4 18 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



PERI LL US CLAUD us A BENEFICIAL INSECT. 

 In the September number of this magazine appeared a note by Dr. 

 Bethune relative to the predaceous work of Perillus claudus Say on the 

 Colorado potato beetle. I also am glad to report the good work of this 

 insect in Michigan during the years 1908 and 1909. In 1908 it was sent 

 in to the Michigan Agricultural College several times, and each time 

 mentioned as killing the potato beetle. In 1909 it was sent in quite fre- 

 quently, and from many localities. Several of the correspondents claimed 

 that it was becoming so beneficial that spraying was hardly necessery. It 

 was known to attack the larvae and nymphs. The method of its attack 

 was to pierce with its mouth-parts the soft skin of the larvae or nymph 

 and suck out all the liquid contents of the host's body, thus insuring a 

 sure and sudden death. 



There seems to have been a northward spread of this insect, as it was 

 not formerly known to occur as far north as Illinois, and here we have it 

 in 1908 and 1909 in Michigan, and in Ontario in 191 1. 



M. A. YoTHERS, Pullman, Wash. 



NOTES ON THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF GRAPTA 



IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



BY HENRY H. LYMAN, MONTREAL. 



In the 36th Annual Report of the Entomological Society of Ontario 

 for 1905 appeared a very interesting paper by Mrs. NichoU on "Butterfly 

 Collecting in Canada, 1904," followed by some critical notes by the late 

 Dr. James Fletcher. 



Mrs. NichoU appears to have consulted Mr. Henry Elwes in regard 

 to at least some of the determinations, but I do not know whether all her 

 specimens were examined by him or not. 



On page 76 Polygofiia ( Grapia) gracilis is recorded as having been 

 taken at Ottawa and Montreal ; the latter locality, however, I believe to 

 be erroneous. I do not know that there is any inherent reason why it 

 should not occur here, but the fact remains that we have had a flourishing 

 branch of the Entomological Society of Ontario in active operation here 

 for 38 years, and no specimen of that species has ever been taken here by 

 any of our members. 



December, 1911 



