226 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [November, 



COSTLY BUGS Fifty dollars seems an extravagant price to pay for one 

 black beetle. Yet Kansas was once inhabited by these insects, and they 

 sold readily for that much, and sometimes for more. The beetle, known 

 as the Amblychila, was supposed to have become extinct. But two speci- 

 mens of it were known, one of which was in the University of Bonn. 

 Two young men traveling through Kansas some years ago found numbers 

 of the beetles. They were alive and readily sold for $50. In all they 

 made $10,000 in supplying the beetles to scientists. 



The above clipping in regard to Amblychila cylindriformis is from this 

 morning's Recoi'd (Sept. 30, '97), and is another case of newspaper ento- 

 mology. Aside from two broken specimens, both of which were found 

 dead, the first two perfect specimens of Amblychila cylindriformis found 

 were sold in Philadelphia for $12. 50 each; one being purchased by the 

 American Entomological Society and the other by Mr. Wilt. The above 

 information I received from Mr. Wilt, himself, some twelve years ago. 

 Prof. Snow, of Kansas, has captured the insect in large numbers, and at 

 one time sold them at eight cents each. If I am not mistaken it was 

 Prof. Snow who found out that the insect was nocturnal in habits. PHILIP 

 LAURENT. 



Entomological Literature. 



Under the above head it is intended to note such papers received at the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia pertaining to the Entomology of the Americas (North 

 and South). Articles irrelevant to American entomology, unless monographs, or con- 

 taining descriptions of new genera, will not be noted. Contributions to the anatomy 

 physiology and embryology of insects, however, whether relating to American or exotic 

 species, will be recorded. The numbers in heavy-faced type refer to the journals, as 

 numbered in the following list, in which the papers are published ; * denotes that the 

 paper in question contains descriptions of new North American forms. 



4. The Canadian Entomologist, London, Ont. , October, '97. 5. 

 Psyche, Cambridge, Mass., October, '97. 6. Journal of the New York 

 Entomological Society, September, '97. 9. The Entomologist, London, 

 October, '97. 11. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, London, 

 September, '97. lo Biologia Centrali-Americana, London, part cxxxv 

 May, part cxxxvi August, '97. 21. The Entomologist's Record, Lon- 

 don, Sept. 15, '97. 36. Transactions, Entomological Society of London, 

 '97, part iii, Sept. r. 41. Entomologische Nachrichten, Berlin, '97, No. 

 16, Aug. 45. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift '97, heft i, Berlin, 



July- 

 General Works. Comstock, J. H. Insect Life. An introduc- 

 tion to Nature-study and a guide for teachers, students, and others inter- 

 ested in out-of-door life. By John Henry Comstock, Professor of Ento- 

 mology in Cornell University and in Leland Stanford Junior University. 

 With many original illustrations engraved by Anna Botsford Comstock, 

 Member of the Society of American Wood-engravers. New York, D. 



