129 



One day, in the latter part of Auj^just of tliis year, iMr. J. Shinn, jr., 

 called on me in San Francisco, informing me tliat the box with Capri 

 figs and Blastophaga^ had Just arrived and that many of the insects 

 were alive, apparently jnst hatching ont. I at once went to Mr. Shinu's 

 place to help distribnte the colony. On my arrival I found that the box 

 had been placed nnder the Capri Fig tree and that many of the Blasto- 

 phagte had already escaped. The box contained about one dozen tigs 

 nearly as large as small walnuts, all being quite dry, one or two hav- 

 ing decayed. I noticed that from the pressure in the box many of the 

 figs were closed and the Blastophagie unable to escape. 1 therefore 

 cut all the figs open and thus released probably several thousand Blas- 

 tophagae.* The box Avas suspended in the fig tree and the small insects 

 soon made their way to the surrounding fig trees. Upon opening some 

 Smyrna figs a few hours later, for the purpose of pollinating them ar- 

 tificially, I found that several Blastophaga? had already entered them. 

 As to the Capri Fig tree I found on it no figs w hich I thought of proper 

 size to receive the Blastoi^hagai, some being too small, others again too 

 large. It is, however, possible that some figs escaped my notice as the 

 fig tree is a large one, probably reaching twelve feet in height ; and only 

 a coming year will show the final success of this, the first importation. 



The Capri Figs were collected at Lokia, near Smyrna, Asia Minor, the 

 last days of June. The 2d day of July the box reached Smyrna and 

 the 18th of the same month it arrived at New York. On the 23d it 

 reached Mr. Shinn at Xiles, in California. Thus it required only about 

 twenty-five days to reach us, a tune short enough to insure full success 

 to any similar importation. The best way to forward Capri Figs is not 

 to wrap them in cotton or paper, but simply to place them in layers in 

 a small paper box ; each fig as well as each layer should be separated by 

 a small wad of paper, sufticiently firm to prevent the figs from shaking 

 and rolling. If each separate fig is wrapped up too tight in paper it is 

 liable to decay. 



COMMENTS ON THE FIFTH REPORT OF THE U. S. ENTOMOLOGICAL 



COMMISSION. 



By John Hamilton, M. D., Allegheny, Pa. 



In looking over the Fifth Report of the U. S. Entomological Commis- 

 sion, Department of Agriculture, recently published, several inadvert- 

 ences have been observed in the nomenclature of various species ot 

 Coleoptera. As the editor, A. S, Packard, m. d., ph. d., in the intro- 

 duction invites corrections, etc., the following are submitted, as well 

 as a few remarks to render some of the statements clearer. 



*The majority of Blastophagse were winged females; a few were wingless males. 

 I noticed no parasites. 



