222 THE Canadian entomologist, 



to" be seen in the tops of iron weeds. They were principally 9 's, and 

 their death was probably due to the insect fungus, Eiitoinophthora 

 calopteni, Bessey, an interesting account of which appeared in Bull. 22, 

 U. S. Dept. Agr., 1890, 104. The disease was, perhaps, more abundant 

 on account of the young being exposed to so much dampness in May 

 and June. In two instances females of Melanoplus diffet'entiaiis, 

 Thomas, were discovered feeding upon the dead bodies of C. viridis, the 

 abdomens and soft portions of the thorax having been wholly devoured. 



Chloealtis conspersa, Harris. (C. E., XXIIL, 75.) 



The J^'s of this species are among the rarest locusts found in Indiana. 

 Six years collecting have yielded me not more than as many perfect 

 specimens. The 9 's are by no means common, seldom more than four 

 or five being seen in a day's collecting. 



Mr. S. I. Smith* and Mr. S. H. Scudderf have 'each given an inter- 

 esting account of the egg laying habits of the $ conspersa. On August 

 iJth, 1893, I discovered a $ in the act of boring a hole in the upper 

 edge of the topmost board of a six-plank fence. The abdomen was 

 curved downward, and the forcipate valves of the ovipositor used as 

 pinchers with which small pieces of the wood were broken off. When 

 discovered, the abdomen was inserted nearly one-half an inch in the pine 

 board, and the upper edge of the opening about the sides of abdomen 

 was covered with small pieces of wood, just as the dust or borings will 

 accumulate about the edge of a hole which a carpenter is boring. 



I stood by and watched her work for ten or more minutes, when she 

 suddenly stopped, withdrew her ovipositor and hopped away. Along the 

 fence, within a distance of 30 feet, I found 15 other holes, 11 of which 

 were fresh, while ihe others had evidently been bored the previous year. 

 Most of these were on the upper edge of the top board, which was in all 

 cases of pine and perfectly sound. None of the holes contained eggs, 

 most of them being less than half-an-inch in depth. 



On September 21st I found two $ 's ovipositing in the sides of a 

 rotten stump. Their abdomens were inserted their full length, and when 

 removed eggs were found in the lower horizontal portion of each cavity. 

 Chloealtis curtipennis, Harris. (C. E., XXIIL, 76.) 



This has proved to be a very abundant species among the tall grasse 

 of the low, damp prairies of Northern Indiana. 



*Rep. Conn. Board of Agric, 1872, 375. 



f" Distribution of Insects in New Il.impshire," 371. 



