1883.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



157 



Catalogue of " Rare Americana," issued by S. 11. 

 ZalimA Co., Lancaster, Pa. 



Report of Cliief Signal office 1881, Department of 

 Interior. 



Report of " Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries of 



Pennsylvania," for 1S81-82, Illustrated by :V2 plates 



of tish, from E. G. Snyder, H. R., per S. M. Sener. 



American Philosophical Society proccudinijs from 



January to April, 1883. 



Index and annual report of Commissioner of 

 Patents for 1882. 



A stereoscopic view of on Indian altar at McCall's 

 Ferry, talten by W. L. Gill for the society, was then 

 donated by Mr. Gill. 



Donations to the Museum. 

 A remarkably fine specimen of the " Hoary Bat," 

 donated by Mr. Mayer, of Manheim township, who 

 found it one mornin)? about two weeks ago, near his 

 house, in the yard. ' This is the Vcspertillio pruin- 

 osus, and was originally described by Thomas Say. 

 This animal is sometimes confounded with the 

 Hoary or " Particolored Bat" of Europe. (Vesper 

 tilio discolor), but there is a great difference be- 

 tween them, especially in size. The body of our 

 species measures over i}i inches in length, and in 

 spread over 15 inches, whilst the body of the Euro- 

 pean species measures only 2^4 inches in length, and 

 10' iJ inches in spread. Among the other distinc- 

 tions is the fawn colored transverse land on the 

 throat of our species, and the dark color of the hair 

 generally. Dr. Godman describes the hoary bat of 

 the United Slates with tolerable minuteness, but he 

 makes no reference to the fawn-colored band on the 

 throat, nor yet to the similarly colored spots on the 

 wings near the anterior margin. These marks may, 

 however, pertain to sex or age. 



In connection with this subject I would mention 

 that I donated a specimen of the Hoary Bat to this 

 society about sixteen years ago, which was subse- 

 quently entirely destroyed by the " Museum Beetle" 

 (Anthrenus variens), and so far as I can recall its 

 appearance, at the present time, both the band on 

 throat, and the spots on the wings, were absent ; nor 

 was the color of the hair as dark as it is in this 

 specimen, but tlie size was about the same. These 

 two are the only specimens of this bat I have ever 

 seen or handled, and, from the fact that during the 

 long interval of sixteen years more than a score of 

 bats were brought to me or sent to me, but none of 

 this species, we may infer that it is by no means 

 common in Lancaster county although it may not be 

 rare. If we knew just where to look for it. 



Mr. Mayer informed me that he fed this animal 

 about a week on " bread and milk," and that it 

 devoured it readily. Bats generally are insectiverous 

 animals, although there are large foreign species 

 which are frugiverous. This appropriation of bread 

 and milk seems to indicate a step towards domesti 

 cation. 



A bottle containing a specimen of the " golden 

 carp" — Cyprinus auratus— from "our aquarium," 

 where it very suddenly died about a month ago. It 

 probably died of old age, for we had it a long time, 

 and it is no larger now than when we obtained it. 

 Its death could not have been caused by the un- 

 healthy condition of the water, because other speci- 

 mens in the same tank still survive. The color is so 

 completely destroyed by the alcohol that " silver 

 carp " would be a more appropriate name. 



Seven bottles of insects in alcohol, collected at 

 " York Furnace Spring " during the Tucquan en- 

 campment, in July, 1883. No. 1 contains 3 speci- 

 mens of Calosoma Scrutator, one of the handsomest 

 species in the whole coleopterous order, and this, 

 combined with its symetrical proportions, its cursorial 

 powers, its predaceous character, and hence its use- 

 fulness places it far in advance of any other known 

 species. No. 3 contains 16 specimens of Chrysochus 

 Auratus. This is also a very pretty insect, but is a 

 vegetarian, confining itself to the " Dogbane." 

 This insect could be easily set in jewelry, and allied 

 epeciea-are extensively so employed in Brazil. No. 3 

 contains Prionus laticollis, Lucanus dama, and 

 Cicada canicularis, from the same locality. Nos. 4 



and .'i contain various species of Coleoptcra, Hynien- 

 optera, Ilemiptera and Arachnida, conspicuous 

 among which Is PImpla lunator. No. 7 contains 

 two specimens of Spirobolus and one of Scolopendra, 

 belonging to the class Myrlapoda, representing two 

 families commonly known as " Millepedes " and 

 " Centipedes." 



