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THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 249 



same condition occurs this year as was noted last, and a large number of 

 insects of various kinds have been observed feeding on the leaves, none 

 of those I found were common enough, at any one time, to indicate that 

 they were to blame for the trouble. 



I am inclined to think now that it is the work of some nocturnal 

 insect, possibly a Scarabaeid. 



Xyleborus celsus in Hickory. — On Dec. ist, 1895, I discovered a 

 number of colonies of a Scolytid in a hickory stump, which revealed 

 numerous males of the species, as well as some good examples of the 

 galleries. The interesting features of the discovery were presented to 

 the W. Va. Academy of Science in a paper read at a meeting held on 

 Dec. 3rd. Attention was called to the rarity of the male, and that this 

 was probably the first time it had been found in company with the female. 

 But one male was found in each colony of 40 to 50 females, and it was 

 usually located at the farther end of one of the galleries, where it was 

 imprisoned by the females, which were closely crowded in the galleries in 

 Indian file, with their heads towards the inner end. One female guarded 

 the single entrance to the suite of galleries from all intruding enemies by 

 stationing herself just within the entrance and presenting her armoured 

 elytral declivity as an impenetrable barrier to the would-be intruders. 

 This habit and method of guarding the entrance to the brood-galleries is 

 common with most Scolytid!>3, and possibly serves in part to explain the 

 object cf the peculiar form of the elytral declivity in Platypus, Xyleborus, 

 Tomicus, Scolytus, and other genera. 



Some of the females of the bark-infesting species, after they have 

 fulfilled their mission of forming the egg-galleries and depositing eggs, 

 station themselves at the entrance, where they die at their maternal post 

 of duty, their dead bodies forming as effectual a barrier against the 

 entrance of certain enemies as if living. 



The male Xyleborus celsus is evidently identical with Leconte's X. 

 biographus, as was thought probable by Eichoff. 



The Willow Leaf Beetle, Lina lapponica, was exceedingly common 

 during the early part of the season, completely defoliating all kinds of 

 willows in some sections of the State, and often doing serious damage to 

 the foliage of certain cultivated poplars. Spraying with Paris green was 

 recommended for the protection of cultivated willows and poplars. 



