B. C. EXTOJIOLOGICAL PROCEEDINGS, 1911. 9 



The beetle, Otiorrynchiis siilrutiis. the Strci\\berr\ weevil, which does 

 considerable damage to strawberry plantations by depositing ejitis in the 

 crowns of the plants, the larvae boring into and destroying the plants, 

 was \ery common during the past season, appearing in houses in some 

 numbers. This beetle is very often foimd in early spring imder stones 

 and in other sheltered places. Another Otinrrynchid that is always 

 found in large numbers during the months of May and June is Feri- 

 tihipsis glul/k'i ittrh, a small gre)' snout beetle which feeds upon the 

 leaves of the so-called wild sunflower. The beetle is qm'te troublesome 

 and is readily taken when one is sweeping with the net among the leaves 

 of the food plant, which grows thickl}- over wide tracts of open country 

 around Vernon. I have so far been unable to discover an\thing of the 

 breeding habits of this beetle. 



Rhyncliites l/uolor is another snout beetle that does some damage to 

 cultivated and also to wild roses, b\ boring into the blooms, before they 

 are fully expanded. 



The Apple Tree Tent Caterpillar has not been of an\ importance 

 for the last two years, its place being taken b\ the Fall Webworm, of 

 which I ha\e already spoken. 



Coryinbilcs inflatus is an Elater that has during the last few years 

 been the cause of some considerable damage to newly planted fruit trees, 

 b\- eating out the buds during the early summer. Reports have also 

 appeared of their destroying the bloom in some cases, but by far the 

 most harm is done to the leaf buds. These beetles are extremely 

 numerous during most years, and the harm they do has been remarked 

 by many orchardists. As soon as the blue lupine begins to bloom they 

 congregate on the stalks in great numbers. They are mostly seen around 

 the blossoms, as many as fifteen to twenty occurring on one stem. Of 

 the breeding habits of this beetle 1 know nothing, but it is probable that 

 it passes the larval stage in the ground near the food plant. 



I have in m\ notes details of an interesting case of a clergyman who 

 some few \ears ago, whilst working in the open, felt a fly enter his ear. 

 After some trouble he managed to remo\e it. Some time later, however, 

 he began to feel great pain in the ear, which increased to such an extent 

 that he felt sure, that in removing the fl\ , some eggs had been deposited 

 in his head. Assistance was secured and a quantity of warm oil was 

 poured into his ear, from which was e\entually expelled a number of 

 maggots. After some hours work a number more were removed, and 

 after a time the pain subsided. I did not hear of this till some days 

 after it had happened, so was unable to try and rear any of the flies, to 

 discover the species. Similar cases have been recorded in entomological 

 papers at various times, and these have been considered to be due to flies 

 of the genus Sarcophaga or Calliphorii. It would be interesting to hear 

 of other cases of this kind. 



