Diastictis benigna, n. sp.

Expands 23 mm. Palpi rather long, heavy, drooping, blue-gray; front, thorax and abdomen blue-gray, the latter whitish lined posteriorly on segments. Fore wings bluish-gray, lightest on middle field, mixed with some black scales; basal line faint or obsolete, marked by a black spot on costa; middle line beginning with black spot at costa, then through black lengthened discal spot, then obsolete; outer line with black spot at costa, otherwise obsolete; outer field darker towards margin, with a large brown submarginal shading between 3 and 5. Hind wings even, smooth, blue-gray. Beneath dark bluidh fuscous on all wings, becoming blackish along outer margins; costa of fore wings speckled with black and gray.

In March last, Mr. E. N. Laing, of Essex, Ont. one of our young collectors, whilst on a visit to London availed himself of the opportunity to obtain the names of his captures. Whilst I was looking over his collection, a Catocala, with something quite unusual in its appearance to me, arrested my attention; and on comparing it with those in the Society's possession I found it was not there represented. Upon turning up Mr. Strecker's “ Lep. Rhop. Et. Het” I found it therein vividly portrayed on Plate XI., fig. 9 and named by him Catocala magdalena. Not finding that name in Smith's list of 1891, I had to turn up the Synonymy, and found that it was known as C. Illecta of Walker.

Andrena Hallii, n.sp.

♀—Length, 14–17 mm. Black, shining; pubescence black with patch on vertex, the prothorax, mesothorax (excepting posteriorly whre pubescence is not so thick and has black mixed with ferruginous, forming a more or less distinct black-appearing band between the tegulæ), scutellum and postscutellum bright ferruginous, thick, entirely obscuring punctures on thorax. Clypeus shining, large quite close punctures, a median line impunctured; antennæ black, third joint equal to fourth and fifth combined; metathorax not shining, closely and more finely punctured; scutellum with two smooth shining spots anteriorly, a few scattered punctures near-by otherwise roughened; postscutellum and metathorax roughened, enclosure triangular, distinctly outlined, carried to a point on posterior face, sometimes faintly and irregularly wrinkled in fore half, last half impunctured. Abdomen without hair bands, a few long scattered hairs on segments 3–4, 5th seg. pubescent and protuberant as is vicina; anal fimbria heavy, black; segments 1-4 depressed posteriorly, the first very slightly if at all, the remainder one-third or one-half of their length; fine scattered punctures on seg. 1–3, remainder impunctured; a sweep of hairs below like vicina. Wings dusky throughout, a violaceous reflection, otherwise like vicina; stigma and nervures piceous or very dark brown. Claws bifid, rufous; spurs black. Basal process of labrum prominent, emarginate.

Brachynemurus Coquilletti, new species.

Male.—Length, 33 mm.; expanse of wings, 44 mm.; greatest width of anterior wing, 5.6 mm.; length of antenna, 6 mm.; luteous, marked with dark fuscous; clothed with white hairs, thickly so on abdomen; apical segments of abdomen with some black hairs among the white ones.

Face flat, luteous, bordered above by a pitchy-black band separating the antennae and narrowly bordering them in front and on the outer side; a longitudinal median black line extends from this band almost to the clypeus. Circum-ocular area luteous, except along the anterior portion of the vertex, where it is fuscous, and on the margin next the eye, opposite the middle of anterior joint of maxillary palpiger, where there is a fuscous spot. Clypeus rather short, luteous, on either side anteriorly an impressed spot; above, a few black bristles. Labrum transverse, luteous; rounded laterally and narrowed anteriorly, nearly straight in front, where it is sparsely clothed with light-coloured hairs. Mandibles piceous, black at tips.

Sphaerococcus sylvestris, n. sp.

Much like an Eriococcus in shape. 2½ millim. long, 1½ wide, dark dirty brown, with a little white cottony down at its anal end, and on the mid-dorsal line a distinct longitudinal nearly white band. (King.)

The article on Diaspis amygdali Tryon, by Professor Webster, in the April issue of this magazine, has left me with the impression that the introduction of this insect to several widely separated sections of the United States has not aroused the apprehension among American entomologists that the advent of a pest of its importance justifies. The quotation from Mr. Tryon's letter to the effect that the insect is neither widely distribued nor destructive in Queensland is too reassuring. It constrains me to emphasize the fact that the species is a highly injurious one in Cape Colony. A brief account of its occurrence here may not be uninteresting.

