170 FoRTT-SEcoND Report ON THE State Museum. [28] 



ing the soil in every direction, but few of the larvse could be expected 

 to survive the winter. 



A Podisus pupa (one of the large plant-bugs) was taken July nine- 

 teenth from the trunk of a tree feeding on one of the saw-fly worms. 

 It was subsequently fed in confinement on Nematus and Haltica himar- 

 ginata larvte to the imago stage, which it assumed July thirtieth, when it 

 proved to be Podisus modestus Dallas. In fastening upon its prey, in 

 almost every instance observed its proboscis was inserted near the 

 anal end of the larva. Full-grown forms of both species were fear- 

 lessly seized and firmly held by it until their fluids were exhausted. 

 The larvse collected were remarkably free from parasitic attack. A 

 single small white cocoon, apparently of a Microgaster, was obtained 

 from a half-grown example. 



Larvce failed to viature. — Although rather large collections were 

 made of the cocoons (several hundred) at Sageville, not one of them 

 gave the imago the following spring, although they were carefully 

 secluded from light and given a damp atmosj)here from water evapor- 

 ated underneath the breeding-case during most of the autumn and 

 winter. Failing to disclose the imago in due time, a nvimber of the 

 cocoons were opened, when each was found to contain the shriveled 

 remains of the larva — none having reached the pupal stage. 



The Hibernated Insect from Cherry Valley, N. Y. 



In consideration of the above failure to obtain examples of the 

 perfect insect for the State collection, request was made of the Rev. 

 Mr. Swinnerton, of Cherry Valley, for some hibernated cocoons, if 

 procurable, from underneath the infested larches of last year. A 

 number were received, on May 1, 1888, which, upon opening a few, 

 disclosed the living insect in its pupal stage. On May eighth, four of 

 the saw-flies emerged, and the following day, eighteen others — all of 

 which, except one, were females. No others appearing, the remaining 

 cocoons were oj)ened for examination, and gave a half-dozen dead 

 matured females, and from one within a slight inner cocoon, the pale 

 yellow-green pupa of a large ichneumon fly, believed to be a Pimpla, 

 was taken, and cared for, but failed to develop. 



That additional males, and knowledge of the relative proportion of 

 the sexes, and perhaps other parasites, might be obtained, request 

 was made of Mr. Swinnerton for another sending of cocoons, if not 

 too late for finding them with living pupae. The larger number were 

 reported open at one end and empty. Of the few that were received 

 on the eighteenth of May, twenty had given out the insect when 



