144 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, 



duced with two strong, rather elongate, widely separated teeth; apex of 

 femora, outer side of tibia; more or less and the tarsi with ashy pile, 

 tegulas reddish. Wings, with the apical margins, broadly, a spot in the 

 median, first and second submarginal and the third discoidal cells fuscous; 

 on each extreme side of dorsal abdominal segments 1-3 there is a large 

 spot of pale pubescence, which is narrowly produced out on apical por- 

 tion of segment to almost the middle as in interrupta, but the fascia are 

 much narrower, the fourth and fifth segments with a transverse series of 

 four spots, those on the fifth segment by far the smallest; last dorsal seg- 

 ment with elongate-triangular enclosure, which is divided by a strong, 

 medial, longitudinal carina; the basal and lateral portions of the ventral 

 segments finely and closely punctured. Length 12 15 mm. 



Rapid City and Custer, S. Dak. ( J. T. Aldrich). In general 

 appearance resembles Ericrocis lata; also resembles Melecta cali- 

 fornica, but is much larger. In the synoptical table here given 

 of our species of Melecta, I have included M. (?) mucida, which, 

 although possessing but two submarginal cells, is referable to 

 Melecta. It is probably abnormal, as sometimes Melecta cali- 

 fornica has but two submarginals in one wing, while in the other 

 wing there is the usual number. M. separata and eawardsii are 

 not included in the table, as they belong to Bombomelecta. This 

 latter genus differs from Melecta, in addition to the characters 

 given, by Patton, in having the tarsal claws cleft. 



Mr. Jules Remy says, that on his arrival at Salt Lake, he observed upon 

 the shore, on top of the salt, a deposit of a foot deep which was entirely 

 composed of dead locusts, (Edipoda corallipes. These insects, driven 

 by a high wind in prodigiously thick clouds, had been drowned in the 

 lake, after having, during the course of the Summer (1855), destroyed the 

 rising crops, and even the prairie grass. * The Mormons, in their 



simple and picturesque descriptions, say that these insects are the produce 

 of " a cross between the spider and the buffalo." 



" In the year 1503," says Moufet, "Dr. Penny was called in great haste 

 to a little village, called Mortlake, near the Thames, to visit two noble 

 ladies, who were much frightened by the appearance of bug bites, and 

 were in fear of I know not what contagion ; but when the matter was 

 known, and the insects caught, he laughed them out of all fear." This 

 fact disproves the statement of Southall, that the Cimeux It'ctiilariiis was 

 not known in England before 1670, and that of Linnaens, and the gener- 

 ality of later writers, that this insect is not originally a native of Europe, 

 but was introduced into England after the great fire of London in 1666, 

 having been brought in timber from America. Cowan, Curious l*\icts. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS for March was mailed March 3, 1893. 



