OF WASHINGTON. 291 



northern point. That it should appear in an isolated locality in 

 Ohio, north of extensive truck regions in which it is unknown, is 

 not surprising. In its spread during 10 years from Texas to Dela 

 ware it did not spread from farm to farm and from garden patch 

 to garden patch. It went by commercial jumps, and at the pres 

 ent time hardly a week passes without the receipt of specimens 

 of this insect from some locality within this already passed-over 

 region, with the statement that it is a new enemy to cabbage at 

 that point. In Ohio the insect has been commercially or acci 

 dentally introduced at a more northern point, but, as surely as 

 time goes on, it will be found in the truck-farming region men 

 tioned by Mr. Webster. He further expressed himself as wel 

 coming close criticism of this kind when based on exact obser 

 vation. 



The paper was further discussed briefly by Messrs. \Vaite, 

 Smith, Benton, and Gill. Messrs. Waite and Smith spoke of 

 the commercial transportation of asparagus roots in the early 

 spring, and even in the fall, as offering a possible means of trans 

 portation of the asparagus-beetle, and Mr. Benton said that the 

 carriage of this insect from Buffalo to northern Ohio ports did 

 not necessarily depend upon direction of wind or current, since 

 it could readily be carried by lake vessels. 



Mr. H. G. Hubbard exhibited specimens of the borings of 

 Xyleborus and Platypus, Scolytid beetles, in orange wood. He 

 described the habits of these beetles, and showed that Platypus is 

 capable of making extensive galleries of its own in hard-wood 

 trees. The nature of the food of these timber beetles was dis 

 cussed. In addition to reviewing and confirming the observations 

 of European writers, Mr. Hubbard described the so-called am 

 brosia which nourishes the young, as welling up through the 

 pores of the wood which are cut by the galleries in the shape of 

 minute white buttons, giving a tesselated appearance to the walls 

 of the passages. The substance sometimes accumulates in the 

 galleries, and when puddled by the larvae resembles half-melted 

 snow, or slush. A growth of fungus forms upon the ambrosia 

 and, closing the mouth of the galleries, causes them to fill up and 

 suffocate the inmates. This method of treatment was found use 

 ful in Florida, to save from further injury the budded portion of 



