THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



223 



same place, and seldom more than one by the 

 same insect in the same individnal frnit or tree. 

 A. Dkax. 



Dtto, lii.l., June Btli 



[Wo cheerfully insert the above experience 

 IVom Mr. Dean, and hope that our readers will 

 protit by it. We are a little suspicious ourselves 

 that the worms spoken of by Mr. Wells (p. 201) 

 were in reality, not true Peach-borers, but the 

 huv;c of a little two-winged gnat (Mycetophila 

 jjcrsicw, Riley's MS.) which live on the gum and 

 detritus of the peach-tree, and which we have 

 bred to the fly state. These little worms do no 

 liarm to the tree, and can always be distin- 

 guished from the young Peach-borer, by the 

 greater relative length in proportion to the 

 width of their bodies, and by being entirely 

 destitute of legs ; whereas the Peach-borer, no 

 matter how small it may be, has always sixteen 

 legs.— Eds.] 



OVERCROWDED. 



Wc have received such a deluge of letters and 

 in<iuiries, during the past month, that, what with 

 our many other duties, it has been impossible to 

 answer them all in the present number. A great 

 many of these letters are of sucli trivial import- 

 ance that it is necessary to answer them by 

 private letter; but all such as are not thus at- 

 tended to, will in time be answered through the 

 Ento.-iiologist. But few persons duly compre- 

 hend the arduous duties of a State Entomolo- 

 gist. Called hither and thither; with hundreds 

 of insects at home whose transformations and 

 habits must he watched, he often receives in a 

 single mail, enough letters of inquiry, and 

 specimens to name, to occupy him a full week. 

 Oh that in this active, busy month of June, while 

 Nature's pulses beat so audibly, we could multi- 

 ply ourselves and be here and there and every- 

 where, and at the same time attend to all duties ! 

 but as we are but poor mortals, our readers will 

 bear with us for any shortcomings ! 



NO AIR-HOLES KEEDED IN SENDING INSECTS. 



Most persons who send us insects are in the 

 habit of punching holes in the boxes in which 

 such insects are packed; and sometimes these 

 'lioles are large enough to allow the inmates to 

 escape, and we are thus mortified at receiving 

 only empty boxes. Not unfrequently the senders 

 go to the trouble of punching these holes through 

 thick tin boxes. Now we wish we could make our 

 readers understand, that the punching of these 

 holes not only involves entirely useless and super- 

 fluous labor, but that it is actually detrimental to 



most living specimens. Insects do not smother 

 as readily as do we human beings; many of 

 them live at their ease deep down in the ground ; 

 some hide themselves in the hearts of trees, and 

 others again swim in the water, or dwell in 

 jilaces where we should instantly suflbcate. In- 

 deed, moisture is far more essential than air to 

 most insects, and we advise our readers to use 

 as tight vessels as possible in sending them — 

 especially if they are living specimens. We 

 also advise the use of tin wherever practicable, 

 tor if the insect to be sent has strong mandibles, 

 it is apt to gnaw through a pasteboard box and 

 to escape; besides the tin keeps them, as well as 

 the food on which tliey live, in much the fresh- 

 est condition. 



THE (JILPIN NOT WORM-PROOF. 



Mr. B. L. Kingsbury, of Alton, Ills., sends us 

 the following: " Tliere is a statement in the 

 ExTOJiOLOGLST (p. IGO) that the Gilpin or Little 

 Komanite apple is not troubled with the Codling 

 ^loth. A great mistake, so far as it applies to 

 this section. I keep some over every year, and 

 wc have trouble to find sound ones enough to 

 bake. It may be more exempt than some other 

 sorts, but not enough so to be worthy of 

 mention." 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Plum-leat' WoriiiN— 17. D. Ilhley, Mii,r„.,i„.j;>. 



Mhm.—'l'hv minute >ix-legged green' worms, uitli 

 l;ii-<'e likiik Iliads and a blark thorn trrowiim- nut ul' 

 cacli sidi- of tliidr taiK. which vou tinXl cn.-l.isrd in a 

 kind of web on a |iluiii-l.;d'. aii'tlic- iai-\a' .>! a -in'rics 

 o( Jji/da — a very intriT-iini; and an..iiiMluus i;(.nii~ nl'tlic 

 SiiWmss (TeiUhr,,l„ laiiiiU lin the nnln- ..t ( Irar-w in^fil 

 Flies. A .similar l.iit ''1-1111,1 -|ir,ir- ..rnii-- ..n Wikl 

 (.'herry i '" ■... • ; Lm ,, iN-u^li 1,m|1i kind- wrnl 

 underKrniiiid in . . . :., ]i:,\.- al\Mi\- lailrd 



tn rear c-itlni' Im lii. , - .l,. Wli.n liiil 'jn.wn 



cniarka 



' the niidiil 



Small AVIiitc Mollis- ir. D. J/iShi/, Vinneapo- 

 /;», i///in -Thrliltl.- wliitr inidlis whi.li vnn rnclose 

 along with llir Saully \■A\■^■.^■. tliinkiiii:- lli.x i,ku pos- 

 sibly be tlini- an. ■.■-(..!■-, ,an li:i\.' in, ii.i--ililr .niinL-c- 

 tion with thrsr lai\ a- whii-li lirl.ni^ In a di-iiihi order 

 oflnsects. 'J'hev an- the (.„„.,„ ,,/,,/;„/,. ,.| (.u.-n.'c. 

 .Singularly enough, tiny Ikim- N.rii -, nt n- In.ni aiiuihrr 

 (lUarter, under tile idea that lliev |. induce .rilaiii -mall 

 green worms upon Apple-lreex'. Hhi.h innn the de- 

 seiaption of them gi\eii liv nm- enrie-i...iidenl are 

 jirobably generated by an entirely dillereiu moth It 

 is ahvays ibe male moth that lia- iln Imnk- at ihe lip ot 

 liis abdomen; and as in otlnr male iii-e.i- tlu-e Imoks 

 are, as vour friend inlVrs, ii-ed In 



Insects named ■ I -',/, it Jno. P. Jcnes, 



(7,ariton, Mo.S-. '. ,,,<,,</,. Jlelsh. No. 6, 



AUagcnus {Mnf.il. ' . -ay. No. 7, Jphcdius 



1 1 nt nar ius .'iAmi. liini.uiied imm Europe). So. 8, 

 'rioplocepl'ala viridipfiiriis, Fabr. No !(, broken to pieces. 

 No. 10, Agonoderuspallq:ea, Fabr. 



