In my notes in the March number of the Can. Ent., the idea is conveyed that this species obtained from the wild Canada rye grass, may prove to be identical with the wingless form obtained by Prof. Riley and myself from wheat stalks, and which Prof. Riley has since named in the American Naturalist, I. Tritici. At the same time doubt was expressed as to their identity, because at the time of writing there were still larvæ in the grass straws, while I. Tritici pupated in the fall, both in the breeding jars and in the field. Since the article mentioned has appeared, I have obtained from my grass stalks several more specimens, and I believe the two forms to be entirely distinct. A specimen was sent to Prof. Riley, upon the receipt of which he wrote as follows:

“It is undoubtedly distinct from I. Tritici, as is shown not only by the greater length, stouter body, darker color of the antennal scape and constancy of the winged form, but also by the punctuation (most markedly), by the shape of the mesothoracic scutum, and by the color of the mesoscutar parapsides. It comes in fact nearer to Hordei than to Tritici, though, as you say, it is well distinguished from the former by the punctnation.”

In the preparation of a synopsis of the North American genera of Syrphidæ, I have found several new species that could not be placed in any of our known genera. A careful study of the figures and descriptions of exotic forms has not thrown much light upon them, and I am therefore constrained to regard them as new.

With the genera included in the present paper, and resuscitating Macquart's Toxomerus, the number now recorded from North America will reach sixty, all but five or six of which are in the writer's collection. Of these, but nine or ten have not yet been found east of the Central Plains, and the following, only, that are not now known west of that region, viz., Triglyphus, Senogaster, Pyrophaena, Doros, Ocyptamus, Rhingia, Brachyalpus, Somula, Temnostoma, Merapioidus, Pterallastis, Teuchocnemis and Lepidomyia, leaving nearly forty genera that occur entirely across the continent; indeed a large proportion of the species are identical from the Atlantic and Pacific regions.

On the evening of August 13th, 1881, I observed them between the hours of 5 and 7 o'clock. The air for miles around seemed literally alive with these dragon-flies, from a foot above ground to as far as the eye could reach, all flying in the same direction, a south-westerly course, and the few that would occasionally cross the track of the majority could all the more easily be noticed from the very regular and swift course they generally pursued; but even these few stray ones would soon fall in with the rest again. Very few were seen alighting, and all carefully avoided any movable obstacles.

The next day very few were seen on the prairies, and these mostly of another species very abundant in this country, Anax junius (Drury), which were probably at home previously, and in a few days I could see none others but the latter. A few newspapers, and also a few correspondents from twelve to fifteen miles east and west of here, had observed and mentioned their flight.

During the past two years I have found on the exchange lists of most northern, and all Canadian collectors with whom I have done any exchanging, Arsilonche albovenosa Goetze under its synonym Ablepharon Henrici Grt., and on their list of “wants” as uniformly appeared Leucania phragmitidicola Guen. I always sent for Arsilonche, and always received Leucania phragmitidicola. The latter is a common insect, but the former is more rare, and it may be interesting to know how the two can be distinguished. Superficially they are very much alike; generically they differ as follows: Arsilonche has lashed eyes, Leucania has them hairy; the tongue in Arsilonche is weak and short, in Leucania long and corneous; the legs in the former are shorter and more compact than in the latter, and the spurs of middle and posterior tibiæ are much shorter. The vestiture of Arsilonche on thorax and body is entirely hairy, fine and long; in Leucania the hair is somewhat flattened, more scale-like and shorter Arsilonche has also the head more retracted, the abdomen longer and the primaries rather more lanceolate. The secondaries in albovenosa are pure white, in phragmitidicola they are more smoky and have a darker border.

The reader of the Canadian Entomologist will recall the first paper on the Tortricidœ, by Professor Fernald, who has been kind enough to send me advance sheets of his Catalogue of the Family now being published in Philadelphia.

At the time when Professor Fernald commenced his studies he paid me the complinent of asking my advice as to the group of Lepidoptera he should work upon. In advising him to take the Tortricidœ, I was influenced by my belief in his patience and scientific ability. No family of Lepidoptera which I have studied, except perhaps the phycidœ, are as difficult as the Tortrices, or call for more diligent examination and careful manipulation. I had been bringing together material for a study of the Tortricidœ, and had described a few species and the genus Phaecasiophora, when Professor Fernald wrote to me. I was thus in a position to be of the slight assistance which Professor Fernald has, I am afraid, overestimated in his original paper alluded to above.

Aphis loniceræ Monell. Riley & Monell, Notes on the Aphididæ, U. S. Geol. and Geogr. Survey, Vol. v., Jan., 1879, p. 6.

This species is the one mentioned by Prof. Thomas in the eighth Ill. Ent. Rept. p. 104, under the name of Chaitophorus lonicerœ Mon'l Mss.

Phorodon mahalek Fonsc. This European species has been very abundant at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis. I believe that it has not before been definitely reported as occurring in the United States.

