-56- 



Finally, not as a fault, but as an unavoidable omission we call attention 

 to the fact that dates of appearance are not given. 



It is to be regretted that collectors generally do not date their cap- 

 tures, and of course a monographer of species so widely distributed can 

 not know when his material was collected. But just in this genus the 

 matter is of interest. As a rule the species are not uncommon, and 

 sometimes very abundant. Observations made by several entomologists 

 indicate that the species relieve each other — i. e. appear successively, 

 though a few will have a long life and overlap. I have noted that crenii- 

 lata appears later \k\z.w fusca and hirticula and has but a short life. In 

 one season all my captures were confined to one week. Ilicis is also 

 short-lived in my experience, while hirticula extends over a considerable 

 period of time, and is abundant. 



It will be a valuable addition to knowledge if collectors would note 

 dates of first appearance, of greatest abundance, and of last capture. It 

 is not only of interest as bearing on life history, but as an aid to identi- 

 fication, as when dates of appearance do vary, the date of capture may 

 indicate the probable species at once. Then too the food plants of the 

 imago differ. Oaks are most commonly attacked, but I have never taken 

 rrsnulaki anywhere but on blackberry flowers. 



If our readers would preserve these data and send them to Ento. 

 Am. for publication it would be a positive advance of our knowledge. 



The collection of the Nat'l Museum contains now much more than 

 half of the described species, and we should be glad to get series from all 

 localities, in return for Avhich we will identify the form sent, if desired. 



John B. Smith. 

 * 

 Twenty-two common Insects of Nebraska. By Conway McMillen, M. A. 

 University of Nebraska, Bull, of the Agr. Experiment Station of Nebraska, Vol. 

 I, No. 2, Article II, pp. i — loi. January, 1888. 



This pamphlet, of recent issue, is so far as we are aware, the first 

 Report made by any of the recent appointees as Entomologist to the 

 State Agricultural Experiment Stations, aided by Congressional appro- 

 priations, and if the other gentlemen have the same idea of their office, 

 it is to be devoutly hoped it is the last as well. The work is purely and 

 simply a compilation principally from the Reports of the U. S. Entomo- 

 logist, the Entomological Commission, and the Reports on the Ins. of 

 ]\Io. Lintner, Packard and Thomas have all been laid under contribu- 

 tion to produce a superficial and imperfect history of the species treated of. 

 By far the greater number of species have been very fully treated in the 

 U. S. Gov't Reports and this brochure is simple a poor abstract paid for 

 a second time out of the same pocket. The figures used in the work are 



