March,
A List of Lepidoptera taken at Oneonta, N. Y., 1894. By G. F. CLEVELAND, Oneonta, N. Y.
These species were all taken by myself within a radius of ‘lice miles of my home, with exception of one or two, which are specified in the list.
Danais archippus, common, September. Argynnis aphrodite, common, July. a cybele, common, July. cs ‘* aberration, one specimen (dark markings on underside of primaries run together and are nearly black). Argynnis myrina, A. bellona (not common this year (1894), but very plentiful in 1893). Euptoieta claudia, a few specimens observed in October. Phyciodes tharos, common during Summer. ‘* nyctets, common during July. Melitea pheton, \ocal, but plenty where found: June to July. Grapta progne, not as common this year as in 1893. z “ var. L. argentium, rare, July. ‘‘ comma, common whole season (March to October). pte F var. dryas, common, July. ‘‘ interrogationts, rare this season. fc “ var. umbrosa, five specimens. < var. fabricii, many poor specirnens. ‘© faunus, three specimens, July; taken at Sidney, N. Y. ‘* harris#, quite plentiful during September. Vanessa antiopa, very common whole Summer and Autumn. ‘‘ milbertit, very common August and September. Pyrameis huntera, common on blue daisy, September. « atalanta, common at sugar, September. Limenitis arthemis, local, but common where found; June 28 to July 15). Limenttis disitppus, very common. Satyrus alope, common on elevated pasture lands. Neonympha canthus, rather scarce this season, but plentiful in 1893 in grass swamp on top of hill. Neonympha eurytris, common in woods, June 26 to July 3o. Chrysophanus americana, C. the, common.
Licena pseudargiolus, common during April. Thecla titus and edwardsii, very local and rare found only in one locality on flowers of milk-weed.
|
ae ae
Se Ce a Re ey
are ee
eer eee pee
1866.] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 73
Colias philodice, common as usual. .
= fs var. a/ba, common on blue daisy, Sept. 1 to 20: Pieris rape, common.
‘* oleracea, only three specimens taken. Papilio troilus, only one specimen taken.
** _astertas, only two seen but not taken.
‘* turnus; only five or six seen this year, but in 1893 they were quite plentiful, and in 18g2 they could be counted by hundreds flying about Syringa bushes.
Pamphila peckius, P. napa, P. manataagua, P. zabulon, common. Liudamus tityrus, common, July. ‘* bathyllus, common.
HETEROCERA.
Hlemaris diffinis, three specimens. Amphion nessus, one taken June 7, 1894. Detlephila lineata, D. chamenerii, rare this year, but quite com- mon in 1893. Darapsa cherilus, quite common. Smerinthus modesta, fifteen specimens; June 25 to July ro. a geminatus, not as plentiful as in 1893. ophthalmicus, five specimens; June 29 to July 20. Paonias myops, rare this year, but plentiful in 1893. ‘© excecatus, rare. % os dark variety % fairly common. Cressonia juglandis, one specimen, ?. Sphinx kalmie, common. ““ gordius, very rare this year, but plentiful in 1893. drupiferarum, fairly common. - chersis, one specimen observed, but it escaped; I think there have been only three ever taken here. £illema harrisiiz, more common than usual. Daremma undulosa, very common. Ceratomia amynior, rare. Prionoxystus robinig, three specimens. A ———,, one specimen. * ———, one specimen. Alypia octomaculata, very common. Mamestra bella, only two or three battered specimens. Ctenucha virginica, common.
“eo
ce
ee
ce
74 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [ March,
Callimorpha militaris, one specimen. Eudryas unio, rare this year, common in 1893. ‘« grata,common. | Ecpantheria scribonia, several specimens. Arctia virgo, common. ‘‘ arge and varieties very common, Phragmatobia rubricosa, three specimens. Hyphantria cunea, Spilosoma virginica, Leucarctia acrea, Eun chetes collaris, common. Euchetes egle, rare. Pyrrharctia isabella, Halisidota tesseilata, H. cary@, H. maculata, common. . Tolype velleda, one specimen. Cliscocampa americana, common. Cerura borealis, rare. Nadata gibbosa, Datana mimestra, common. Datana rubicunda, common. Antsota senatoria, rare. flyperchiria to, Actias luna, Telea polyphemus, common. Attacus promethea, cocoons plentiful in February, 1894, but I have never taken but one specimen at light. Platysamia cecropia, very common.
