584 FIFTH REPOET OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



margin to the tip. Near the basal third of the wiug ou the dorsal edge of the whitish 

 stripe is au elongate blackish brown spot, and from the middle of the wiug towards 

 the tip it is edged on its costal side by a blackish brown line, which contains some- 

 times a spot of the same hue. The apical portion of the stripe is more freely dusted 

 with fuscous than the other portions. Cilia fuscous. Hind wings fuscous, cilia 

 paler. 



Antennae dark fuscous, without white annulatious except near the tip. Head fus- 

 cous above, face white. Labial palpi dark fuscous; second joint with a white ring 

 at the extreme tip, sometimes white at the base, with a broad fuscous ring near the 

 tiji ; terminal joint fuscous, with a more or less distinct whitish central ring, and the 

 extreme tip whitish. (Clemens' Tineina.) 



61. Batrachedra prwangusta (Haworth.) 

 62. Batrachedra siholata Zeller. 



Chambers remarks that "the specific distinctness of these three 

 species seems to me uot sufficiently established. B. salicipomella was 

 bred from galls made by other insects on willows. The mode of feed- 

 ing of the others is not satisfactorily determined." 



63. The American cimbex. 



Cimbex americana Leach. 



Order Hymenoptera; family Tenthredinid^. 



The following account of this insect is copied from Professor Kiley's 

 report as U. S. Entomologist for 1884 : 



During the latter part of May last. Admiral Ammen, who is noted in Washington 

 for his devotion to horticulture and arboriculture, brought us specimens of this large 

 saw-fly, with an account of its injuries to his imported willows, uot as usual by the 

 larva, but by the gnawing of the perfect fly, the plantation being described as look- 

 ing as if a fire had run over it, or as if it had suffered by a severe frost. As this habit 

 was new, so far as we have any records, and as nothing was known of the mode of 

 oviposition in the species, we had the matter investigated. The tips of many of the 

 plants were found to be dark brown and dead; the dried-up portion extended 2 to 

 4 inches from the tip. Upon investigation it was plain that the cause of the trouble 

 was a very fine but deep trausverse incision j ust below the dead portion of the willow, 

 the incision often extending more than half way around the twig, or there beiug a 

 number of smaller incisions, one above the other. (Fig. 194, 6.) All these incisions 

 were so narrow that they could hardly be supposed to have been made for feeding 

 purposes ; but in many instances a number of larger marks, usually of au oblong 

 shape, were visible, aud looked as though they had been made for food. 



According to Admiral Ammen this injury had been done by the saw-flies in the 

 latter part of May ; but on the 5th of June the flies had for the most part disap- 

 peared, aud Mr. Schwarz, who made examination after our deiiarture for Europe, 

 found at that date but a single female, sitting on a branch of about 5'"™ in diameter, 

 and just in the act of cutting one of the incisures referred to above. The insect 

 worked its mandibles in a very slow aud deliberate manner, aud made but little 

 headway in cutting during the three or four minutes he watched its workings. 

 Upon examination the twig was found to contain three such incisures, each reaching 

 more than half way around. 



The eggs and mode of oviposition. — Whether or uot the cuttiug of the tips is made for 

 feeding purposes, it is evident that it has nothing to do with oviposition, as no trace 