Four bottles of insects and others, collected in the 

 vicinity of Lancaster city. In July, 1883. No. 8 con 

 tains .50 specimens of Galeruca xanthomelaina, or 

 " Elm leaf Beetle." Some of these, however, were 

 taken on a small beach bush, and others on various 

 species of vegetation In the vicinity. This insect was 

 very destructive to the foliage of the Elm trees in 

 Lancaster city the present season, notably those in 

 front of the residence of Mr. Frank Shroder, on East 

 Orange street. All the leaves of those trees were 

 perfectly skeletonized, and now they are developmg 

 a new crop of leaves. No. 9 contains 50 specimens o' 

 Tetraopus tornator obtained on the Aselepius ; 

 several " centipedes;" about 20 specimens of Onlscus 

 and Armadillo, commonly called " Sow-bug" and 

 " Pill-bug." These latter animals, which had for- 

 merly been classed with the Myriapoda, are now 

 classed with the Crustaceae, and are referred to the 

 order Tctradecapoda, containing 3 groups, our sub- 

 jects belonging to the Isopods. No. 10 contains a 

 miscellaneous collection, mainly small elirysomcHns. 

 No. 11, Arachuidans, female specimens, with their 

 cocoons, or egg bags, attached to them. No. 12, 

 small specimens of the larva of Elateridse detected 

 depredating on the roots of cereals. No. 13, con- 

 taining "scale" or " scab" insects, belonging to the 

 Coccus family. These were found on small oak 

 twigs, t)y Mr. Sm'l. Auxer, in June last. They are 

 species of Puliiinan. A few days after I received 

 them (about June 25) these globular scales evolved 

 millions upon millions of minute whitish animals — 

 too minute to be detected by the naked eye— which, 

 under a strong magnifier exhibited considerable 

 activity. They had a dark longitudinal line on the 

 back, slightly bristled legs and antenna;, and two 

 longer seta or bristles projecting from the caudal 

 segment. 



The late J. Duncan Putnam, of Davenport, Iowa, 

 in his "Notes on Coccidae," states that Dr. V. Sig- 

 noret has brought together descriptions of eighteen 

 species of Pulvinaria from different parts of the 

 world, and among them, Graelin described a species 

 that infests the oaks of Europe, namely P. lanatus. 

 I propose for this subject, if it proves to be new, Pul- 

 vinaria quercina, and yet it may be Graelin's lanatus 

 introduced into this country. These scales are a 

 chestnut brown In color, and very much convexed in 

 form — Indeed almost spherical — flattened only a lit- 

 tle on the side that adheres to the branch, and so 

 thickly crowded together that in some places the 

 branch or twig is entirely concealed. Whilst the 

 branch was standing erect on a small shelf, S. M. 

 Sener and myself noticed at Its base, what appeared 

 to be a small accumulating pile of dust, and on a 

 closer view we found this apparent dust animated 

 and spreading itself over a rapidly increasing area. 



Two bottles containing insects taken in the county 

 of Lancaster, and brought to me by different persons. 

 No. 13 contains eggs and young larva (one day 

 old) of Attacus ceeropla, eggs of " narrow winged 

 katydid," Phylloptera oblongifolla; one specimen of 

 Balanius nasicus, or "chestnut weevil ;" one of Or- 

 chelium, and one of Reduvlus raptorius. 



No. 14 contains the larva of Philumpelissatellitia, 

 infested by Microgaster congregata, a specimen of 

 the " wheel-bug;" Reduvlus novenarlus in the act of 

 moulting, being of a brilliant pink color. A specimen 

 of Mydas fiata and one of Tabanus atrata, usually 

 called black "Horse-flies." 



A large half-gallon bottle from H. A. Rathvon, of 

 Carson, Texas, containing four or five reptiles be- 

 longing to the family Coluberidae, and one apparent- 

 ly Immature specimen of Phrynosoma or " Horned 

 Toad." A fine large specimen of, the " Texas centi- 

 pede" (Scolopendra heros) ; three "Tarantulas" 

 (Mygale hentzii) and two very large Hymenopters, 

 commonly called the " Tarantula Killers — Pompilus 



formosa — and many arc the contests wliich have 

 been witnessed between these two formidatile insects, 

 tlie" Killer" usually coming off conqueror.* One 

 specimen of Stenojialmata talpa, in parts of Califor- 

 nia called the "Potato Cricket;" two line long- 

 horned beetles belonging to the family Prionidaj. 

 Two "Camel Crickets"— Mantis Carolina? One 

 large specimen of the " Luber (jrasshopper " (Ro- 

 malea microptera ?) said to be destructive to the 

 foliage of the orange. A large whitish spider with 

 dark banded legs, probably Doloraedcs albiens of 

 Hentz. Two specimens of Assillus, and sundry 

 other animals which cannot be examined for want of 

 time, the bottle being hermetically sealed and the 

 liquid In which they are immersed being cloudy. 

 The collection is of scientific value and it came 

 safely through by express. 