I have not, until this Winter, been interested in the Noctuide, and have not identified much of what I took, but I made a small collection of Catocalze which I have named:
Catocala nubilis, rare, May.
‘‘ puritanis, rare, July. habilis?, rare, September. cara, common, September. tlia, rare, September. concumbens, common, September. portia, common, September. neogama, common, September. desperata, rare, September (Sidney, N. boos briseis, quite common. relicta, rare. ultronia, quite common. antinympha, common. Plusia simplex, P. contexta, common.
——~«—
1896. } ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 75
THE “DEATH-WATCH” BEETLE.
The common name of Death-watch, given to Xestobtum tes- selatum, sufficiently announces the popular prejudice against this insect; and so great is this prejudice, that, as says an editor of Cuvier’s works, the fate of many a nervous and superstitious. patient has been accelerated by listening, in the silence and soli- tude of night, to this imagined knell of his approaching dissolu- tion. The learned Sir Thomas Browne considered the supersti- tion connected with the Death-watch of great importance, and
‘remarks that ‘‘the man who could eradicate this error from the
minds of the people would save from many a cold sweat the meticulous heads of nurses and grandmothers,’’ for such persons are firm in the belief that the solemn Death-watch clicks the hour of death.
The witty Dean of St. Patrick endeavored to perform this useful task by means of ridicule. And his description, suggested, it would appear, by the old song of ‘‘ A cobbler there was, and he lived in a stall,’’ runs thus:
— A wood worm That lies in old wood, like a hare in her form, With teeth or with claws, it will bite, it will scratch; And chambermaids christen this worm a Death-watch, Because, like a watch, it always cries click. Then woe be to those in the house that are sick ! For, sure as a gun, they will give up the ghost, If the maggot cries click when it scratches the post. But a kettle of scalding hot water injected, Infallibly cures the timber affected; The omen is broken, the danger is over, The maggot will die, and the sick will recover.
Grose, in his ‘*‘ Antiquities,’’ thus expresses this superstition: ‘* The clicking of a Death-watch is an omen of the death of some
_ one in the house wherein it is heard.’’ W2<tts says: ‘‘ We learn
to presage approaching death in a family by ravens and little worms, which we therefore call a Death-watch.’’ Gray, in one of his Pastorals, thus alludes to it:
When Blonzelind expired,
The solemn Death-watch click’d the ‘hie hs died.
‘*Tt will take,’’ says Mrs. Taylor, a writer in ‘‘ Harper’s New
Monthly Magazine’ (vol. xxiii, 775,) ‘‘a force unknown at the present time to physiological science to eradicate the feeling of
76 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. { March,
terror and apprehension felt by almost every one on hearing this small insect.’’ She herself, an entomologist, confesses to have been very much annoyed at times by coming in contact with this “strange nuisance,’’ but she was cured by an over application. “‘T went to pay a visit,’’ says she, ‘‘to a friend in the country. The first night I fancied I should have gone mad before morning. The walls of the bed-room were papered, and from them beat, as it were, a thousand watches—tick, tick, tick! Turn which way I would, cover my head under the bed-clothes to suffocation, every pulse in my body had an answering tick, tick, tick! But at last the welcome morning dawned, and early I was down in the library ; even here every book, on shelf above shelf, was riotous with tick, tick, tick ! At the breakfast-table, beneath the plates, cups and dishes, beat the hateful sound. In the parlor, the withdrawing room, the kitchen, nothing but tick, tick! The house was a huge clock, with thousands of pendulums ticking from morning to night. I was careful not to allow my great dis- comfort to annoy others. I argued, what they could tolerate surely I could; and in a few days habit had rendered the fearful, dreaded ticking a positive necessity.”’
