PSYCHE. 381 
ee ort Hi, 
CAMBRIDGE, MASS., AUGUST 1882. 
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CORRESPONDENCE. 
Hasits or Turips. 
In a communication, in Psyche, vol. 5, p. 369, 
Mr. Herbert Osborn gives some interesting 
observations on the habits of a certain unde- 
scribed species of Phlocothrips which he found in 
abundance in all the fruit blossoms which he ex- 
amined, stating that they were doing much 
damage to the tender styles by biting and punc- 
turing them and preventing thereby the fertili- 
zation of the ovaries. 
Taking it for granted that Thrips really does 
all the damage ascribed to it, it remains as a 
rather singular fact that, notwithstanding the 
great abundance of Thrips in all kinds of flowers, 
the yield of good and numerous seeds is not ma- 
terially diminished. I am therefore of opin- 
ion that, although the Thrips may somewhat 
injure the styles and other parts of the plants, 
they mainly gather the nectar which is more or 
less excreted, and while actively running about 
assist in fertilizing, as more or less of the pollen 
will adhere to their feet and body and doubtless 
will be carried to the stigma. 
That many species of Thrips are vegetable 
feeders, in some of their stages, has long been 
well known, and I have seen numerous species 
on all kinds and all parts of plants, and some of 
these Thrips I have seen in the act of feeding, 
but I have also observed that not all species 
have entirely the same habit; and that some, in 
one stage or another, are carnivorous. Especi- 
ally have I noticed this to be the gase with a 
species which is frequently found upon the 
leaves of Platanus and upon other plants which 
are badly infested with Tetranychus telarius upon 
the adult and young and probably also upon the 
eggs of which this Thrips feeds. 
It may also turn out that two or three species 
which swarm in great numbers in the blossoms 
of clover (which are usually full of the eggs 
and larvae of Cecidomyia leguminicola) are par- 
tially carnivorous, and further observations may 
prove that they mainly search and feed upon the 
Cecidomyia. 
I may also mention here that this year, as late 
as 14 November, after several quite cold days, 
I found for the first time Heliothrips haemorrhoi- 
dalis, Bouché, on apple-leaves in the orchard of 
the U. S. Department of Agriculture, as lively 
and active as in hot-houses, where this species 
was only observed previously. 
I may also mention the presence of Heliothrips 
dracaenae, Heg., in the conservatory of the De- 
partment of Agriculture, an insect which is 
reported as doing immense damage to dracaenas 
in hot-houses in different parts of Europe. 
Theodor Pergande. 
Washington, D. C., 15 Nov. 1882. 
BOOK NOTICE. 
It cannot fail to give pleasure to naturalists 
to learn that Dr. W. H. Miiller, son of Dr. Her- 
mann Miller, of Lippstadt, Germany, has begun 
a course of observation and study in a line of 
thought similar to that which has made his 
father’s name and works so well known to stu- 
dents of evolution. 
Dr. W. H. Miiller has just published his disser- 
tation for obtaining the philosophical doctorate 
at the university of Jena. In the dissertation 
[Psycue, Rec., 2891], which is entitled “ Proter- 
andrie der Bienen,” the author shows, by careful 
observations most of which were made without 
reference to the subject of which the disserta- 
tion treats, that proterandry, or the appearance 
of the males earlier in the season than the fe- 
males, exists in all the chief groups of bees with 
the exception of the social bees. Dr. Miiller 
proposes to leave the consideration of the more 
complex question of proterandry among social 
bees for special treatment later, but he writes 
now that he is convinced that among all bees 
the males regularly outstrip the females some- 
what in development. G: D. 
