186 



devour them. On a stump in the upland Bates woods Zonitoides 

 arborea, Pyramidula perspectiva, and Philomycns carolinensis were 

 found upon a felt-hke growth of fungi ; it is to be remembered, too, 

 that with the other snails lives the snail Circinaria which preys upon 

 them. At the time the Bates woods was examined, it was rather dry, 

 so that fungi were not abundant. No millipeds were found on fungi, 

 but Cook ('lib, p. 625) states that "The mouth parts of millipeds are 

 not adapted for biting or chewing, but are equipped with minute scrap- 

 ers and combs for collecting soft, decaying materials. Dead or dying 

 tissues are preferred. The only living plants that are regularly eaten 

 by millipeds are the fleshy fungi. Some of the native millipeds in the 

 vicinity of Washington, District of Columbia, feed to a considerable 

 extent upon the local species of Amanita, Russula, and Lactarius. 

 Damage is sometimes done to other plants when millipeds gain access 

 to wounded surfaces of roots or cuttings." A horned fungus beetle, 

 Boletothcrus bifurcus, living on Polyporus on stumps, was found in the 

 Bates woods. 



At Urbana, 111., in a dense maple-bass wood forest (Brownfield) 

 November 14 I took a very large number of the small mycetophagid 

 beetle Triphylhis hiimeralis Kby. (No. 545, C. C. A.) on a shelf- 

 fungus, Polyporus tomentosus Fries, growing on a much decaved log. 

 On the under side of this same kind of fungus numerous tipulid flies 

 were found, some individuals evidently ovipositing. These were deter- 

 mined by Mr. J. R. Malloch as belonging to the genus Trichocera. 

 These are flies which thrive in the far north, as in Greenland. One 

 species, brumalis Fitch (Lintner's Second Report, p. 243) is found 

 common in forests in the winter season, and even when the tempera- 

 ture is below freezing they are on wing. Such northern forms are 

 likely to be active in winter or vernal farther south. On another shelf- 

 fungus, Dccdalia sp. taken at Urbana, 111., I found numerous speci- 

 mens of Arrhenoplita bicornis Oliv. (PI. XXIII, fig. 2). This is a 

 small greenish tenebrionid in which the males have two large horns on 

 the head. I have the following woodland fungus-beetles taken at 

 Bloomington, Illinois: Bndomychidcc — Aphorista vittata Fabr., April 

 14 (A. B. Wolcott) ; Brotylidcr — Tritoma- thoracica Say, June 23 (on 

 fungi) and July 26; T. biguttata Say (Sept. 21 ), Mcgalodacne fasciata 

 Fabr., March 7 (A. B. Wolcott) ; Nitidididcc — Phenolia grossa Fabr. 

 (July 26), Pallodes pallidus Beauv., July 2 (on gilled fungus) ; Myce- 

 topJiagidcc — Mycetophagus bipushdatus Mels. (April 27), M. puncta- 

 tus Say April 18, and June 23 (on fungi) ; Tcncbriotiida: — Platydema 

 mficorne Sturm. March 13 and June 23 (on fungi), Diaperis macnlata 

 Oliv. {hydni Fabr.) (PI. XXIII, fig. i) July 26; Melandryidcc — 

 Bustro pints bicolor Say, June 23 (on fungi), and B. tomentosus Say, 