Baxter, in his ‘‘ World of Spirits,’’ p. 203, most sensibly ob- serves, that ‘‘there are many things that ignorance causeth mul- titudes to take for prodigies. I have had many discreet friends that have been affrighted with the noise called a Death-watch, whereas I have since, near three years ago, oft found by trial that it is a noise made upon paper by a little, nimble, running worm, just like a louse, but whiter and quicker; and it is most usually behind a paper pasted to a wall, especially to wainscot; and it is rarely, if ever, heard but in the heat of Summer.”’
In the ‘‘ British Apollo,’ 1710, ii, No. 86, is the following
query: ‘‘Why Death-watches, crickets and weasels do come more common against death than at any other time? Aus.—We look upon all such things as idle superstitions, for were anything in them, bakers, brewers, inhabitants of old houses, etc., were in a melancholy condition.’’ To an inquiry (ibid. vol. ii, No. 70) concerning a Death-watch, whether you suppose it to be a “ving creature, answer is given: ‘‘It is nothing but a little worm in the wood.”’
‘How many people have I seen in the most terrible palpita- tions, for months together, expecting every hour the approach
ideshsenite
wry
‘ ia E 3
1896. ] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 77
of some calamity, only by a little worm, which breeds in old wainscot, and, endeavoring to eat its way out, makes a noise like the movement of a watch !’’ (Secret Memoirs of the late Duncan Campbell, 1732, p. 61).
Authors were formerly not agreed concerning the insect from which this sound of terror proceeded, some attributing it to a kind of wood-louse, others to a spider.
The ‘‘ Death watch’’ commences its clicking, which is nothing more than the call or signal by which the male and female are led to each other, chiefly when Spring is far advanced. The sound is thus produced: Raising itself upon its hind legs, with the body somewhat inclined, it beats its head with a great force and agility upon the plane of position. The prevailing number of distinct strokes which it beats in succession is from seven to nine or eleven; which circumstance, thinks Mr. Shaw (Zoo/. vi, 34), may perhaps still add, in some degree, to the ominous char- acter which it bears. These strokes follow each other quickly, and are repeated at uncertain intervals. In old houses, where these insects abound, they may be heard in warm weather during the whole day.— Cowan’s Curious Facts.
a Vv
SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT “ LADY-BIRDS.”
(COCCINELLIDZ. )
The Lady-bird ( Coccinella septempunctata) in Scandinavia was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and is there, to this day, called Nyckelpiga—Our Lady’s Key-maid, and (in Sweden, more par- ticularly) Jung-fru Marias Gullhona—the Virgin Mary’s Golden- hen. A like reverence was paid to this beautiful insect in other countries; in Germany they have been called Frauen or Marien- kafer—Lady-beetles of the Virgin Mary; and in France are now known by the names of Vaches de Dieu—Cows of the Lord, and Betes de la Vierge—Animals of the Virgin. The names we know them by, Lady-bird, Lady-bug, Lady-fly, Lady-cow, Lady- clock, Lady-couch (a Scottish name), etc., have reference also to this same dedication, or, at least, respect.
The Lady-bird in Europe, and particularly in Germany, where it probably is the greatest favorite, and whence most of the su- perstitions connected with it are supposed to have originated, is
78 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March,
always connected with fine weather. -At Vienna‘the children throw it into air, crying, — Little birdie, birdie, Fly to Marybrunn, And bring us a fine sun.
Marybrunn being a place about twelve English miles from the Austrian capital, with a miracle-working image of the Virgin (still connected with, the Virgin), who often sends good weather to the merry Viennese (Chambers’ Pop. Rhymes, 1841, p. 170).
And, from the marsh of the Elbe, to this little insect the fol- -
lowing words are addressed : May-cat, Fly away, Hasten away, Bring me good weather with you to-morrow.
In England, the children are wont to be afraid of injuring the Lady-bird lest it should rain.
With the Northmen, the Lady-bird—Our Lady’s Key-maid— is believed to foretell to the husbandman whether the year shall be a plentiful one or the contrary; if its spots exceed seven, bread- corn will be dear ; if they are fewer than seven, there will be an abundant harvest and low prices. And, in the following rhyme from Pleon, this insect is invoked to bring food :
Marspaert, fly to heaven !
