1922] Notes on Feeding Habits of Scorpion-Flies 213 



observing many individuals during their feeding, however, it 

 occurred to me that they must be regarded primarily as sucking 

 insects, rather than as biting ones. They were often seen prac- 

 tically motionless with their long "beaks" deeply inserted in 

 their food substances. When they feed on insects, they first 

 bite a hole through the chitinous skin, and then appear to suck 

 the body fluid. It would seem probable that the long rostrum 

 provided with biting mouth-parts at the end, so characteristic 

 of this group of insects, is an adaptive developed in relation to 

 these interesting feeding habits. 



It may not be amiss to add, in conclusion, that the excreta 

 of the scorpion-flies under consideration are always of liquid 

 nature, as might be expected if they were sucking insects. In 

 no case was there observed any solid or semisolid excrement, 

 such as that of a biting insect. 



NOTES ON THE GIPSY MOTH IN MY UNSPRAYED 



WOODS AT EAST MARION, MASS. 



1922. 



By Fred C. Bowditch, Brookline, Mass. 



The Gipsy has been increasing in numbers for the last two 

 seasons and I judged that this year would be the high-water mark 

 of their infestation. My woods near the house include a grove 

 of oaks (largely white) and another group of oaks and white pine, 

 and various detached oaks between. 



The caterpillars have the habit before pupating of bunching 

 together, sometimes in great numbers along the trunk of the tree 

 or under a branch. They spin a slight web and pupate in more or 

 less of a loose mass; others in numbers of up to, say, ten or 

 twelve, curl up in the leaves, or their remains, rather tending to 

 keep at the ends of the branches, drawing the parts together in 

 a loose bunch. 



About the middle of June the caterpillars were very plenty 

 and the trees began to look thin. The Calosomas (green) were 



