360 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECORD. [Vol. 36 



rectly on the natural history of the cluster fly (P. rudis), as reported by Keilia 

 in the paper above noted. The life history of this fly, a species first discovered 

 in America by the senior author at Washington. D. C, in June, 1916, has been 

 found by the authors to be quite dilferent in many ways from that in Paris, as 

 described by Keilin. 



The authors found the eggs of summer generations to hatch in about 3 days. 

 The first stage larvse are very active and appear to be able to penetrate the 

 earthworms at almost any point in the body wall. The larvse require from 13 

 to 22 days and the pupse from 11 to 14 days to develop, and the total develop- 

 mental period requires from 27 to 39 days. The authors have reached the tenta- 

 tive conclusion that there are four broods or generations per annum in the lati- 

 tude of Washington, D. C. 



A curious formation of a fungus occurring on a fly, L. O. Howard {Proc. 

 Ent. Soc. Wash., 18 {1916), No. 3, pp. 196, 197).— This note records the occur- 

 rence of a Cordyceps, possibly C. dipterigena, on a muscoid fly received from 

 Fayetteville, Ark., and on two specimens in the Pergande collection. 



A new parasite on sheep maggot flies, W. W. Fkoggatt {Agr. Gaz. N. S. 

 Wales, 27 (1916), No. 7, pp. 505, 506, pi. 1). — A new chalcid found to parasitize 

 blowfly maggots (Calliphora oceanice) before they pupate is described as Chalcis 

 calliphorce. 



Ambrosia beetles or pin-hole and shot-hole borers, C. F. C. Beeson {Indian 

 Forester, 1^2 {1916), No. 4, pp. 216-223, pi. 1). — This account includes lists of 11 

 species of Ipidse and 9 species of Platypodidse which have been found to attack 

 the sal. 



Forest longicorn beetles and their parasites, W. W. Froggatt {Agr. Gas. 

 N. 8. Wales, 27 {1916), No. 8, pp. 561-567, pis. 3).— Several important Australian 

 longicorn beetles, subsisting on gum timber, and their parasites are cousidered. 

 Among them is Plwracantha recurva, parasitized by three species of braconids 

 here described as new. 



A new species of weevil injuring orchids, H. S. Barber {Proc. Ent. Soc. 

 Wash., 18 {1916), No. 3, pp. 177-179, pi. 1). — Cholus cattlevarum, reared from 

 Cattleya orchids probably from Colombia, Venezuela, or northern Brazil, which 

 has been the source of injury to orchids in greenhouses at Washington, D. C, 

 and Milwaukee, Wis., is here described as new to science. 



Pristocera armifera parasitic on Limonius agonus, J. A. IIyslop {Proc. 

 Ent. Soc. Wash., 18 {1916), No. 3, pp. 169, 170, pi. i).— The author records the 

 rearing of this bethylid parasite from a wireworm (L. agonus) from material 

 collected in July, 1915, during the course of a serious infestation of corn near 

 P.rattleboro, Vt. 



Notes on Dianthidium arizonicum, W. Middleton {Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., 

 18 {1916), No. 3, pp. 193-195, pi. 1). 



FOODS— HUMAN NUTRITION. 



Dietary deficiencies of the maize kernel, E. V. McCollxjm, N. Simmonds, 

 and W. PiTz {Jour. Biol. Chcm., 28 {1916), No. 1, pp. 153-165, figs. 10).— A 

 series of experiments with laboratory animals (rats) are reported in which 

 single or multiple additions of purified substances were made to a diet of 

 ground maize. The substances added were protein, inorganic salts, and butter 

 fat, to supply the unidentified dietary factor, "fat-soluble A." It had been 

 found in earlier experiments that the dietary factor " water-soluble B " is 

 furnished in abundance by even 70 per cent of maize in the diet. The follow- 

 ing conclusions are drawn in part from the data reported : 