Bring me a sack full of biscuit, one for me, one for thee, For all the little angels one.
In the north of Europe it is thought lucky when a young girl in the country sees the Lady-bird in the Spring; she then lets it creep about her hand, and says: ‘‘ She measures me for wedding gloves.’’ And when it spreads its little wings and flies away, she is particular to notice the direction it takes, for thence her sweet- heart shall one day come. The latter part of this notion obtains in England; and it has been embodied by Gay in one of his Pastorals as follows :
This Lady-fly I take from off the grass,
Whose spotted back might scarlet-red surpass, Fly, Lady-bird, north, south, or east or west, Fly where the man is found that loves me best. He leaves my hand, see, to the west he’s flown, To call my true-love from the faithless town.
. | 7 .
ee SS
1896. ] -ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 79
Tn Norfolk, too, where this insect is called the Bishop Barnabee,
_ the young girls have the following rhyme, which they continue
to recite to it placed upon the palm of the hand, till it takes wing and flies away :
Bishop, Bishop Barnabee,
~ Tell me when my wedding be;
If it be to-morrow day,
Take your wings and fly away !
Fly to the east, fly to the west,
Fly to him that I love best.
Why the Lady-bird is called Bishop Barnabee, or Burnabee, there is great difference of opinion. Some take it to. be from St. Barnabas, where festival falls in the month of June, when this insect first appears; and others deem it but a corruption of the Bishop-that-burneth, in allusion to its fiery color.
So also in Scotland, the Lady-bird, which is still a great favorite with the Scottish peasantry, has been used for divining one’s future helpmate, as appears from a rhyme from the north of Scotland, which dignifies the insect with the title of Dr. Ellison :
Doctor, *Dr. Ellison, where will I be married ? East, or west, or south, or north ? Take ye flight and fly away.
It is sometimes also termed Lady Ellison, or, knighted Sir Ellison; while other Scottish names of it are Mearns, Aberd, The King, and King Galowa, or Calowa. Under this last title of dignity there is another Scottish rhyme, which evinces also the general use of this insect for the purpose of divination :
King, King Calowa,
Up your wings and flee awa’ Over land and over sea;
Tell me where my love can be.
There is a Netherlandish tradition that to see Lady-birds fore- bodes good luck; and in England it is held extremely unlucky to destroy these insects. Persons killing them, it is thought, will infallibly, within the course of the year, break a bone, or meet with some other dreadful misfortune.
In England the children are accustomed to throw the Lady- bird into the air, singing at the same time:
Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home; Your house is on fire, your childrens at home,
All but one that digs ‘under the stone,— Ply thee home, lady-bird, ere it be gone.
80 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. . [March,
Or, as in Yorkshire and Lancashire,—
Lady-bird, lady-bird, eigh thy way home; Thy house is on fire, thy children all roam, Except little Nan, who sits in her pan, Weaving gold laces as fast as she can.
Or, as most commonly with us in America, —
Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home, Your house is on fire, and your children all burn.
The meaning of this familiar, though very curious couplet, seems to be this: the larve, or young, of the Lady-bird feed ° principally upon the Aphides, or plant-lice, of the vines of the hop; and fire is the usual means employed in destroying the Aphides; so that in killing the latter, the former, which had come for the same purpose, are likewise destroyed.— Cowan’s Curious Facts.
I RECEIVED the February number of the NEws last evening and noticed the article on the Red Bug by Mrs. A. T. Slosson, and also the article in the previous number by Dr. Hamilton.
Thinking that you might not take a quotation on the subject amiss, I will enclose one from White’s ‘‘ Natural History of Selborne,”’ which I happen to be reading.
From White’s letter to Thomas Pennant dated March 30, 1771: ‘‘ There is an insect with us, especially on chalky districts, which is very trouble- some and teasing all the latter end of the summer, getting into people’s skins, especially those of women and children, and raising tumours which itch intolerably. :
‘“This animal (which we call harvest bug) is very minute, scarce dis- cernible to the naked eye; of a bright scarlet color, and of the genus of Acarus.*
‘“‘ They are to be met with in garden on kidney beans, or any legumens, but prevail only in the hot months of summer. ;
‘‘ Warreners, as some have assured me, are much infested by them on chalky-downs, where these insects sometimes swarm to so infinite a de- gree as to discolour their nets, and to give them a reddish cast, while the men are so bitten as to be thrown into fevers.’”,—I. FostER Moore, JR., Bridgeport, Conn.
