10 



We would very much like to have farmers who are troubled by crows 

 try this remedy and report the results to this station. 



Blepharida rhois -.—a, egg; b, b, egg masses; c, c,c, c, c, larva; d, cocoon; e, pupa;/", beetle; 

 ^, ^. ^y> '^i mouth parts of larvae; /, leg. (After Riley). 



THE JUMPING SUMACH BEETLE. 



This insect {Blepharida rhois, Forst.) has not been reported from 

 New England before, so far as I can learn, but it is common in the 

 southern and western states where it is said to do very great injury to 

 the different species of sumach. 



In this State they are very destructive to the Smoke-tree or Purple- 

 fringe {Rhus cotinus), in fact they completely destroyed one of these 

 shrubs on my grounds, giving me every opportunity to study their habits 

 and experiment on them with insecticides. 



The natural history of this species has been admirably presented by 

 Prof. Riley in his Sixth Entomological Report of Missouri, but as that 

 paper is not generally accessible, I give here ray own observations, 

 making use, however, of Prof. Riley's admirable illustration. 



The perfect beetles appeared on the wing early in May (from the 10th 

 to the 15th of this year), having come out from their places of hiberna- 

 tion. They immediately began to pair on the branches of the Smoke- 

 tree, and soon after, each female laid about forty eggs in masses on the 



