1896.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 295 



green light as the male, but extremely difficult to capture and 

 handle, and almost invariably the specimens were somewhat 

 crushed in capturing. A number of specimens of this species 

 were collected at night, but not one specimen could be found 

 during the day. 



The following are some of the characters of the female: 

 Length .28 inch. 7 mm., fusiform, flattened above. The alco- 

 holic specimens are of a uniform pale straw-yellow, when alive 

 almost transparent, without markings. The dorsal surface is 

 extended beyond the side lines of the body in thin transparent 

 lobes, as shown in the figure. The surface rather coarsely, ir- 

 regularly and densely punctured, giving it a reticulated appear- 

 ance. Legs nearly equal in length, feebly developed, tarsal 

 claws simple and comparatively large. Head small, completely 

 withdrawn beneath the anterior extension. Eyes small, black, 

 ocelli separated and rounded, set into a dark frame work ; an- 

 tennre short, stout, extending but little beyond the head, six- 

 jointed, with long sparse hair ; mandibles large, slender and 

 pointed; the mouth parts are fairly distinct; the maxillae have 

 but one lobe ; palpi four-jointed, counting the basal segment; 

 labrum simple, consisting of a divided, palpiform structure set 

 upon a shield-like mentum. 



Pyractomena ecostata Lee. This is one of our largest species 

 of Lampyricl, and was found by me for the first time at Anglesea, 

 Cape May County, N. J., July n. 



On the night of the above date a general raid was made on 

 Lampyrids by Prof. Smith, of New Brunswick, and Messrs. 

 Beyer, of New York; Bischoff, of Newark; Laurent and myself 

 of Philadelphia. 



In chasing after the first specimen through the salt grass we 

 discovered that the large Pyractomena was adhering to the low 

 grass, and in disturbing this the specimens would drop to ,he 

 ground and show light. A sweep-net was brought into use next, 

 but few were caught in this way, as they would invariably drop 

 btfore we got near them, but would always turn en the light 

 when disturbed. In this way a number of specimens were cap- 

 tured. It seems strange that this insect lives where the ground 

 is covered with a small species of land crab, one of the Gelatimus, 

 that lives, it seems, on everything that it can get its one large 



aw on. Buft this is where Pyractomena lives without doubt. 



