260 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



1871 



fntomologs- 



Dr. S. H. KRiDELBAnoH, Editoh, Clakinda, Iowa. 



^"Send in the Insects.— Dr. K. is chairman of thi^ Com- 

 mittee on Entomology for the State Horticultural Society, 

 and would take it as a favor to be furnished with specimeus 

 of insects from the various localities of the State, by mail 

 during this year. Those sending will please state all they 

 know concerning the habits of the insects sent; what they 

 are found feeding on, etc. 



Glided Euniolyplius, CIiryNOiiieliaii, and Tar- 

 uisUed Plant Bug. 



Db. Kridlebadgh : — I .send you herewith three 

 varieties of insects. 



No. 1 I observed on my apple grafts yesterday 

 for the first time — did not see tliat they were do- 

 ing an}- damage. 



No. 2 I .suppose is the grape vine flea beetle. 

 They are eating my Clinton vines and apple grafts 

 — are not verj' numerous. 



No. 3 I find on my strawberries They com- 

 mence work as soon as the berries begin to color, 

 eating the outside of the berr}' off. The}' have 

 eaten nearly all the few Charles Downing I had. 

 I intended to send you some other insects, but 

 could not capture them to-day. There are more 

 insects this year than ever before. 



D. M. DlMMICK. 



Monona, Iowa. 



Remarks : — Your No. 1 — Gilded Eumolyphus, 

 (Enmolyphus aitratns, of Say.) a golden-greenish 

 beetle about three-eighths of an inch long, is one 

 of our most valuable cannibal insects. Its larvse 

 feeds on dogbane — (Apocynum cannabinurn,) on 

 which plant the old one will often be found, as it is 

 its favorite plant on which to breed its young. On 

 your apple grafts it is doing good — no harm. 



Your No, 3 — Grape- Vine Flea Beetle — (ILd- 

 Hc/i chalyheji, of lUiger,) you suspect him right. In 

 a future number of the Pomologlst we will give 

 an illustrated history of this pest of the grape-vine. 

 See our report to State Horticultural Society, at its 

 January session, 1871. 



Your No. 3, Tub Tarnished Plant Bug, ( Oap- 

 sus Oblineatiis, of Say.) Tliis insect lives by suck- 

 ing, not biting, and appears to poison every variety 

 of plants it infests, and these are many ; among 

 which are the dahlias, asters, marigolds, balsams, 

 cabbage, potatoes, turnips, strawberries, raspber- 

 ries, and such trees as the apple, plum, pear, quince, 

 cherry, etc. It delights in feeding on the young, 

 tender leaves, which it gives the appearance of hav- 

 ing been burned wherever it works. It hibernates 

 in old rubbish during the winter, hence is ready 

 for early spring work. It lays its eggs on the 

 plants it infests, and hatches, and during the sum- 



mer may be found on the plants, young, green and 

 wingless, mixed up and in company with the old 

 ones, which have wings. To fight this insect is a 

 difficult task, from the fact that it feeds on so many 

 different kinds of plants. Is during warm weather 

 very active, and can readily hide between the pe- 

 tals of flowers, into which it securely glides from 

 one side of a plant to the other; in the absence of 

 such hiding places as are furnished by flowers, it 

 finds security among the leaves, or flics, which it 

 readily does. Clean culture will help much to get 

 rid of them. It would be well to burn up all the 

 material on the plat of ground they infest badly 

 during cold weather, as in it they find winter cjuar 

 ters, and are themselves sluggish. 



That this insect should feed on the ripening fVuit 

 of the strawberry is not at all strange ; but it is not 

 by biting the fruit that it destroys it, but by pump- 

 ing from it its juice. We should not at all be as- 

 tonished to learn of its preying on raspberries, 

 blackberries, and even currants and grapes in a 

 similar manner, although it is more likely to dis- 

 turb the young, tender growth more than fruits. 



Tbe Toad.— His Ilsefulness. 



Cassel's Magazine thus enumerates some of the 

 peculiarities of the toad : 



" Not only are toads harmless, but they are abso- 

 lutely and directly useful to us, perambulating fields 

 and gardens at night, and devouring vast quantities 

 of insects which could never be destroyed by the hand 

 of man. The mode in which a toad takes its prey 

 is very curiou.s. Its singularly beautiful eye is as 

 quick as it is bright, and if within the range of its 

 vision an insect or a grub happens to move, the toad 

 is sure to see it, and nearly certain to catch it. 

 First, the toad holds its head as high as possible, so 

 as to make sure of its prey, and then crawls slowly 

 toward It, preferring to get under it if possible. 

 When it is nearly within reacli it gazes intently at 

 the insect, its mouth being brought nearer and near- 

 er. Something pink then fl.isljes from its mouth, 

 and the insect vanishes as if Ijy magic. The pink 

 fla.sh is the tongue of the toad, which is formed in 

 a rather curious way. The ba.se of the tongue is 

 fi.xed close to the front of the lower jaw, and is long 

 and tapering, the tip pointing down the throat when 

 it is at rest. When however, it is used for catching 

 prey, it is thrown out with a sort of ' flick,' and the 

 tip, which is covered with a glutinous secretion, ad- 

 heres to the insect and conveys it down the toad's 

 throat before the prey has time to make an eflbrt 

 to escape. When the toad swallows its prey, it 

 does it with a mighty effort, during which the eyes 

 almost disappear, the size of the insect having lit- 

 tle to do with the most marvelous vehemence of 

 tlie toad's demonstration. When a large beetle is 