A bottle of calcareous sand containing granules of 

 Iron, being the borings of an artesian well over sixty 

 feet below the surface of the earth, from the farm of 

 Wasliington L. Hershey, and donated by him. It 

 effervesces freely under muriatic acid, the residue 

 being black sand, and tlic whole is very heavy. Indi- 

 cating that it contains a large quantity of metal . 



A large specimen of Menopoma Alleghcniensis 

 was donated by Mr. John J. Breneiser, of Kock Hill, 

 Lancaster county, Pa. This animal is known by 

 different names In different localities, as "alligator," 

 "mud-puppy," "iiell-bender," "mud-devil," "black- 

 lizard," etc., etc. Its place in animal classification 

 Is among the Batrachians (which includes the toads, 

 frogs, newts, salamanders, trilons), and not among 

 the lizards, which are Saurians. " Black Salaman- 

 der," or " Great Salamander," or " Allegheny Sala- 

 mander" would he a better common name than any 

 It has received. Mr. Breneiser captured this reptile 

 on an outline set in the Conesloga, about eight miles 

 from the city of Lancaster, immediately below the 

 first lock from Safe Harbor. If it were not for the 

 dams in the Coiiestoga, we doubtless would have 

 the animal within the city limits by this time, for 

 specimens have been taken in the Susquehanna river 

 very frequently within tlie past ten years, between 

 Harrisburg and Harbor, and for a much longer 

 period above Harrisburg. Forty years ago a speci- 

 men about six inches long was found dead in a small 

 puddle of water after the subsidence of an overflow 

 of the Susquehanna at Marietta. But, fll'ty years 

 ago it was not known to exist in the Susquehanna, 

 although it was very common in the Allegheny long 

 prior to that date, and was specifically named after 

 that river by the French naturalist Latreillo, who 

 first described It. This specimen is 17 inches in 

 length, but the society Is in possession of one that 

 measured 23 inches, although the limit is usually 



*ln expl.inatiun, I would rcniurk that the contest be- 

 tween the "Tanoitnla " iinilllu' " Tiinmlula-killer " is 

 not iliunicUrizocl !>>■ tlie motives wliieli stiintiliilo 

 Ininian, or even niiiny other iiniiiial l)elli)ieiciil.s. The 

 latter is the um;rcs.sor, ami llie former nets purely on 

 llie (IcIV'usivc. AcliuK under n provident maternal iiii- 

 nulso, the Pompihix, or wa.sp, is in the etlort ofinnietinK 

 a par'aly/iiiK wound upon tlic Tarantula, in order to 

 make it's Ijodv a uiilus for tlie reception of one or more 

 of its CKKS, aud sustenance for the youni; Krul> or 

 (;rul)s llmt are ileveloped from them. The male wa.ip 

 lakes no part in llie eolite-st; it is .solely the business of 

 tlie female, and alter she succeeds in iuflietinu tlio 

 wouiiil, she seizes the now helpless spider and eranis it 

 into licr earth-eell, where it is appropriated by her 

 vounn lis soon as they are cxebidcd from the cbkm. If 

 she killed the spider it would putrify, her younu would 

 starve, and llie perpetuation of her race would be de- 

 feated. The vouiiK itself refrains from attaekiiiK the 

 vital parts of t'lie spider, until near its mature develop- 

 ment as n larva or Knili. Tliese wa.sps lieloiig to the 

 KosBorial Hymciioptira, of which there are many 

 species. 



We have in Ijinca-ster county a large fossorml wasp— 

 Stysus .speeiosus — of habits similar to the above, but it 

 eo'niliies itself to the " IJoK-day Locust "—Cicada eanali- 

 oularis— wbieli it also paralyzes and eranis into its 

 eartli-eeli, and sometimes is eoliipelle<i to enlarj<e the 

 orilii'C leadillK to it in oriier to KCt its victim in. 

 Species l>clonKinK to the Rcnus Oilynerus secure iiake<l 

 caterpillars for the same jmrpose, whilst tlic "mud 

 wasps," Sphex eenileus, appri>priates spiders for the 

 same end. Tlie Stysus sometimes captures a cicaua 

 that is too liirne and heavy to be raised up from the 

 ground, and she lias been known to dniK it to an emi- 

 nenee, or even up to the branch of a tree, and then liy 

 the shortest and most direct line to aim for, or near her 

 cell, from whcnee she ilisposes of it aceordinuly. No 

 motive of aiiKcr or revenge enters into the contest so 

 far as tlie aggressors are concerned, but merely that 

 provident instinct which eliaractcrizes all lemale 

 animals in behalf of their young. Even those that are 

 vegetarian in their feeding habits, by their peculiar in- 

 stincts, when not interfered with, make the same provi- 

 dent provision. 



