186 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Cynips calicis occurred originally only in the Mediterranean re 

 gion, and queried how it could have reached the Netherlands. 

 He was answered simultaneously by Messrs. Schwarz and Howard 

 that it was obviously a commercial importation in the galls. Mr. 

 Ash mead referred to the fact that European Cynipids do not attack 

 the imported American oaks in the Kew Gardens, London. 



Mr. Schwarz exhibited specimens of Phodago alticeps Lee., 

 hitherto considered a rather rare blister beetle, but which has been 

 found by Mr. Hubbard to be extremely common in the desert 

 region along the Gila River. He read the following extract from 

 a letter received from Mr. Hubbard and dated Tucson, Ar., April 

 15, 1897: 



HABITS OF PHODAGA ALTICEPS LEG. 

 By H. G. HUBBARD. 



. . . Over the burning sand on the low hills at Tacna on the 

 lower Gila River there ran from time to time specimens of a 

 strange black Meloid, Phodaga alticeps. This insect is most 

 remarkable in its habits. It does not fly at all, although the 

 wings are large and well developed and the wing-cases are as 

 thin as tissue paper. The creature has long legs and runs about 

 actively visiting the scattered patches of small flowering plants 

 and sucking the nectar from such of the flowers as it can reach 

 without leaving the ground. When pursued the beetle raises at 

 once its thin and concave elytra and spreads its transparent under- 

 wings and speeds away like a little ship with black sails set wing 

 and wing. I thought at first that it did this to assist its long legs 

 in getting over the ground more rapidly by the aid of the wind, 

 but I found that the real object is to uncover some bright orange- 

 colored scent glands at each abdominal joint. These scent 

 glands it has the power of protruding or concealing at will, 

 exactly as in the Malachiidas. The living insects when captured 

 thus have the uncovered abdomen brightly maculate with orange 

 at each suture along the sides. But when dead these spots 

 entirely disappear and the abdomen becomes uniformly black 

 again. 



I gathered a large series of this species although it was hot 

 work chasing them over the burning hillside at a temperature 

 of 120 at noonday. They were not very alert, however, and 

 were not difficult to capture, as they seem to rely upon the pro 

 tection of their scent glands. I did not perceive any strong odor 

 and suppose it is rather a repellant taste on which they rely. I 

 found them only on this one hillside on the north of the Gila 



