412 



pleasure in directing the attention of my students to these interesting little Bombar- 

 dier beetles, the Brachinus, which I always could readily find along the bluffs near 

 Winona by turning up stones. They were generally found in colonies of from ten to 

 almost thirty individuals, and were rarely associated with other insects. On this oc- 

 casion, near Trempealeau, the colony consisted of many hundreds of Bombardiers, 

 and included a number of species of other beetles, mostly small Carabids. Being all 

 agile species they scampered away to find hiding places at a lively rate. But there 

 were so many of them that we succeeded in a minute or two in capturing several 

 hundred of them. This intrusion and interruption of family peace was, however, 

 bitterly resented by the Bombardiers keeping up a regular and audible fusilade 

 against their assailants, creating an unpleasant odor and producing a brown stain on 

 our hands which did not yield to soap and remained till worn oft'. 



I took my captives home alive and for a day or two I succeeded In getting them to 

 " perform" their shooting feats by teasing them. I kept them in a deep glass vessel 

 so that they could be seen readily, and I hoped to keep them a long time. But on 

 the fourth or fifth day all died. Under ordinary circumstances I have kept beetles 

 alive for weeks ; in this case I suspect that the Bombardiers were their own execu- 

 tioners. The brown caustic dust or spray emitted bj' them seems to have had a deadly 

 ett'ect on them, confined as they were in a glass dish ; for while the odor became per- 

 ceptible at a distance of 2 or 3 feet, I think that the specific gravity of this defensive 

 vapor emitted by the Brachinus is probably so great that the bulk of it remained at 

 tho bottom of the dish, thus smotheriug them. — [John M. Holzinger, Assistant Botan- 

 ist, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, November 3, 1890. 



Some New Parasites from California. 



Herewith inclosed find a specimen of Chalets which I have reason to believe is par- 

 asitic on Chri/sobothris mali, Harr. The latter is our "Apple-tree borer" in this coun- 

 try, and that It also bores the peach I have this year proved by breeding it from th© 

 stems of young peach trees that were infected. These I had in a glass jar, the mouth 

 of which was covered with netting. Nothing else than Ch. mali emerged from th© 

 wood, except this one example of Chalcis, which I one day found in the jar. 



The other hymenopter inclosed is a parasite of the larva of Papilio solicaon. Th© 

 latter feeds upon Umbelliferte, chiefly Carum Eelloggii and the common Dill, which 

 grows abundantly near gardens from which it has escaped. Before the larva is fully 

 grown this parasite emerges and spins a little yellow cocoon, fastening the same upon 

 the stem of the plant. I bred a number of these years ago, but being of no especial 

 interest I never reported them to anyone. 



The Chalcis, however, is of value because it preys upon one of the worst enemies 

 of the orchardlst, and it is well to make this known.— [L. E. Ricksecker, Santa Kosa, 

 California, September 8, 1890. 



Reply. — The supposed parasite on Chrysobothris maJi is, accordii.g to the old clas- 

 sification of the subfamily Chalcldlnae, a new species of the genus Chalcis. According, 

 however, to the recent extension of generic characters it forms anew genus. I should 

 hesitate to describe a new genus from a single specimen, particularly as this one 

 which you send has the tips of both anteunje broken oft". I hope, however, that you 

 will make an eflbrt to breed additional specimens. This form is one of extreme inter- 

 est, and, as you state, of considerable economic importance. The parasite on th© 

 larva of Papilio zolicaon is a species of the genus Apanleles, but as the abdomen and 

 both antennae are gone, It will also be impossible to describe this. I am of the opinion, 

 however, that it is a new species. If you succeed in getting other specimens of these 

 two interesting insects I would urge you to send them on ; but, in order to insure 

 safety in transmission, the box in which they are contained should be wrapped in 

 cotton and inclosed in another box. — [September 14, 1890.] 



