REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. . 245 
other smaller birds. Turkeys, as well as chickens, also feed upon them, 
and may be made good use of while the insects are young and remain 
near the surface of the ground. 
Of the insects that prey upon them, I noticed, both in the immature 
and perfect states, three species of Half-wing bugs (Heteroptera), namely, 
Arma spinosa, Podisus cynicus, Say, both in the typical form, and in the 
variety obscuripes as determined by Professor Uhler; also Acholla mul- 
tispinosa, De Geer. 
REMEDIES. 
While the insects are young, they may be destroyed by sprinkling the 
underbrush in the timber with Paris green water, wherever the timber 
is inclosed so that domestic animals can be kept away from the poisoned 
vegetation. 
The most satisfactory means of averting the insects’ injuries, however, 
will be found in the destruction of the eggs during winter. This may be 
done either by digging and turning them under, or by burning over the 
dead leaves among which they lay. 
DESCRIPTIVE. 
DIAPHEROMERA FEMORATA.—Egg—Bean-shaped, hard, and highly polished; obliquely truncate at 
anterior end, which consists of a dark, oval, raised rim, inclosing a slightly elevated, convex, densely 
and deeply punctate brown lid, which is replaced after the young has hatched by the white, sunken 
amnion, which is shed within the egg. Color black, with frequently a faint olivaceous hue, the ventral 
side in strong contrast, whitish, inclining to pale fulvous, and with an elliptical scar recalling the hilum 
of a seed, the interior slightl depressed, the borders slightly raised. This scar reaches to near the lid 
anteriorly and ends in a cord posteriorly, to which cord the black color of the posterior extends in a 
broad point. Thereis usually more or less black within the posterior portionof the scar. Average 
a ows 2.5m"; depth 1.6™"; thickness from side to side 1.2™™, , 
arva—When newly hatched 11.5 long, exclusive of antenns. Color, uniform pale yellowish- 
green, the front pair of legs speckled with brown. Antennz with rafher prominent bristles. Sex 
undistingnishable. Femora sub-equalin size. No femoral spines. 
THE GREAT ELM LEAF-BEETLE, 
(Monocesta coryli, Say.) 
[Ord. COLEOPTERA; Fam. CHRYSOMELID&. | 
The injuries of the imported elm leaf-beetle (Galeruca xanthomelena, 
Schrank)—a small pale-yellow insect with black stripes, and having the 
general size and appearance of the well-known striped cucumber beetle) 
have been long recorded and are well known in the Southeastern States. 
Some interesting observations on this species have been made during 
the year on the department grounds, with the view the better to con- 
trol it, but want of space and time will prevent publishing the results 
in this report. 
I desire to call attention, however, to a much larger beetle, having 
very similar habits, and which has proved extremely destructive to 
the Red or Slippery Elm in Missouri during the past few years. The 
sudden appearance of this insect in such excessive numbers as to abso- 
lutely strip all the elms of this species through the woods for many 
miles must be looked upon as phenomenal; for while J. F. Melsheimer 
reported the beetle many years ago as sufficiently numerous in some 
parts of Virginia to completely defoliate in a short time the hazel (Cory- 
lus Americanus),* the species is generally considered a rarity in_ento- 
mological cabinets. Nor can I find that anything has been recorded of 
its adolescent stages. The beetle was first described by Say (loc. cit.) as 
Galeruca coryli, and is the only North American species of the genus 
* Auctore Say, Journ. Ac. Nat. Se., Phil., TI, 1824. 
