29 



out the whole distance from Omaha to Ogden. At O^rden Junction it is the most abun- 

 dant of wild plants. If this plant furnishes a suitable food, P. ropce will have little 

 difficulty in surmounting all obstacles that bar its progress toward the valley of the Salt 

 Lake. 



LEAF-MINING ANTHOMYIDiE. 



By J. A. LiNTNER, Albany, N. Y. 



Among our American species of Authomyidse, none have hitherto been known as 

 leaf-miners. Several are d3predators on the roots of garden vegetables, as indicated by 

 the specific names of Anthomyia ceparuin, A. brassicce and A. raphani (the onion fly, cab- 

 bage fly and radish fly) ; some occur in excrementa, and one, a few years ago, was dis- 

 covered as preying upon the eggs of the Eocky Mountain locust. Daring last year and 

 the preceding a species (A. betcc) which had been almost unknown since its publication 

 in 1860, has been seriously damaging the leaves of beets in England, by mining them 

 in tortuous channels and large blotches, causing them to shrivel, dry up and die. In 

 two counties alone, 1,624 acres of mangolds were infested (Ormerod). This last summer 

 some Anthomyia larvae were discovered by me in Middleburgh, N. Y., extensively 

 mining the leaves of the garden beet (Beta vulgaris). Judging from published descrip- 

 tions and figures, I believed it to be identical with the European species of the same 

 habits, and that it had been a recent importation thence. Examples of the eggs, larvae, 

 puparia and flies were sent by me to Mr. E. H. Meade, of Bradford, England, who has 

 been recently making special study of the Authomians, and particularly of the North 

 American species, as may be seen in a paper in the March number of the last volume 

 (xiii) of the Canadian Entomologist, giving the result of his study of the collections in 

 this family, belonging to the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Mass. 

 Mr. Meade finds, among the examples which I sent to him, reared by me from my larval 

 collections at Middleburgh, no less than three distinct species — all differing from A. betm 

 —two believed to be undescribed — and one identified as Chortophila floccosa Macq. It 

 seems somewhat remarkable that all these should have been obtained from larvae feeding 

 at the same time, upon a small garden bed of beets, containing about fifty square feet of 

 surface. The description and general history of the new species will probably be given 

 in my forthcoming Annual Eeport. 



MIGEATION OF DEAGON-FLIES— ^^sc/ma Aeros* (Fabr). 

 By a. H, Mundt, Fairbury, Livingston Co., III. 



On the evening of August 13th, 1881, I observed them between the hours of five 

 and seven o'clock. The air for miles around seemed literally alive with these dragon- 

 flies, from a foot above ground to as far as the eye could reach, all flying in the same 

 direction, a south-westerly course, and the few that would occasionally cross the track 

 of the majority could all the more easily be noticed from the very regular and swift 

 course they generally pursued ; but even these few stray ones would soon fall in with 

 the rest again. Very few were seen alighting, and all carefully avoided any movable 

 obstacles. 



The next day very few were seen on the prairies, and these mostly of another 

 species very abundant in this country — Ann. v Junius (Drury) — which were probably at 

 home previously, and in a few days I could see none others but the latter. A few 

 newspapers, and also a few correspondents from twelve to fifteen miles east and west of 

 here, had observed and mentioned their flight. Although their course was precisely in 



•{ 



(Eschina heros, Fabr. 

 jEichna. 



