343 



ball out of the canister will be to hook something under the string that is around it 

 and gently draw it out. * » » i am sorry that Professor Riley is not in Washing- 

 ton. However, you may be able to keep the piece of soil intact until he comes back. 

 I scarcely expect you will be able to keep the larva alive, but that will not mat- 

 ter so much. One fact is ascertained, that the larva does not require roots to feed 

 upon, neither does it travel about in search of food. I suppose it makes its way 

 dlowly and hiboriously through the soil, and finds sufficient food in the fresh soil that 

 it slowly brings itself in contact with. Oue strange thiug is that it does not seem 

 to make any difference how dry the soil is. — [J- Gr. Barlow, Cadet, Mo., August 20, 

 138G. 



Second Letter. — My civilized or tamed Cicada larva is still alive and growing, 

 though I have had him in a small jar between three and four months, with nothing 

 for him to subsist ou except what he finds in fi^ne, rather damp soil. What rather 

 surprises me is that I always find him on the top of the soil, notwithstanding I cover 

 him with fresh fine earth at intervals, in the hope that he will remain below the sur- 

 face and act in a more natural manner. Though I have buried him in the new soil 

 frequently, I always, next time I visit him, find him pawing around on the top. — [J. 

 G. Barlow, Cadet, Mo., October 14, 188C. 



Keply. — •" * * I am interested in the account of your tame Cicada larva. Does 

 it not strike you that it comes to the surface on account of a lack of food ? — [Octo- 

 ber 18, 1886.1 



Some Additions to Packard's Forest-tree Insects. 



I have been comparing my note-book with Packard's Bulletin No. 7, and have no- 

 ticed several omissions in the lists therein which may be of some interest. 



Hickory. — Saperda lateralis : A large number of specimens on a windfall, in copu- 

 lation. Philadelphia, June, 1882. 



Elm. — Saperda Candida : Oue pair in copulation on young elm. Concord, June 7, 

 1883. Anthaxia viridicornis : Eating leaves of elm. June 16, 1885. Several speci- 

 mens. 



Pine. — Neoclylus eri/tlirocephalus : Two specimens. June 24, 1885. N. muricatulus : 

 Common ou cord- wood and standing timber. Juue 24, 1885. 



Oak. — Agrilus bilineatus : Over one hundred specimens taken on a white oak. June 

 15, 1885. 



Buprestis ultramarina is taken on pitch-pine at Gloucester, N. J., from April 20 to 

 May 5. The Philadelphia collectors always look for it between those dates. 



Goes tigriniif is commonly taken on the oak in Philadelphia, and notonthe hickory 

 as stated by Dr. Fitch and quoted by Packard. 



I do not fiud these occurrences noted in Harris or Packard and so take the liberty 

 of commuuicatiug them, — [Adams Tolmau, Coucord, Mass., Juue 25, 1885. 



A Phytoptus on Plum. 



I send you some shoots from a plum tree with a fungoid growth in the shape of 

 small pustules at the base of the small branches and under the buds, and standing very 

 thick in rings around the branch. They can also be traced with the glass all along 

 the main branch, protruding from cracks of the outer bark. The tree is healthy and 

 every branch and twig is loaded with the fungus, as I suppose it to be. * * * — [A. J. 

 Cay wood, Marlborough, N.Y., January 28, 1888, to Professor Scribner, Department of 

 Agriculture. 



Reply. — Mr. Scribner has referred to this Division your letter of the 28th ult., ac- 

 companied by specimens of what you take to be a fungoid growth on small shoots of 

 plum. Ou breaking open the small pustules, as you have noticed, they are found to 

 be full of small mites of the genus Phytoptus. The pustules are evidently nothing 

 but the galls of the mites. I do not recognize the mite, aad am not aware that any 

 species having this exact habit has been described. A close study will be necessary 



