OF WASHINGTON. 45 



of a severe and protracted drought and was only fair in such of 

 the arroyos as had not been pastured by stock. Among the 

 Lepidoptera referred to were the following : Oeta aurea 

 ( = compta}, which in the north breeds very abundantly on 

 Ailanthus, was found in enormous numbers on flowers in the 

 lower Nueces Valley in spite of the fact that the only food-plant 

 known for it does not occur in this region, indicating that it 

 breeds on some local plant. Three butterflies were exhibited 

 which seemed to be, at the season mentioned, the principal repre 

 sentatives of the Rhopalocera, viz : Synckloe lacinia, Eresia 

 ianthe, both distinctive Texan forms, and Phyciodes cammellus, 

 a species which feeds on Aster, and is represented in the national 

 collection now by specimens from Colorado and Utah. This 

 last was the most abundant species, occurring everywhere in 

 numbers. He referred also to the reported very abundant mi 

 grations during the week or two before his visit of a white 

 butterfly, which proved from the few scattered individuals still 

 remaining to be Pieris protodice. It was suggested that this 

 species had probably bred in excessive numbers on cabbage and 

 as this vegetable was then harvested the migration was a forced 

 one from the failure of the food supply. Among the Hemiptera 

 referred to were the common Cactus Capsid, Lobos hesperius, 

 which was very abundant on Opuntia engelmanni ; Lioderuia 

 ligata, which seemed to be a distinctive enemy of the "wild 

 currant " {Berber is trifoliata) ; Oncer ometopus confluens 

 (?), which was found very abundantly on the pods and termi 

 nals of the " coral bean" (Sophora secundijlora} north of San 

 Antonio, and the sharp-shooter (ffomalodisca coagulata], 

 which was collected in enormous numbers, in all stages of devel 

 opment, in arroyos, on various flowering plants, but chiefly on a 

 species of Monarda. In the Hymenoptera, the extreme rarity of 

 bumble-bees was commented on, only a single specimen (J3om- 

 bus pennsylvam'cus} being secured. A number of other dis 

 tinctive Hymenoptera were exhibited, and particular mention 

 was made of Panisctis geminatus, the sting of a representative 

 of which was reported by Mr. L. A. Bitterman, of Nuecestown, to 

 have resulted in a very serious tumor. This insect is known 

 commonly in Texas as the " candle fly," and in the instance re- 



