20 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



[Jan., '04 



feet, causes corresponding differences in vegetation striking 

 enough to be classed almost as mesophytic and xerophytic. 



Nature had long ago distributed her trees so that the leaves 

 of the past year helped to grow those of the present, read- 

 justing any unbalance caused by a deficit in the food-material 

 of the soil. Mans' improvements, grass-cutting and leaf-rak- 

 ing, naturally impoverished the soil rendering the incipient 

 xerophytic hill a poor producer. The trees were slowly starved, 

 and in their weakened condition succumbed to the attacks of 

 their insect foes. On the other hand the healthy trees of the 

 lowland were able to withstand the depredations of fungi and 

 boring insects, which probably would have had no incentive 

 for attacking them. 



A word of suggestion to similar land owners may be given. 

 If these trees had been kept in health by artificial fertilization 

 possibly they could have withstood the leaf-raking. To re- 

 place the abstracted nourishment trenches could have been dug 

 around the trees to be filled with manure or other suitable 

 food at the close of each season. Had this been done the trees 

 would probably have been preserved more effectually than by 

 waging war on the insect foes. 



LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL BEETLES INFESTING THE TREES. 



Bark-beetles and fungus feeders. 



Hister Lecontei Mars. 



Ips quadriguttatus Fabr. 



Tenebrioides mauritanica Linn. 



Pyrdchroa flabellata Fab. 



Boletophagus bifnrca. 

 Wood-borers. 



Melanotus communis Gyll. 



Melanotns decuinanus Er. 



Melanotiis fissi/is Say. 



Dicerca divaricata Say. 



Dicerca asperata Lap & Gory. 



Melanophfla dr/iinuiondi Kirby. 



Chrysobo/hris femorata Fab. 



Chrysobothris azurea Lee. 



Lncanus datna Thunb. 

 Orlhosonia brnnnenui Forst. 

 Eldphidion villosuin Fabr. 

 Elaphidion nuicronatnin Fabr. 

 Eburia quadrigeminata Say. 

 Xylotrechus colonus Fabr. 

 Urographis fasciatus Peg. 

 Alobates pennsylvanica Deg. 

 Me rin us laevis Oliv. 

 Xvlopinus saperdioides Oliv. 

 Tenebrio tenebrioides Beauv. 

 Diaporns liydni Linn. 

 Msracantha contracta Beauv. 

 Scofobates ca/carafns Fabr. 

 riatydcnia siibfostatiaii Lab. 



Tenebrio and Alobates outnumbered the others, and at the 

 time of emergence could be found by dozens under the loosened 

 bark. The presence of so many wood-borers attracted num- 

 bers of parasitic insects, especially ichneumons and Braconids. 

 The wasp Cerceris was also noticed, possibly searching like its 

 European relatives for the Buprestidse. 



