»116 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, 



on page 33 of the volume cited, corrects the identification and refers the 

 insect to Podisus spiuosiis or modestus or to an alUed species. Later 

 specimens sent to Prof Uhler (not Ulke) were found to represent a new 

 species and Were named Anna placidiun (Can. Ent., Vol. II., p. 93). 

 Prof Saunders also gives notes upon the predatory habits of this insect 

 in the Report of the Entomological Society of Ontario, 187 1, p. 31. 



I have been unable to find the original description of the species. 

 Through correspondence with Prof. Uhler I learn that he cannot recall 

 the circumstances connected with the publication of the description, 

 were such a description published, and he has very kindly sent me the 

 following characterization of the species together with a description of 

 Enschistus polittis : 



Podisus placidus, Uhler. — " Of a narrower and more oval form than 

 P. serieventris, with a head somewhat tapering anteriorly, and rounded at 

 lip instead of being truncated, and with the humeral angles rounded off 

 and very moderately prominent. Colour pale testaceous, stained with 

 pale brown and punctate with darker brown. Head much longer than 

 wide, depressed, remotely punctate, the edge reflexed, brown ; each side 

 of tylus is a slender brown line which is triangularly expanded on the 

 base of the vertex ; occipital margin dark brown in the middle, pale and 

 narrowly callous each side ; a pale callous line extends back from each 

 ocellus ; throat whitish testaceous ; cheeks with a slender black line 

 before each eye ; eyes brown, bordered with testaceous behind ; antennae 

 pale brown, paler at base and on the last two joints ; the basal joint 

 testaceous, very short, the second longest, third scarcely more than half 

 the length of the second, fourth about three-fourths as long as the second, 

 fifth a little shorter than the fourth ; rostrum stout, pale testaceous, 

 reaching upon the posterior coxse, the apical joint narrow, about as long 

 as the preceding one, brown. Pronotum with the sides straighter than 

 usual, the lateral margin narrowly callous, pale ivory-yellow, and with a 

 few indented points and small teeth before the middle ; the submargin 

 with a brown line, surface with wavy, transverse pale lines between the 

 pale brown marbling, more generally brown behind the middle ; post- 

 humeral margins slightly sinuated ; anterior margins callous, having a 

 small group of coarse punctures behind each eye ; punctures sunken, 

 brown, mostly not close together in the transverse series ; posterior 

 margin truncate. Scutellum long, bluntly rounded and margined with 

 white at tip, punctures in short transverse series, grouped in about thie? 



