36 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of any serious depredations later in the season. An attack on Alfalfa 

 was reported, but, unfortunately, the cause of the trouble was lost in 

 transit, and I can only suspect, from the nature of its work, that it was 

 some species of lepidoptera, probably a Pyralid, though I hardly think it 

 could be Eurycreon rantalis. The method of attack on Alfalfa resembles 

 that of the Parsnip web-worm, Depressaria heracliana, De G., on 

 parsnip, in that the terminal leaves and stems of the plant are drawn to- 

 gether and held by a web, and within the enclosure thus, formed the 

 caterpillar evidently lives, feeding from the tender growth, thereby dwarf- 

 ing the plants. Prof. Townsend, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, writes me 

 of reports of similar injury in that section of the country, but he has not 

 yet been able to secure specimens of the depredator. 



Considerable injury to the Pecan was reported, and specimens of the 

 depredator were sent with samples of the injured Pecans. But, again, the 

 pests escaped, probably to the mail sack, that bourne from which no 

 entomologist's treasures ever return. The worms were reported as caus- 

 ing the shuck enveloping the nut to mould and drop off the tree before 

 they were full grown, thereby rendering them valueless. In Insect Life, 

 vol. 4, p. 78, mention is made of a probably undescribed species of 

 Phycitid, whose larvae are said to attack the buds of Pecan in early spring. 

 These were sent from the vicinity of Brownwood, Texas, June 17, while 

 the specimens intended for me were collected with the injured nuts, 

 September 14. Whether or not there is any connection between the two 

 remains to be learned. 



The Angoumois Grain Moth, Sitotroga ( Gelechia) cerealella, Oliv., is 

 an every year pest, both in the field and among stored grain. My old 

 experiments, with heat, made ten years ago, and before the use of carbon 

 bisulphide came into application in destroying grain infesting insects, are 

 less practical than is the use of this fluid drug. The same measure may 

 be used against the Rice Weevil, Calandria oryzce, which appears to be 

 especially abundant among stored corn, and is, so far as my correspond- 

 ence and personal observation goes, the grain weevil of Texas. 



The Bag Worm or Basket Worm appears to be exceedingly numerous 

 the present season in various portions of the State, and the same may be 

 said of Southern Ohio. Of five sent me from Texas, August 11, and 

 placed on trees in my yard, four soon clustered together and spun their 

 fastenings to the same twig, while the fifth amused me by wandering 

 about in a dissatisfied sort of way, and finally going off by itself to an 

 adjacent limb, to which it immediately attached itself permanently. 



