336 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Dec, '04 



fresh leaf. She had already deposited 10 eggs, when she was 

 accidentally disturbed. A few moments afterwards, the pair 

 were found again connected. On the mornings of the 22d of 

 June and 2nd of July records of sexual connections were 

 made, and doubtless copulation had been taking place during 

 the time intervals between these records. 



On the 2nd of July both of the insects were in good 

 health, and fed quite often on the fresh leaves when they were 

 supplied each morning, the punctures making a dark-green, 

 "moist" spot, characteristic of the injury of haustellate 

 insects to tender vegetation. 



On July the 13th the S , having gradually grown weaker 

 and weaker, died. It had lived 58 and one-half days in con- 

 finement. Six days later or on the 19th, the 9 died. She 

 lived 40 days, and deposited in that time 154 eggs. Deposi- 

 tions, other than those given in the foregoing, were as 

 follows: June 21-22, 13 eggs; June 24-25, 13 eggs; June 

 28-29, 10 eggs; July 1-2, 22 eggs; July 3-4, 12 eggs; July 

 5-6, 7 eggs ; July 7-8, 8 eggs ; July 9-10, i egg, final deposit ; 

 previous deposits, 68 eggs ; eggs in ovaries, o eggs. 



This shows very plainly that the period of oviposition is 

 quite lengthy, and that the largest masses found do not even 

 indicate the normal number of eggs deposited by this species, 

 as is intimated in the various writings on this insect. As our 

 knowledge grows, we are finding continually that the ratings 

 of the number of eggs deposited by some of our commonest 

 and most injurious insects are entirely too small, and in many 

 cases entirely too vague (being founded as they are on indefi- 

 nite egg masses, on ovary contents, or even on estimates 

 merely). For instance, I have shown* that the common bag- 

 worm ( T. ephemerceformis) deposits EGGS to an amount 

 double that previously estimated, and that the ratings of the 

 number deposited by the American tent-caterpillar (C anier- 

 icana) were far too low. f A more striking example, however, 

 has recently come to my notice. ' One of our most common, 

 wide-spread and injurious insects, one which has been the 



* Entomological News, 1901, page 305. 

 t Entomological News, 1904, pages 2-3. 