* “* Leptus autumnailis of Latreille.”
4 4
1896. ] 81
- :
ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS.
. Published monthly (except July and August), in charge of the joint
ublication committees of the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, and the American Entomological Society. It will contain not less than 300 pages per annum. It will main- tain 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 considered well spent.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION $1.00, IN ADVANCE. Outside of the United States and Canada $1,20.
pa@= All remittances should be addressed to E. T. Cresson, Treasurer, P. O. Box 248, Philadelphia, Pa.; all other communications to the Editors of ENTOMOLOGICAL News, Academy of Natural Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pa.
PHILADELPHIA, PA., MARCH, 1896.
The New Quarters of the Society and Section.
Tue American Entomological Society and the Entomological Section of The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, have moved into new and commodious quarters in the Academy. For a number of years past we have been badly in need of space, both for the collections and library. The new rooms are large and well lighted, so that students can have ample facilities for work. The collections can be put in better order, and there is room to spread and grow. The extent and value of the collec- tions are too well known to be detailed at this time and place,. and we can only say that we are prepared to receive collections.
_ by gift or bequest, and that they will be properly cared for in a
fire-proof building. The history of the American Entomological Society is largely the history of Entomology in the United States, and we intend to continue up to the standard. We began in Pennsylvania with men like Say, Melsheimer and Haldeman, and the State and the Society were later known the world over through the efforts of LeConte, Horn and Cresson. The future is promising, and the Society and the Entomological Section of the Academy will continue to be foremost as in the past. Later on we hope to give the readers of the News an account of our
collections, especially recent additions, and the work we are doing
and plans for the furtherance of entomological interests.
i
82 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March,
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY.
Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N. J.
Papers for this department are solicited. They should be sent to the editor, Prof. John B. Smith, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N. J.
The Grape Root-Worm.—Under this title Mr. Webster has published in Bulletin No. 62, of the Ohio Experiment Station, an interesting experience with Fidia viticida Walsh. This recalls, strikingly, my own experience in the New Jersey vineyards when the ‘! Rose-chafer’’ was the enemy whose destruction was sought; and after reading over Mr. Webster’s Bulletin I think I can understand his feeling of helpless anger and disgust at having accomplished so little after so many trials. Briefly stated, the adult beetle lays its eggs under any convenient shelter on the vine, in little clumps or masses varying in number. The larve hatch, drop to the ground and make their way as best they can to the roots upon which they feed. They live underground throughout the Winter and emerge as adults the following June, when they feed upon the foliage of the grape. The injury is done by the larvz feeding upon the roots and more or less impairing the vitality of the vine in that way. The interesting feature of Mr. Webster’s experience is the fact that the arsenites acted so slowly and unsatisfactorily upon the beetles, and we are brought face to face here again with a very important fact in Economic Entomology which should prevent us from positively predicting the action of given insecticides in new cases. There seems to be no doubt now that arsenic acts very slowly indeed upon some insects, and that certain species are able to dispose of a comparatively enormous quantity without apparent trouble. Prof. Fernald has given his experiences with the Gypsy moth caterpillars: My own experience with “ Rose-chafer” corroborates him as to the difficulty in destroying by means of arsenic this particular species, while Mr. Web- ster seems to have found something very similar with this grape root-worm, or rather with its parent beetle. Comparatively few experiments seem to have been made to prevent the beetle from getting into the ground by the use of repellant substances. Lime was used in one experiment ; but it must not be forgotten where lime is used, that after a day or two it might just as well be so much dust of another character for all the insec- ticide effect that it will have. Lime is an insecticide only when it acts as a caustic, or it does only what any other extremely fine powder would do under similar circumstances. There would have been a good deal more chance of success if ground tobacco had been used, although even this lasts, effectually, only a short time. Here, however, there would have been this advantage: a watery extract of tobacco formed by rains, would prove of insecticide value if it came into contact, with the larve upon the roots. Bisulphide of carbon was used with only very moderate success, and Mr. Webster calls attention to a fact that has not been mentioned, so
Cg ks =2
aa
Bee Te
-1896.] === © ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 83
_- far as I am aware, in connection with recommendations made for using this material; that is, that the soil must be neither too wet nor too dry.
