252 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 7 



In the last week in December I visited the large apple orchard of Mr. J. G. Stuart, 

 west of MesiUa Park, N. M. His trees were banded for the codling moth. He was 

 well aware of the presence and beneficent work of his "warriors, " as he called them,, 

 under the bands. On examining several of the bands I collected a number of the 

 larvae in question along with codling moth larvse for their food. These were placed 

 in the laboratory in hopes an adult might be reared. 



Being in doubt as to the family to which the larva belonged, I sent specimens ta 

 Dr. L. O. Howard, Washington, D. C, and to Prof. H. F. Wickham, State University 

 of Iowa, to both of whom I am indebted for their kindn( ss in the matter of identifi- 

 cation. Both reported that the larva was evidently that of some species of clerid. 

 Doctor Howard stated that it was "apparently quite common in New Mexico."- 

 No specific indentification of the larva was attempted. 



It is to be hoped that adults may be reared from the material on hand so the 

 species may be determined. The long larval period of members of this family adds 

 difficulties to this attempt. I have never yet noted adult clerids about the bands. 



D. E. Merrill, 



The Twig Girdling Habit of Hemerocampa leucostigma by Caged Specimens. 

 J. A. Lintner, in his second report as New York State Entomologist, 1885, pp. 86-89, 

 describes the extensive girdling of ekn twigs by this species at Albany, N. Y., in 1883 

 and states that he observed the same thing at Troy, N. Y., six miles north of Albany. 

 In his eleventh report, 1895, he states that he has observed the same phenomenon in. 

 varying amount each year since 1883 and that in this year, 1895, that he observed 

 it for the first time by the second brood of larvae. Dr. E. P. Felt in Bulletin 109, 

 New York State Museum, 1906, says that he has observed the same thing and in 

 his "Insects Affecting Park and Woodland Trees," New York State Museum, Mem- 

 oir 8, Vol. 1, states that the habit has not been recorded from other places. 



It Ls an interesting fact that the same thing happened with caged specimens 

 at Purdue University, LaFayette, Ind., during the spring of 1913. On the 26th of 

 May, 1913, a twig of new growth was noticed which had been eaten into for about 7 

 mm. in length and more deeply on the base end. At the tip end it was eaten about 

 half way through and gradually became deeper througliout the 7 mm. of length, so 

 that at the base it was just hanging by the bark on the lower side. After the twig 

 was cut off for photographing, a larva was seen feeding on the stub remaining in the 

 cage. A few days later four or five more twigs were observed to be in the same con- 

 dition, some being cut entirely off while others were only partially eaten. One twig 

 was noticed in which the bark was eaten off irregularly for about an inch in length, 

 but the tissue beneath was not touched. In all cases only new wood was affected 

 and it was all done by larva? in their second instar. After they became older they 

 did not touch the wood. It was not necessary for them to resort to the wood for 

 food at any time, as there was always an abundance of tender leaves kept fresh by 

 standing in a bottle of water, and on which most of the larvse fed. This habit was 

 not observed out of doors. P. W. Mason, Agr'l. Ex-p. Sic, LaFayette, Ind. 



A Correction. My attention has been called by Mr. F. E. Brooks, who has made 

 a study of the mammals of West Virginia, to the fact that the skunk or polecat 

 mentioned in the February issue of the Journal as feeding on the larvae of the peach 

 borer, was probably not interrupta which is not known to occur in that locaUty. It 

 was more likely to have been either Mephitis mephitis putida or Spilogale putorius, 

 both of which are known to occur in this locaUty, the former being the more common 

 (The locality in question was Keyser, W. Va.) 



L. M. Peairs, Morgantoion, W. Va. 



