257 



prefer isolated individuals or small groups, which are usually planted 

 for ornamentation. 



Such a tree stands by the side of the walk midway between my home 

 and the Indiana experiment station, being separated from all others of 

 its kind by nearly a quarter of a mile. During the years 1884 and 1885 

 this tree was regularly defoliated in August. In 1880, during the usual 

 season, the caterpillars made their appearance and began their work, 

 reaching very near their full growth, when there was a sudden cessation 

 of attack, and the depredators disappeared from the tree with aston- 

 ishing rapidity, leaving the foliage less than half eaten. This was a 

 change of affairs without a precedent. 



An examination of the ground about and beneath the tree at once 

 gave a clue to the mystery, revealing a state of affairs as interesting 

 as unexpected. Everywhere among the short grass and weeds were 

 caterpillars, some of them dead, others dying, while still others were 

 quite active, but all well-nigh covered with eggs of a species of 

 Tachina Fly. The flies were present in myriads, some of them wing- 

 ing their way about, a few inches above the surface of the ground, 

 and others perched on grass, weeds, etc., all evidently watching for 

 caterpillars, while the latter were as evidently hiding from their per- 

 secutors, for no sooner would oue of them leave its seclusion than per- 

 haps half a dozen flies would give chase, and begin fastening their egg^ 

 to various parts of the body, the victim writhing, twisting, and rolling 

 itself about in the dust, in frantic efforts to escape. Even after gaining 

 a place of security, under some leaf or plant, often some portion of the 

 body would be left exposed, and the already half dead caterpillar would 

 be again driven forth from its hiding, like a gored ox. ' Four caterpil- 

 lars, fair examples of the whole lot, were forwarded to the Department 

 at Washington, and to their bodies eggs were attached as follows: 'Ho. 

 1, 213; No. 2, 115; No. 3, 131; No. 4, 228. From five others, collected 

 at the same time, we afterwards reared fifty-three adult flies. 



During the years 1887 and 1888, not a caterpillar was observed on 

 this tree, though others in the neighborhood were infested, but the 

 present year (1889) they returned again in full force. It would be in- 

 teresting to know if similar attacks by an allied Tachinid upon the Army 

 Worm were as lasting in effect. — [F. M. Webster, November 28, 1889. 



■SOME HITHERTO UNRECORDED ENEMIES OP RASPBERRIES AND 



BLACKBERRIES. 



Solenopsis fugax Latr. — These minute ants were observed in great 



abundance during July, 1886, burrowing into the ripe fruit of the 



blackberry. The food habits of the species must be exceedingly varied, 



as we have found them excavating and dragging awaj- the substance 



fof recently planted seed-corn, infesting dead crickets, burrowing into 



[the fatty parts of cured hams, and in attendance upon a species of 