In either case the action will be unsatisfactory, and possibly this may ac-
count for some failures of which I have learned in an endeavor to use this
material for other purposes. We are constantly discovering new and
important factors that must be reckoned with if we want to obtain uniform
results in the use of any insecticide. Mr. Webster finally makes as his most practical recommendation the suggestion that during the season of egg-laying and the hatching of the young larva the ground beneath the vines be kept constantly stirred and turned up towards the rows, so that
‘toots-and stem may be as deeply covered as possible by an unbroken
‘surface making it necessary for the larvz to dig down rather than crawl through some crevice to reach the roots. Any method of cultivation that induces the plant to send its roots down deeply is to be preferred to one which keeps the roots near to the surface. This particular insect has been known for a very long time, and not until the last year or two has it made its appearance in destructive numbers. It is quite likely that in the course of another short period it will disappear as abruptly as it became an injurious pest.
Cut-Worms.—During the season of 1895 worms seem to have been un- usually abundant in many localities, and Bulletins on the subject were issued in New Jersey, Kentucky and New York. These same insects have been referred to more or less—incidentally in other Station publica- tions, and in the discussions before»the various society meetings ; and
_ practically much the same species have proved troublesome in all the
States. It is a matter of interest that difference in surroundings influence the habits of the insects, and that almost all species will climb trees and eat buds when they fail in obtaining a sufficient supply of low vegetation. In young orchards ‘‘climbing cut-worms” can do an enormous amount of irreparable damage, while even on larger trees they may affect the crop of fruit. In the New York Bulletin these ‘climbing cut-worms”’ of the orchard are especially treated, and considerable reference is made to
experiences in Michigan, in dealing with similar insects. It seems toler-
ably easy to prevent the insects,from climbing the trunks by means of a
_band of cotton batting several inches wide, tied at the bottom and then
turned down so as to form a sort of cone. This appears to be absolutely unsurmountable for the cut-worms, and the trees can be protected from them without much trouble or expense; but they seem also inclined to chew the bark of the young trees at the surface and girdle them, causing even more damage than if they had been allowed to ascend and feast upon the buds. In such cases it seems to me that the ‘“‘ Raupenleim,”’ or “Dendrolene,’’ would serve a very much better purpose. A band of this material extending from the surface, or even a little below it, for eight, ten, or twelve inches up to the trunk, would be unsurmountabie by cut-worms, unless they were numerous enough to cover the material so completely as to form a bridge for those coming after. In such a casea
84 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. (March,
cotton band on top of the ‘‘ Dendrolene”’ would serve as a complete pro-
tection. There are two other ways of avoiding injury to trees: one is by . sowing crimson clover in the orchards believed to be infested, which early"
in the Spring will furnish an abundance of food for the cut-worms and render them disinclined to crawl up the trunks for feeding purposes ; the other is a ring of poisoned bran plated around every tree, which will be fed upon before the insects undertake to climb; and the quantity to be applied must depend somewhat upon the number of cut-worms supposed to be in the orchard. Probably a combination of the ‘‘ Dendrolene’”’ band extending to the surface of the ground, and a ring of poison bran would be the most satisfactory, providing for a mechanical protection to the trees in the first place, and for the destruction of the caterpillars in the second. Mr. Davis claims that it is not necessary to sweeten the bran mixture in order to render it attractive to the larve, and he is probably correct; but the addition of sugar keeps the mixture moist for a some- what longer time and renders it a little more adhesive, so that it does not so readily drop apart when it dries out a little. Prepared with sugar- water the poisoned bran ought to remain effective for at least three nights, except where exposed uncovered directly to the sun, in which case it will
last only during