December, '21] scientific notes 511 



hovering over pasture and meadow grass. It was reared from the larvae of the South- 

 ern Grass Worm in numbers sufficient to indicate that the parasitism was in no sense 

 accidental. The larvae from which this parasite was recovered were taken from a 

 heavy lawn infestation early in September, when about one-half grown. The para- 

 sitized larvae pupated successfully, but shortly after pupation, the parasite became 

 fully developed and pupated within the pupal case of its host. After several days 

 spent in this manner, the parasite pupa broke through and twisted itself entirely free 

 from the pupal case of its host. Shortly after this the adult emerged. Since the 

 Grass Worm pupates beneath the surface of the ground it seems quite probable that 

 the active pupae of this parasite twists itself free from the host and works its way to 

 the surface of the soil so that the adult may emerge directly into the open air. Seven- 

 ty-two pupae were secured in these collections and eighteen or twenty-five per cent 

 were parasitized by Anthrax lucijer. 



The disease was first noted among nearly full-grown larvae in the same heavy^ lawn 

 infestation, during the hot, humid weather of early September. Dead larvae in con- 

 siderable numbers were found hanging from the tips of blades of grass. Those freshly 

 dead presented a yellowish hue, but even in these the process of decomposition had 

 advanced so far that the body contents had been reduced to milky fluid, which would 

 break forth at the slightest pressure on the larval skin. Microscopic examination of 

 a large series revealed that in all cases the body fluids of such larvae were crowded 

 with highly refractive, irregularly angular bodies known as polyhedral bodies, and 

 which are the distinguishing characteristic of one type of caterpillar maladies. 



The existence of a polyhedral disease of the Southern Grass Worm has been pre- 

 viously noted, in connection with several diseases of a similar nature, the best known 

 of which is the "wilt" disease of gipsy moth caterpillars. 



From the disease infested colony of Grass Worm, two hundred and twenty-nine 

 larvae were taken and maintained individually in glass vials. Of those that died, 

 eighty-five had the typical appearance of polyhedral disease, and showed the presence 

 of polyhedral bodies under the microscope, indicating a mortality of approximately 

 thirty-seven per cent under laboratory conditions. This may have been somewhat 

 higher than in the field, but all the field observations in this infestation indicate that 

 it ran high, very many dead caterpillars being found. No disease of the Grass Worm 

 was noted either in the field or in the laboratory prior to the outbreak mentioned 

 above, although this insect was under observation throughout the season and several 

 series of larvae had been reared in the laboratory during the previous months. 



H. W. Allen. 



Eggs of the Potato Flea Beetle (Epilrix ciicumeris). I have several times been 

 requested to state the means which were used in obtaining the eggs of the potato 

 flea beetle (Epitrix cticumeris), the account of this process having been inadvertently 

 omitted from Bulletin 211, Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. As it may be 

 of interest to Economic Entomologists generally, it is given herewith. 



The method is but a modification of one long in use and consists of enclosing 

 beetles in a lantern globe set in a vertical position over a flower pot. The globe, 

 closed top and bottom with cheese cloth, is set upon a piece of black paper kept 

 damp by its contact with the earth in the flower pot. The beetles thrust the tips 

 of their abdomens through the cloth and lay their eggs on top of the paper where 

 they may readily be seen. The insects were captured in the field after the middle 

 of June and soon thereafter laid their eggs. 



