160 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



In the catalogue of the Harris collection we read : " 2. Carabus auratus 

 L. In Dr. Holbrook's garden, 181 9. Undoubtedly introduced in balls 

 of earth surrounding the roots of French trees." 



Dr. Leconte (Ann. Lye. 1848, vol. iv., p. 159-160,) also mentions 

 this occurrence of C. auratus in the United States, and assigns the same 

 method of dispersion. This record of C. auratus recalls the case of 

 another common European beetle found once in Eastern Massachusetts, 

 but which has failed to become established. In the Proc. Bost. Soc. 

 Nat. Hist., 1869, vol. xii., jd. 381, Mr.- Ernest Papendiek notes the 

 capture in Milton, Mass., of twenty specimens of Silpha atrata. 



In 1844, Dr. F. E. Melsheimer described as new Onthophagus 

 rhinoceros and Aphodius pensvallensis ; subsequent study, however, 

 proved O. rhinoceros synonymous with O. nuchicornis, and A. pensval' 

 lensis the same as A. erraticus, both well known European species. 

 Drs. Haldeman and Leconte in a foot note to the Melsheimer catalogue 

 doubted the occurrence of both species " unless introduced by accident," 

 and it is only quite recently that we have been able to add both species 

 to our lists. Mr. Otto Lugger reports A. erraticus as abundant in 

 Maryland, and in June, 1881, when collecting on several of the Magdalen 

 Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, I found 0. mtchicornis abundant in 

 cattle droppings. As I have since seen specimens from New Brunswick 

 and Rhode Island, the species is probably established in this country. 



On some future occasion it will be interesting to note the species 

 erroneously accredited to the fauna of North America, together with 

 those common to America and the eastern hemisphere. 



Report of the Select Standing Committee on Immigr.'Xtion and 

 Colonization of the House of Commons, Ottawa, 1886. 

 In this " Blue Book " we find some valuable information on injurious 

 insects given to the Committee by our friend Mr. James Fletcher, who is 

 doing much good work in Economic Entomology in connection with the 

 Dominion Department of Agriculture. It must be evident to the Depart- 

 ment, we should think, by this time that Mr. Fletcher's services are of so 

 much value to the country that they should be no longer of a jnirely 

 " honorary " character, but should be regarded in the same light as those 

 of Prof. Riley at Washington, Dr. Lintner at Albany, Prof. Forbes in 

 Illinois, and many others in various States of the Union. 



No. 8 mailed July 30. 



