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LITERATURE. 
This species was first described by Palisot de Beauvois under the 
name of Coreus lineolaris, in a work* on insects collected in Africa 
and America, published in parts, between the years 1805 and 1821. 
It was next described by Say as. Capsus oblineatus, in 1831, in a 
paper entitled, “Deseriptions of New Species of Heteropterous Hemip- 
tera of North America.” Say notes the similarity of his species to 
that described by Beauvois, but nevertheless considers them distinct. 
He records its occurrence at various points, from Pennsylvania to 
Indiana and Missouri. 
The first important mention of it as an injurious insect, we owe 
to Dr. Harris, who in his ‘Treatise on Insects Injurious to Vegeta- 
tion” (1841), describes it as Phytocoris lineolaris, notes its injury to 
various blooming plants and to the potato, gives .a very good account 
of its habits, and makes some recommendations for its destruction, 
based, however, upon conjecture, and not upon experiment. 
He knew nothing of its life history beyond the fact that it occurred 
in April and also in October, and probably hibernated as an adult. 
He believed its abundance at certain seasons to be due to dry 
weather, and accounted for the effects of its puncture by supposing 
it to poison the plants attacked. 
In the Prairie Farmer for 1860, (p. 308), and for May 2, 1868, 
this species is charged by Mr. B. D. Walsh with injuries to the 
apple, quince and pear. The second of these articles was illustrated.t+ 
In the Second Report of Prof. Riley, as State Entomologist of 
Missouri (1870), occurs the next important article upon this species. 
Besides rehearsing the facts already published by Harris, he reports 
it as seriously injurious to various fruit trees, and to cabbages, tur- 
nips and other garden yegetables; mentions the place of oviposi- 
tion, and gives an (inaccurate) descriptive note on the young. He 
assumes, with hesitation, that two generations occur during the 
year. He also recommends some additional topical applications, 
but not upon experimental grounds. 
In the “American Entomologist and Botanist” for September, 1870, 
Prof. Riley reprints this article from his entomological report, adds 
some important items respecting injuries to vegetation, and details 
the results of some experiments made by a correspondent, for the 
destruction of the pest in orchards. 
In 1872, a valuable article was published by D. B. Wier, in the 
Prairie Farmer for January 27 of that year. Mr. Wier’s experience 
with this plant bug in his nursery was especially interesting, and he 
gives a very full description of its injuries to fruit trees, together with 
some additional items relating to its life history. 
_A brief account of the species appeared in 1879, in the entomolo- 
gical report made to the State Horticultural Society of Iowa, by 
Prof. Herbert Osborn, of the Iowa Agricultural College. This, how- 
*Tnsectes recueillies en Afrique et en Amerique dans les royaumes d’Oware a Saint 
Dominique et dans les Etat-unis pendant les annces 1781-1797. 
+ Proce. Bost. Soe. Nat. Hist., IX, 313. 
