66 ^ COLOEADO POTATO-BEETLE. 



from his description, identify the insect with any known depreda- 

 tor upon the Potato-bug. I wrote to him requesting him to send 

 me specimens, and soon after received from him a number of the 

 above named species. As the CapsidcB are all vegetable feeders, 

 and as the Capsus linearis is often abundant on early potato vines, 

 which they injure by puncturing tlje young shoots, I at first 

 thought that Mr. Taylor had confounded this species with the 

 Arma spinosa or some other species which is well known to de- 

 stroy the eggs of the Potato-beetle in the way he describes. But 

 as he speaks as if he had actually seen them performing this act, 

 and as the Capsua linearis is a very indiscriminate feeder as re- 

 spects its plant-food, and finally as the two LyttcB, above men- 

 tioned (Nos. 6 and 7), are also plant- feeders, and yet are admitted, 

 on what is supposed to be sufficient authority, to be occasional 

 feeders upon the larvae of the Potato-beetle, I am inclined to be- 

 lieve that, after all, Mr, Taylor's observations may have been cor- 

 rect. This point, however, will have to be settled by future obser- 

 vation. 



To these insect depredators upon the Potato-bug I have pretty 

 good reason to add a four-footed animal, which we are not in the 

 habit of regarding in a very friendly light, and that is the Skunk. 

 This animal is well known to relieve the opprobrium which usu- 

 ally attaches to his name, by destroying the May-beetle, and its 

 larva the White grub, and some other of the larger sized insects. 

 Whilst on a visit to Benton Harbor, Mich., early last spring, Mr, 

 L. Camfield stated to me that a part of his potato field furthest 

 from the house was comparatively free from Potato-bugs, and 

 that he knew that skunks frequented it from the fact that his dog 

 was often heard barking there, and bore unmistakable evidence, 

 on his return, of the company he had been in. I told Mr. Cam- 

 field that as every fact of this kind was of interest, I wished he 

 would watch, some moon-light night, and see if he could verify his 

 supposition. Later in the season, in answer to a letter of inqui- 

 ry from me, 1 received a reply from Mr. Camfield, under date of 

 Aug. 15, saying that he had not seen a skunk about his premises, 

 they having been probably frightened away by the dog. But he 

 adds that his brother and neighbor, who have potato patches in 

 the same iuclosure, near a thicket much frequented by skunks, 

 have been but little troubled by Potato-bugs, though others iu 



