OF WASHINGTON. 137 



be justly doubted, however, whether these recommendations did 

 much good, since they were given in Latin and printed in a book 

 which never had any circulation. 



No. 77 is Melolontha subspinosa Fabr., Rose-Bug (=Afa- 

 crodactylus subspinosus}. Before Melsheimer became aware 

 that this species had been described by Fabricius he had given it 

 the significant name Melolontha polyphaga. A foot-note in 

 forms us : " Habitat prcecipue in rosarum floribus quos mi- 

 sere destruit. No remedy is suggested here, and the feeling of 

 utter helplessness against the ravages of this beetle is very well 

 rendered by the word " mis ~ere." 



No. 440 is Alt tea segetum, Earth-Flea (== Chcetocnema den- 

 ticulata 111.). The foot-note : " Destruit segetes tempore au- 

 tumnali" is of considerable interest, because, until quite recently, 

 no species of Chaetocnema have ever been referred to as injurious 

 to cultivated plants. In fact, this particular species is never 

 mentioned in our economic literature, but since it is extremely 

 abundant and undoubtedly feeds on graminaceous plants I have 

 no doubt of the correctness of Melsheimer's statement. 



No. 545 is Galeruca cucumeris, Cucumber-Fly ( = Diabro- 

 tica vittata}. Foot-note: " Pest 'is hortorum : pellitur oleo 

 resinoso (Tar) et sulphure" The larva and larval habits re 

 mained unquestionably unknown to Melsheimer, and the remedies 

 suggested were intended to be used against the beetles. That 

 dusting with flowers of sulphur had some effect maybe conceded, 

 but how the " oleum resinosum" had to be applied to the vines 

 or to the beetles, I cannot explain. 



No. 589 is the Plum Curculio, Curculio ( Conotrachelus) 

 nenuphar, to which Melsheimer had given the name C. per- 

 sicce. In a foot-note he informs us : "Habitat in Malo persica, 

 larva sub cortice" It would seem strange that Melsheimer was 

 unacquainted with the true larval habit of the Curculio, but so 

 much is evident that his note is n(5t the result of observation ; it 

 simply reflects the notion prevailing at that time among the farmers 

 of York county, Pa. But this note has a history : Harris, in the 

 first edition of his Treatise (p. 67), simply translates it: "The 

 Rev. F. V. Melsheimer remarks in his Catalogue that this insect 

 lives under the bai'k of the peach tree." In the second edition 

 of his work Harris entirely drops the theory of the subcortical 

 larval life of the Curculio, but it was taken up again by Fitch and 

 Walsh. The former, who had never seen a copy of Melsheimer's 

 book, considerably magnifies and overrates the importance of this 

 note (3'd Rep., 52, p. 351) : "Fifty years ago, one of the best 

 authorities in our country upon a topic of this kind, Rev. F. V. 

 Melsheimer, of Pennsylvania, stated," etc. Walsh, who never 



