19 



sashes ; and then when we learn to know species by their habits, what 

 a real advance it is ! 1 have of late been astonished with the supposed 

 longevity of Gonoptera lihatrix. I brought a hybernating individual 

 into my apartment (which is high up, and looks iuto the road, and is 

 in every wise isolated) the winter before last. During the mild spells of 

 weather it would frequently circumvent the room at dusk, but it did not 

 come out of its hiding on the influx of spring. I reputed it to be dead, 

 when, to my astonishment, at midwinter I again saw a lihatrix. I 

 must repHte it to be one and the same which came forth like a ghost 

 and circumvented the room as before. What a marvellous thing is in- 

 sect vitalitv and who knows its limits? 



EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE. 

 A Rose Pest. 



The inclosed insect, or rather the worm which preceded it, has become very de- 

 structive to the roses iu our greeuhouses. Its habit is, whenever it can draw a leaf 

 up against a bud, to do so and feed ou the bud, ruining it in a night. Sometimes 

 they get under the petals of the larger buds, which soon fade. We should like to 

 know its true name and if there is a remedy for the evil, which is becoming very se- 

 rious with us. Only a part of our rose-houses so far have been infested. We have 

 supposed that by removing the soil from the top of the beds we might get rid of it, 

 but do not know how deep they work into the soil. Any informarion you can give 

 or reliable authorities you can refer us to will be highly appreciated. — [Wilter& 

 Co., Denver, Colo., May 5, 1890. 



Reply. — I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the .5th inst., together with 

 the accompanying specimen of a moth reared from a caterpillar damaging roses. 

 This moth is the species known as Cacoecia argi/rospiia. It is a common species 

 throughout the whole country and feeds in the larval state upon horse-chestnuts- 

 roses, apple, hickory, oak, soft maple, elm, and wild cherry. You ought to have little 

 difficulty in destroying it in your greenhouse by spraying your plants about the 

 time they are expected to appear with Paris green in the proportion of a table-spoon, 

 ful to a large bucket of water. You will gain nothing by removing the soil from 

 the top of the beds, as this species does not enter the ground in any stage of its ex- 

 istence. It transforms to the pupa state within the leaf-roll. Of course some good 

 can be accomplished by picking, but in the ca.se of an extensive greenhouse 1 would 

 advise arsenical spray. — [May 1.3, 1890.] 



A Parasite of Agrilus.— The Lady bird Parasite. 



Enclosed you will find the cocoons (No. 1), larva (No. 2), and imago (No. 3), of an 

 ichneumon ily, which I suppose to be a parasite of Agrilus ruficollis. 



The female fly (No. 3) emerged April 7, from one of a number of cocoons like No. 1, 

 taken March 11, from the raspberry gouty galls at the end of a mine where the larva of 

 A. ruficollis had perished, it havingemerged from the side of thecocoon anduot from the 

 end as is usual, and as there are yet larvaj in some of the cocoons taken at the same 

 time I do not know if this is the original parasite or a secondary one. Will you please 

 give me your opinion on the subject ? 



Two examples emerged on the 7th of April, a male and female. In making 

 drawings of them I dissected the male and was not careful in preparing the female 

 (No. 3), thinking I would have plenty of examples when the others emerged. As I 



