322 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



leaves. The second caterpillar is a little blackish fellow, and 

 lies across the back of his larger companion, concealed among 

 the stinging- spine-like hairs of the latter. "When taken off, 

 he went back to his original place immediately. In order to 

 photograph the two animals, Dr. Fritz Miiller stupefied the 

 larger one with ether, which caused its death in about two 

 days. The smaller caterpillar then quitted his post and took 

 up his abode on a second specimen, the place that he had oc- 

 cupied on his former host having a pale and worn appearance. 

 The smaller caterpillar stretches down from his position of 

 vantage among the spines of the larger and eats little holes 

 in the leaf on which the latter rests. 



The second part of Mr. A. R. Grote's check-list of the JYbctu- 

 idce of America north of Mexico has appeared, and will prove 

 of much use to entomologists in arranging their collections. 



A new tenant of the nests of a species of ant (I'brmica 

 subsericea Say) has been found in the caterpillar of some 

 species of ' JLyccenidm. "The lower segments of the abdomen 

 were continually gently stroked by the antenna?, in the fa- 

 miliar manner of ants when soliciting honey-dew from Aphi- 

 des." Mr. W. H. Edwards has found that the caterpillar of 

 Lycoena pseudargiolus is possessed of organs upon the upper 

 part of the last segments apparently designed or fitted for 

 the exudation of some fluid, as also shown by Dr. Leidy in 

 some specimens received from Mr. McCook. 



" Insects," says Professor J. Plateau, " are often attracted 

 from a distance by artificial flowers, but never alight on 

 them." They must, therefore, he thinks, be guided by some 

 other sense besides that of sight. 



Several new genera and species of bird-mites are described 

 and figured by Heller in Siebold and Kolliker's Zeitschrlft. 



Professor C. V. Riley has studied the transformations of 

 the locust-mite (Trombidhtm locustarum Riley) which at- 

 tacks grasshoppers, and lives from the Atlantic coast to 

 California, but is especially abundant on the Rocky Moun- 

 tain locust. In spring the female lays between 300 and 400 

 minute, spherical, orange-red eggs in the ground. The young 

 Trombidium when hatched has but six legs. In this form, 

 and when very small, they creep on the locust and adhere 

 to the base of the wings, where they become swollen and 

 oblong in form, until finally they let go their hold and drop 



