‘ PARASITIC FUNGI. 53 
Sporotrichum globuliferum, or at any rate the fungus which is now 
passing under that name, was first found by Professor Forbes to 
“infest the chinch bug in Illinois in 1887, and its destructive effects 
observed in the fields in the autumn of 1888. 
Since the last-mentioned date the writer distributed upward of 
3,000 packages of this fungus to the farmers of Ohio during the out- 
break of the chinch bug in the State in 1895, 1896, and 1897,and knows 
from personal observation and study that it is under certain favor- 
able conditions a deadly foe of this species, that its use under these 
conditions is practicable, and that if its application can be made simul- 
taneously with the commencement of the breeding season it will prove 
effectual. This statement is made for the reason that as late as 1895 
Dr. M. C. Cook, in his popular work on entomogenous fungi, “ Vege- 
table Wasps and Plant Worms” (p. 120), states that “no species of 
this genus is known to have occurred on living matter, as they are 
saprophytes pure and simple, and then, probably, only as the stroma 
or conidia of some fungus of higher organization, possibly the Sphe- 
riacel.” This statement was made in discussing S. denswm, but on 
the following page (121), after dealing with S. globuliferum, he ap- 
pends the following: “ The remarks made under the previous species 
are applicable to this, which is not entitled to rank as a parasite, but 
rather as an accidental development upon one out of many forms of 
decaying animal matter.” 
OTHER INSECTS ATTACKED BY SPOROTRICHUM GLOBULIFERUM. 
Spegazzini“ described the species from Argentina as occurring on 
the dead bodies of beetles, notably Monocrepidius and Vaupactus 
wanthographus Germ. Besides Parandra brunnea Fab., Professor 
Forbes has recorded this fungus on Lachnosterna and a number of 
other Coleoptera, and also on lepidopterous larvee, as well as on the 
young of other insects, while the writer has infected, artificially, 
Epicauta pennsylvanica De G. and witnessed an instance of accidental 
infection of Megilla maculata De G., but failed*to infect the harle- 
quin cabbage bug ((/urgantia histrionica Hahn) even when these 
were placed among dead and dying chinch bugs in the breeding cages. 
In both cases these beetles were almost entirely covered by the fungus 
after having to all appearances died from its effects. With respect 
to this matter one point is clear, either the determination of this 
fungus is incorrect or else Doctor Cook has made a very serious mis- 
statement, which ought to be corrected. It is but just to state, how- 
ever, that Professor Forbes, in his eighth report (p. 23), calls atten- 
tion to the fact that it is closely allied to Botrytis, and would be 
placed by some botanists under that genus now. 
a Spegazzini, Fungi Argentini, ii, p. 42. 
