OF WASHINGTON. 105 



ever, in the following characters : Head of female faintly and sparsely 

 punctured in front. Elytra declivity of male and female provided each 

 side with small tubercules ; suture elevated. Middle and hind tibia with 

 four teeth near tip. Length, 4 mm. Described from two perfect males 

 and parts of four females. From white oak, chestnut oak, and beech. 

 Types in Collection West Va. Experiment Station. 



In functatissimus the head of the female is found to be deeply and 

 coarsely punctured in front. Declivity of elytra, plain. Middle and hind 

 tibia with only three teeth near tip. 



One of the interesting facts regarding this species I have de 

 scribed is its apparent preference for perfectly healthy sap-wood 

 of living trees, in which to excavate its galleries and brood- 

 chambers. The entrance to the galleries thus excavated in a 

 young, growing tree is, the subsequent year, covered over by a 

 growth of wood, and as the tree continues to grow, layer after 

 layer of wood is formed over the first until the tree reaches ma 

 turity, when the injury will be deeply buried in the heart- wood. 

 The common occurrence of injuries thus caused throughout the 

 wood of old oak trees is evidence that this species, or one having 

 the same habit, has been for centuries more or less common in 

 our forests. In fact, some very early dates of insect injuries in 

 America may be obtained by counting the annual growths which 

 have formed over the entrance to galleries occurring near the 

 heart of large trees. 



I have not yet met with injuries dating back to the time of 

 Columbus, but it appears possible that brood-chambers may yet 

 be found in some of our ancient oaks that were excavated by a 

 Corthylus in the fifteenth century. 



The following, from Mr. Hopkins, was also read by the 

 Secretary : 



NOTES ON FOOD HABITS OF CORTHYLUS PUNCTATIS- 



SIMUS. 

 By A. D. HOPKINS. 



During an excursion to the Dells of the Wisconsin with mem 

 bers of A. A. A. S. on August 19, 1893, I found Corthylus 

 punctatisshmis, adults and pupa?, frequent in their brood-cham 

 bers at base of small bushes of dogwood (Cornus sp.), hazel 

 ( Corylus americana), and sassafras, and on September 6, near 

 Evansville, Indiana, I collected the same species in water-beech 

 ( Carpinus caroliniana} , sugar tree (Acer saccharinum), and 

 iron wood (Ostrya virginica}. 



