THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 127 



Sphaerian fungus which grows out of the larvae of Lachnosierna fusca and 

 other Scarabreidae : 



" If only a single such specimen as the above had been met with, we 

 " might account for it by supposing that the larva had accidentally died 

 " with the undevoured seed of some plant in its mouth, and that this seed 

 " thereupon vegetated and grew, using the body of the plant as manure to 

 " aid it in its growth. But how can we account for the large numbers of 

 " these specimens found in one place, at one time, and by one man ? I 

 " can only explain these singular circumstances by supposing that some 

 " particular kind of seed is poisonous to this larva, although the instincts 

 " of the larva do not prompt it to reject such seed as food. Hence it is 

 " to be hoped that Mr. Paulding's experiments will be continued until he 

 " clearly ascertains what plant is produced from this vegetative larva. 

 " Possibly we might turn such knowledge to practical account by sowing 

 " this particular kind of seed in places infested by the White Grub, and 

 " especially where, as with young trees in nurseries, we cannot conveni- 

 " ently reach our enemy with the plough, the hoe or the spade." 



In August, 1873, at the Portland ' Meeting of the Am. Assoc. Adv. 

 Science, after giving an example of the destruction of the entire caterpillar 

 population of a 1 2-acre lot of forest land, by the accidental introduction 

 of pebrine, or muscadine, from a neighboring colony of silk worms, I 

 spoke as follows, recommending at the end of my discourse : 



" 7. Careful study of epidemic diseases of insects, especially those of 

 " a fungoid nature ; and experiments on the most effective means of intro- 

 " ducing and communicating such diseases, at pleasure.'' 



The want of, logical connection between these extracts is sufficiently 

 obvious. But in order to place this more clearly before the reader, let 

 me in a few words sketch the pictures presented to the mind by the 

 respective conceptions of Mr. Walsh and myself. 



Mr. W r alsh exhibits an uninstructed, though intelligent farmer, seeking 

 under his advice for the imaginary seed of an impossible plant, to be 

 strewn on the ground in places infested by the White Grub, in the fond 

 hope that the latter (in his roving hours ?) may swallow this seed and die 

 of indigestion. 



My picture is of a well trained mycologist, skilled in the recognition 

 of microscopic forms, acquainted with ferments and their methods of 

 growth, familiar with the protean forms of zymosis, so far as they have 



