321 



black bees were found, and the dark varieties have been experimented 

 with in regions where only yellow bees were natives. In this manner 

 it has been readily and accurately determined that they generally work 

 within a distance of 2 miles from their hives, although they will in rare 

 instances go as far as 4 or 5 miles, and a resident of an island ofl" the 

 coast of Texas reported, several years ago, having followed his bees in 

 a boat, and found them working on the mainland, a distance of 7 miles 

 from their hives. But no practical bee-keeper would expect favorable 

 results from pasturage located over .'5 miles from his apiary, and marked 

 advantage can only be awaited when the honey sources are located 

 withiu 2 miles in a direct line from the apiary. 



NOTE ON THE WATER-BUG, FOUND BY REV. J. L. ZABRISKIE. 



By E. Bergroth, M. D., Tammcrfom, Finland. 



In Insect Life (vol. iv, pp. 198-200) the editors have given a good 

 description, with figures, of a very remarkable aquatic bug, found on 

 Long Island by the Rev. J. L. Zabriskie. From the figures given it is 

 evident that the insect is an adult form and belongs to the male sex. 

 There can be no doubt as to these points. The presence of two ocelli 

 and the remarkable structure of the antennae and of the hind femora 

 are good generic characters of this insect. As it was found on running 

 water I presume the singular antennje are of good service to fasten 

 the animal on moist and slippery stones and i)iles. A microscopic 

 examination of the pale hyaline cushion of the third autennal joint 

 would be of great interest; I think it will prove to be a sucking disk. 



The insect undoubtedly belongs to a new genus and species, which I 

 propose to name Rheumatobates* rileyi. It is, with the recently de- 

 scribed genera Hermatobates Carp, and Hemidiptera Leon, one of the 

 most curious and interesting Hydrometridse hitherto discovered. 



THE LOCUST OR GRASSHOPPER OUTLOOK. 



There has recently gone out from Washington a popular article on 

 insects used as food for man, with some of our writings of many years 

 ago palmed off as current, and with a sensational introduction to the 

 effect that grasshopper injury is predicted by the Department of 

 Agriculture for this season. As the announcement is entirely unjusti- 

 fied and without authority, we have concluded to reproduce here a 

 summary of the situation as given by the Entomologist last August 



* 'PeO/za^: stream; Bur;?f=oue who treads. 

 24164— Xo. 9 3 



