Dec, 19I5-] Harris: The Beetle Bruchus. 253 



lated with the number of ovules formed and the number of seeds 

 which are beginning to develop, just as they are known to be in ma- 

 tured pods of other forms/ and that in consequence the maintenance 

 of a foothold and ovoposition are easier in such pods. That is, how- 

 ever merely a suggested hypothesis which must be confirmed or dis- 

 proved by actual behavior studies. 



No relationship between the position which a seed occupies in- the 

 pod and its liability to parasitization has as yet been demonstrated. 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



Shooting Insects with a Bean-Shooter. — The easiest way to collect 

 some cicadas is to shoot them with fine shot. But the carrying of a 

 pistol for the purpose is apt to get one in trouble in some communi- 

 ties, for in many places a license to carry firearms is required. As 

 yet there is no such restriction on carrying a bean-shooter, and when 

 properly made it can be used most effectively in collecting certain 

 wary insects, like several species of dragonflies. The bean-shooter 

 or sling, is made with the forked stick and rubber bands in the usual 

 way, but the leather bag should have a well secured stitch on each 

 end, so that it will hold several hundred fine shot. Armed with this 

 contraption the entomologist may repair to the side of a pond or 

 stream, and as some desirable though tantalizing dragonfly sails by 

 just out of the reach of the ordinary net, it may be shot on the wing. 

 The insect will probably fall into the water, but may be rescued with 

 a long stick, or one can go in wading for it. If a dragonfly keeps 

 out of the reach of a net to its own advantage, it generally does 

 another thing greatly to its disadvantage, and that is, it will repeat- 

 edly fly by the same spot, thus giving the collector several chances. 



With a bean-shooter made after the above described plan, the 

 writer this past summer shot a number of dragonfles, both on Long 

 Island and on Staten Island, and only in two instances were the 

 insects at all damaged. In the majority the effects of the shot were 

 not noticeable. 



As to the shooting of cicadas, a correspondent to whom I had 



1 Harris, J. Arthur, Bot. Gaz., 50: 117-127, 1910; loc. cit., 53: 204-218, 

 396-414, 1912. 