The other day a distinguished artist friend of mine called upon me with a small bottle containing some whiskey, which by its odour I judged was good, when he first took it from his flask, and in it was what he denominated a “bug.” He told me that he had experienced “one of the most wonderful adventures of his life” in connection with the specimen he put before me, and went on to tell me that during the past summer, while sketching in the mountains, he had discovered one evening, when undressing, a small, dark swelling on his breast. He thought it to be a little abnormal growth on the skin and paid no attention to it. From time to time he noticed it afterwards, when retiring, and found to his considerable alarm that it was gradually growing larger, and evil thoughts of cancer, tumors, and what not, began to float through his mind. Finally, after some two weeks had passed, one evening, as he expressed it, “while fooling with the darned thing it came off” He laid it down on the dressing-case before him and was presently astounded to see it slowly crawling away from the spot. Then a small bottle was sought out, the whiskey flask was brought into requisition, and the “bug” was safely bottled, to be referred to me for an explanation. This proved not difficult to give. The specimen was a well-developed example of Ixodes albipictus, Packard. We had a hearty laugh together, and my friend assured me that he “would know better the next time, and not let such creatures establish such a lengthy abode upon his person.” His adventure recalled to me a letter which I have long had in my possession, intending to publish it, as it is very well written, and adds a touch of humour to the subject. The specimen referred to in the letter is in my collection, and proves to be an example of Ixodes bovis, a very common plague in the south-western part fo this country.

Tetracnemus Westwoodi, n. sp.—♂. Length 1 1-5 mm.; dark brown; head and thorax minutely reticulated; ocelli large adn rpominent, lateral ocelli nearer to the eyes than to the middle oceilus; scutellum prominent; scapulæ triangular, produced to a point mesad, failing to meet by a short interval only; coxæ large and swollen trochanters small, legs long, tarsi five-jointed. Antennæ 8-jointed, or 10 jointed if the two ring-joints are counted; first joint of flagellum subglobose, short; second about as long, but cylindrical; third about twice as long as second; fourth about one-third longer than third; fifth about as long as fourth; sixth (club) a little longer. First four joints of flagellum emitting long branches as in Westwood's figure of T. diversicornis. Club slender, consederably less swollen than in diversicornis. Wings strongly pubescent.

The great damage which has been done to cabbage and other cruciferous plants by the harlequin cabbage bug (Murgantia histrionica) in its spread towards the north-east renders of interest any comments upon its natural checks. Prof. H. A. Morgan, of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station at Baton Rouge, has reared in considerable numbers a Proctotrpid parasite from the eggs of this destructive insect, which was named by Mr. Ashmead Trissolcus murgantiœ. With commendable enterprise, professor Morgan has sent eggs of the cabbage bug to various Experiment Station Entomologists situated in localities which the Murgantia has more or less recently invaded, and to which it seems probable that the parasite has not he followed it. Professor Webster, of Ohio, has announced that he is trying to introduce this beneficial insect, and Professor Johnson, of Maryland, is making the same effort with Professor Morgan's help

As the result of last year's work I have an addition to make to the list of Manitoba Diurni, which appeared in this magazine about two years ago. On July 3rd, when driving across an outlying portion of my farm, in a flowery glade amongst some scrub I saw an anusual looking “fritillary” hovering over and settling together with Argynnis Lais upon some lillies in bloom. On netting it I found it to be a “green wing,” which has been determined by my friend, Dr. Fletcher, to be A. Edwardsii, In a short time I secured three or four more examples of this Western species from the same place. On the 7th July I found it again in a similar locality, about a mile south of where I had originally seen it, and secured some more specimens, all of which, except perhaps a couple whose wings were slightly chipped, were in good condition. I went out again on the 10th, but though Lais and Cybele were on the wing, I did not see Edwardsii. A correspondent at Brandon (in this Province), Mr. Boger, writes me that he also took one or two “green wings” this summer; Brandon being 60 or 70 miles to the N. W. of me. He was, when writing, under the impression that his was A. Nevadensis. It would be a very curious fact if both species (?) visited Manitoba at the same time, and it would look very much as though they were only varieties of one species. I have just noticed among my series one specimen that varies slightly from the majority, and is somewhat like the description given of A. Nevadensis…Colias Caesonia, did not again present itseif, though I saw in 1896 at least half a dozen specimens besides the two I caught.

Rhamphomyia mutabilis, Loew., has several times been observed preying upon Bibio pallipes, Say. I once saw hundreds of the former on a picket fence that had recently been whitewashed, and all appeared engaged in capturing the latter; at any rate hardly one could be found that was not engaged in sucking the life out of a victim. In one case the sexes were pairing while the female was lunching upon a recently captured Bibio.