1908] GIRAULT — NORTH AMERICAN CHALCIDOIDEA 121 



mad (to the apical bend of the submarginal vein), and deeper in color, and the more 

 noticeable infuscation of the hind wings. 



Type: — Accession No. 39306, Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, 

 Urbana, Illinois, 4 females in balsam. Cotype — No. 12106, United States National 

 Museum, Washington, D. C, 1 female in balsam. 



Described from six females mounted in balsam, reared from (Chrysomphalus) 

 Aspidiotus obscurus (Comstock) on oak, Marion, Illinois (W. P. Flint). The para- 

 sites were reared in the insectary of this office, August 11-13, 1908. The^ descrip- 

 tion of coloration and sculpture was made from unmounted specimens, killed with 

 chloroform. 



Autumn Flights of Spiders. At Readville, Mass., November 9, 1908, over 

 two hundred spiders were taken flying or on fences between the railroad station and 

 the bridge across the Neponset river, of the following species. 



Adults — Gonatium rubens, Spiropalpus spiralis, Stylophora nigrina, Tmeticus 

 contortus, T. concavus, T. plumosus, T. bostoniensis, T. tridentatus^ Cornicularia 

 directa, Erigone dentigera. 



Immature — Epeira prompta, E. displicata, E. strix, Singa variabilis, Dictyna 

 volucripes, Theridium murarium., Era variegata, Amyphena rubra, Pirata insularis, 

 Pardosa glacialis, Dolomedes sexpunctatus. 



The morning had been foggy but had cleared early and the air was nearly still 

 at a temperature of 50°. At 10 a. m. thousands of these spiders were walking up 

 posts and trees along the roadsides and others were floating on threads in the air 

 drifting slowly across the marshes from the southwest. Threads up to ten feet long 

 extended from fences to trees and telegraph poles and floated out in the air, some 

 fine single threads but more of them irregular bands of white silk one eighth of an 

 inch or more wide apparently made by many spiders passing over them. 



The most numerous species were Stylophora nigrina and Tmeticus concavus. 

 Erigone dentigera, the most numerous species flying in the cities, was represented by 

 only a few indi\iduals. The largest species were half grown Pardosa glacialis and 

 Doloviedes sexpunctatus which succeeded in flying off the fences as well as those of 

 lighter weight. Spiders of both sexes, different species and all sizes worked within 

 each other's reach on the same post without fear or any attention to one another. 

 If they chanced to touch they moved apart and went on with their efforts to fly. 

 The flying continued until toward noon when the wind increased and made it im- 

 possible. The tops of posts and fences were covered with silk showing that flying 

 had been going on for many days and it continued every calm morning through the 

 month. J. H. Emerton. 



