34 
Then, in his report as Entomologist to the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture for 1881 and 1882, Prof. Riley publishes a 
review of the subject and a list and summary of its previous litera- 
ture, with a plate contaiming figures of larva and imago; and also 
describes a parasite bred from “Tennessee specimens, as ’ Stictonotis 
isosomatis. In “extracts from correspondence,” in this report, the 
reception of specimens of this Isosoma from Missouri is noted, with 
the statement that “the crops that were infested by the worm were 
_ very poor, and grew mostly in fields that had been sown in wheat 
four or five years in succession.” These straw worms had pupated 
October 25. 
Next we have the following important note by Prof. French, in 
the “American Naturalist” for January, 1883: “I was in three 
wheat fields yesterday, two that were in wheat last year and one in 
clover. The first two had about ninety-three per cent. of the stalks 
containing from one to three worms each; the other not more than 
five per cent. where examined—a good proof of the efficacy of the 
alternation of crops. The season was very favorable for the growth 
of ae wheat, but the heads were short and not well filled at the 
ends 
Finally, this complicated and embarrassing record formnimaters for 
the present, with a long and interesting article by Prof. French, in 
the “Pacific Rural Press,” of San Francisco, for October 20, 1883, 
called out by the receipt of some wheat stubble from Stockton, Cali- 
fornia, said to have been infested by the Hessian fly. 
None of this latter insect occurred in the straw, but the real cul- 
prits were the wheat-straw worms, a few of which had pupated when 
received (September 25), but most of which were still in the larval 
stage. Ninety-five per cent. of the straws were infested, one hun- 
dred of them containing one hundred and fifty-nine larve. These 
were found in the second and third internodes, counting from the 
ground up, more frequently than anywhere else, though they were 
found in the fourth and fifth also. In only one instance were two 
found in one internode. They were mostly in the lower part of the 
internode, just above the joint, sometimes even buried in the hard 
tissue of the joint, though some were to be found in all parts of the 
internode. In. most instances they were to be found inside the 
natural hollow of the stem, but in some instances they had eaten 
a channel outside of this. 
Prof. French found Eupelmus allynii also in the straws, thus con- 
firming the hypothesis of its parasitism on Isosoma. He recom- 
mends burning the stubble and aiternation of crops as remedies. 
DESCRIPTION. 
The following descriptions of imago and larva are quoted from 
page 185 of the report of the United States Commissioner of Agri- 
culture for 1881 and 1882; that of the pupa is original, and drawn 
up from individuals henge! from wheat straws from Perry county, 
n Southern Illinois, on the 10th of January: 