Recently I had the opportunity of watching in a live box, under a low power of the microscope, the seizing and devouring of some plant-lice by the larva of an undetermined species of Chrysopa, and was interested in the manner in which it emptied the body of its victims. The jaws are large, hooked, pointed and tubular, with a small opening at or near the points. Approaching its prey the body of the Aphis is grasped by the hooked mandibles which at the same time pierce it. The Chrysopa larva remains stationary, and proceeds to pump its victim dry. At the base of each of the mandibles the integuments are dilated into a sac-like form capable of expansion and compression at will, a portion of the thorax is similarly constructed, and it is by the repeated dilating and compressing of these sacs that the fluid contents of teh body of the Aphis are transferred through the tubular mandibles to the stomach of the Chrysopa larva.

No one I think can have been long engaged in collecting insects without having noticed the remarkable diversity in the products of different years, not only in quantity, but in kinds. Each summer seems to bring its own particular species to the front, so that if a person wishes to get a moderately correct idea of the insects of any locality, it is necessary for him not only fo hunt diligently all the season, but every season for a considerable length of time; and if he has from any cause missed one, he may be sure he has missed something which it may be years before he will again have an opportunity of securing, or securing in the same abundance. The causes of these variations seem as yet to a great extent a mystery.

Icthyura Palla, n. sp.

Length of body, including anal tuft, .56 of an inch. Expanse 1.10 inches. General color of body and primaries pale gray, the latter rather sparsely sprinkled with dark brown scales. Palpi brown above, scarcely projecting beyond the head, third joint concealed by the hairs of the others. Front slightly brownish, a tuft of pale gray scales at the base of each antenna, the usual deep brown mark from between the antennæ to the top of the thoracic crest. Primaries with the usual transverse lines almost white. The basal line makes a bend outward on the median vein; from this it goes in a straight course to the submedian vein; from this to the posterior or inner margin it curves a little outward. A second line extends from the costa about one-fourth of the distance from the base obliquely to the posterior margin, near the posteriol angle.

Science is much indebted to Mr. Scudder for a great deal of very dry and tiresome work in the preparation of Catalogues. We have already from his pen a list of the generic names used for Butterflies, and now in a thick octavo volume of 376 pages we have a “list of generic names employed in Zoology and Palaeontology to the close of the year 1879, chiefly supplemental to those catalogued by Agassiz and Marschall, or indexed in the Zoological Record.”

The list is beautifully and clearly printed and the proof reading has been exceedingly careful. After having gone over a number of names and after spending some hours with the book, I have found but one error of spelling. The labor of compiling the list has been evidently great, and Mr. Scudder speaks of it in terms which shows how arduous it really was. The author was helped by those to whom he applied for lists of the generic names proposed by them, however, and Prof. Marsh went to the trouble of printing the references to his own numerous genera.

I came only last year on the premises where I am now residing, and though I had a small crop of cherries, they were so badly infested with the weevii (Conotrachelus nenuphar) that only a few quarts could be found free from the grub and fit for canning. This year a fair crop was promised, the spring was late and the danger of frost little. I proposed therefore to make war upon the enemy, and as soon as the blossom was over prepared a larse sheet of cheese-cloth, and for about three weeks jarred the trees before breakfast almost every morning. As the result, I have now nearly 2,000 weevils peacefully reposing in a bottle, after a composing draught of benzine. Only about 10 per cent. of my cherries this year were unfit for use. I carried the war into the orchard, and simply by way of experiment, jarred some of the early apple trees and captured a great many of my enemies. I am more than repaid for my labors both on the cherry and apple trees by the quality of the apples, when last year, with a larger crop, I only obtained knotty, gnarly fruit. I have this year round, smooth, well-shaped apples. I have never heard that anything has been done, at least in this neighborhood, to trap the weevils on the apple trees. Those who live in the north have no idea of the mischief wrought here by the weevil in the orchards.

Gall, formed on the under side of the leaf, pear-shaped, half an inch long, forms a cup-like indentation on the upper surface. I have counted eighteen galls on one leaf. One mite in a gall.

Mite, one-tenth of an inch long. Eyes large and protuberant, light red. Antennæ moniliform, ten-jointed—the basal joint and that next it being much larger than the rest. Proboscis for suction. Four undeveloped wings—mere protuberances in the case of some (probably younger) specimens—generally translucent, but in some instances smoky brown. Legs, six in number, hairy, semi-transparent. Abdomen much enlarged, topshaped, the three last segments reddish brown. Tuft of terminal spines of the same color. The creature has a gelatinous appearance; and this, together with its agitation when disturbed, reminds one of Young Blight's description of Old Dolls: “All a-shaking like glue monge.” It attains its growth in August and becomes quiescent.

Prof. Cyrus Thomas, to whom we are indebted for six out of the eleven valuable reports which have been issued by the State of Illinois on noxious and beneficial insects, has removed to Washington, and Prof. S. A. Forbes, of Normal, Illinois, has been appointed State Entomologst in his place.

Larva, one-tenth of an inch in length—pointed at the head—rounded and blunt at the hinder extremity. First three segments the color of amber, and semi-transparent: the rest of the body salmon-colored. Nine sets of hooks, or tentacles, in place of feet, the two first in pairs, the remainder in threes. The larva has the habit of holding itself erect, by means of peculiar anal protuberances which seem to cling by suction. The body has minute hairs thinly scattered over it. On the sides of the head, which is small and black, there are bristle-like palpi, pointing forwards The larva is full fed by the end of August.