I'lje 



Htomolofli$t 



VOL. XXIL 



LONDON, JANUARY, 1890. 



No. 



BALANINUS— ITS FOOD HABITS. 



BY JOHN HAMILTON, M. D., ALLEGHENY, PA, 



All the described species of Balaninus inhabiting America north of 

 Mexico when larvae live in the fruit (nuts and acorns) of the various 

 species of Quercus, Castanea, Corylus and perhaps I'agus of the order 

 CupulifercE, and Carya of the Juglaudacece. Acorns, somewhat largely 

 used in this country in the arts and in the manufacture of certain dietetics, 

 are mostly imported, the 

 native production being rend^ 

 ered almost worthless by these 

 larvae ; and our chestnuts as 

 soon as collected must be 

 kiln-dried orotherwise treated, 

 which renders them greatly -^ ®C' 



inferior to those of foreign 

 countries, Balaninus has not 

 yet received any attention 

 from an economic standpoint^ 

 but from the above would ^■°- '• 



seem deserving of some consideration in that direction. The systematic 

 separation of the species has only been effected recently and definite 

 characters furnished for their recognition. Say probably had all the now 

 described species before him, and excluding proboscoideus, included them 

 in his rectus and' nasicus. The failure of Say, one of the clearest of 

 describers, to make his species recognizable by description, is suggestive 

 of the absence of points of saliency, and has been the source of much 

 confusion in our literature, some of which is evidenced in the earlier 

 volumes of the Canadian Entomologist. 



Note. — Figure i, drawn by Miss Ormerod, represents a European species, 

 Balaninus nucmn Linn., which feeds upon filberts. It conveys a good idea of the 

 characteristic forms of the genus. 



