June, I9I3-] BiRD : PASSING OF THE HiCKORY NUT. 123 



9. Last abdominal segment shining, polished 10. 



Last abdominal segment dull, rugose 11. 



10. Spots smaller, distinct, median barely touching sutural margin 



peduncnlatus. 



Spots larger, confluent, median distinctly coalescent with the sutural 



margin floridensis. 



11. Posterior coxal plates rounded at apex, scarcely perceptibly angulate ; 



ist and 2d joints of middle tarsi in male strongly produced shermani. 

 Posterior coxal plates angulate; ist and 2d joints of middle tarsi in male 



thickened, but scarcely produced oppositus. 



2. Elytra without subhumeral spot or dash of black 12. 



Elytra with a more or less distinct spot or dash of black, hind coxal plates 



distinctly angulate at apex, produced duodecempunctatus. 



12. Base of head with black collar, apices of posterior coxal plates angulate 



edentulus. 

 Base of head without black collar, apices of posterior coxal plates 



rounded lengi. 



3 Species smaller, bright, spots distinct, apices of posterior coxal plates 



subangulate litforalis. 



Species larger, dark, spots indistinct, hump-backed, apices of posterior 

 coxal plates rounded tortiilosus. 



THE PASSING OF THE HICKORY NUT?^ 



By Henry Bird, 

 Rye, N. Y. 



I want to depart from my tisual theme on this occasion and call 

 your attention to a coleopterous matter. I wish to say a word relat- 

 ing to Scolytus qiiadrispinosiis. 



Along about Columbus-Davis day, in other words October 12, or 

 thereabouts, I begin to be fond of sitting by the open grate fire, crack- 

 ing hickory nuts, and planning campaigns for the next year. But my 

 pleasures of late have been marred by the lack of hickory nuts, and in 

 so far as the supply is local, it would seem the time is near when we 

 can say goodby to the hickories altogether. The weevil that attacks 

 the nut I have always classed a despicable varmint, and have enjoyed 

 sizzling many of them, but we are confronted of late years by another 

 trouble, more important since it spells the death of the trees. 



^ Read before the New York Entomological Society, December 3, 1912. 



