HYMENOPTERA. 383 



in Boston, in the year 1799, by order of "the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural Society," and obtained the Society's premium of 

 fifty dollars and a gold medal. As my own observations on this 

 insect agree perfectly with those of Professor Peck, in the fol- 

 lowing remarks I have merely abridged and condensed his "Nat- 

 ural History of the Slug worm," a work now out of print, and 

 rarely to be met with. It will be proper to premise that Profes- 

 sor Peck was inclined to believe this slug-fly to be a variety of 

 the Tenthr e do Cerasi of Linnaeus, an insect found more common- 

 ly on the pear-tree in Europe than on the cherry, although it has 

 a specific name derived from the latter tree. Most naturalists 

 now reject the name given by Linnaeus to the slimy grub of the 

 pear-tree, because it is not strictly correct, and substitute a spe- 

 cific name imposed upon it by Fabricius. The European insect, 

 therefore, is now called Selandria [Blennocampa) JEthiops ; and 

 a good account of it, by Mr. Westwood, may be found in the 

 thirteenth volume of " The Gardener's Magazine." It is possible 

 that our slug-fly may have been imported from Europe, and it 

 may turn out to be really a mere variety of the European insect. 

 Professor Peck was aware that it did not agree with the descrip- 

 tion, given by Linnaeus, of the latter ; and it appears to me that 

 the difference between the two insects, in their winged state, is 

 enough to entitle them to be considered as specifically distinct 

 from each other. For this reason I shall retain for our insect the 

 specific name adopted by Professor Peck, because this slug does 

 really live upon the cherry, in this country, as well as on the 

 pear tree ; and shall merely prefix to it the generical name which 

 it should bear according to modern nomenclature. The fly of 

 our slug- worm may therefore be called Selandria {Blennocampa) 

 Cerasi. The meaning of the word Selandria is unknown to me. 

 Blennocampa signifies slimy caterpillar, a name which, it will be 

 seen, may be applied with great propriety to our slug- worm. 



This slug-fly is of a glossy black color, except the first two 

 pairs of legs, which are dirty yellow or clay-colored, with black- 

 ish thighs, and the hind-legs, which are dull black, with clay- 

 colored knees. The wings are somewhat convex and rumpled 

 or uneven on the upper side, like the wings of the saw-flies gen- 

 erally. They are transparent, reflecting the changeable colors of 



