76 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



and more especially Odontota dorsalis, were exceptionally rare 

 this season, and no appreciable damage was done by them. 



There is some confusion in the statements of various authors 

 regarding the species of Apion. which breeds in the seeds or 

 feeds on the leaves of the Black Locust. Say states that 

 Dr. Melsheimer found Apion rostrum on the leaves ; Dr. 

 Harris says that A. rostrum breeds in the seeds of Bap- 

 tisia tinctoria, and that "a smaller kind somewhat like it 

 inhabits the pods and eats the seed of the locust tree ;" Dr. 

 Fitch, in -his 5th Report, enumerates A. rostrum among the 

 locust tree insects, and remarks that the species is very varia 

 ble in size and sculpture, that it eats holes in the leaves, and 

 that it probably breeds in the seeds ; Dr. LeConte, in the 

 " Rhynchophora," simply says that the species from Black 

 Locust is different from A. rostrum; Dr. Packard, in his 

 Bulletin on Forestry Insects, has again A. rostrum among the 

 Black Locust insects, and generally follows Fitch's account. 

 I have myself never found A. rostrum on the Black Locust, 

 but the species so commonly found feeding on the leaves of 

 this tree is undoubtedly A. nigrum Herbst (as redescribed by 

 Prof. J. B. Smith), and I feel confident that this is the same 

 species which is said by Harris to breed in the seeds of the 

 tree. At any rate, A. rostrum should no longer be included 

 among the Black Locust insects. 



Spermophagus robinice should be omitted from the list of 

 Black Locust insects, since it cannot possibly live in the seeds 

 of the tree, for the reason that the larva is at least five times 

 larger than the seed. Its only food-plant is the Honey Locust 

 (Gleditschia triacanthus) , the seed of which corresponds in size 

 with that of the larva. 



Mr. Howard stated that so far from there being no large 

 locust trees in the vicinity of Washington, they were very 

 abundant in old yards in Maryland near Washington, where 

 this tree seemed to have been a favorite. Of leaf-miners, he 

 mentioned Gelechia pseudacaciella Chamb. as of chief import 

 ance, the leaves frequently being whitened by the work of 

 their larvae. He had particularly noted this appearance in the 

 case of young trees bordering fences during a recent drive of 

 a few miles into the country. 



Prof. Riley stated that approaching and up to Hagerstown, 

 Md. , the trees were seared by Odontota dorsalis. He agreed in 

 general with Mr. Schwarz as to the cause of the failure of the 



