OF WASHINGTON. 161 



Mr. Schwarz exhibited specimens of the Ptinid beetle, Tri- 

 gonogeniiis farctus LeConte, from San Francisco, Cal., and T. 

 globulum Solier, from Chili, in order to prove the specific iden 

 tity of the two. He called attention to his note published in the 

 Canadian Entomologist, where the habits of the species were 

 mentioned. It has been found in red pepper and other drugs in 

 California and British America, and he had at that time called at 

 tention to the fact that the species was probably an introduced one. 

 He also called attention to a note in the Entomologists' Monthly 

 Magazine for March, 1900. where Mr. B. Tomlin records the 

 occurrence of this species in England among refuse of grain. 



Mr. Marlatt recalled a communication presented by him 

 before the Society several years ago, in which he pointed out the 

 danger of describing as new species specimens of scale insects 

 which varied in color only from old species. As illustrating the 

 wide range of such variations he exhibited some specimens of 

 the San Jose scale. One of these was a peach twig recently 

 received from a correspondent, completely massed and covered 

 with scales, most of which were of a chalky or almost snow- 

 white color. This was especially notable on the side of the limb 

 most exposed to the sun, and all of the scales on the limb, under 

 neath as well, were much whitened. If the character of color 

 were given relative value in this case it would result in a distinct 

 species, if not a new genus. On this twig were patches where 

 the scale presented nearly the normal appearance, and in other 

 places were all the variations between the white and the normal 

 color of the scale. He also exhibited some pear leaves on which 

 the San Jose scale, chiefly male scales, were of a very light buff, 

 and stated that he had noticed during the summer that the insects 

 that went out on the leaves developed scales of this color in life, a 

 characteristic which is widely divergent from the normal type of the 

 species, and would never be recognized as belonging to the San 

 Jos scale. More striking examples of wide variations in color 

 of a scale he had never seen, and both of these specimens illus- 



Museum has specimens from New Mexico and Chihuahua, whereas t'nci- 

 dens is unknown in the East. Therefore, cousobriiius is a more probably 

 correct identification of Messrs. Schwarz and Barber's larvae. 



Consobrtnus belongs to the short-tubed group only by reversion in the 

 last stage, as will be more fully discussed elsewhere. H. G. D. 



