156 



THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



captured the wasp on the nest, which I seud for 

 identification. The wasps were quite plenty 

 on blackberries. I never before saw a wasp 

 nest on a bush, but have seen many on fences 

 and under eaves, which were all built with the 

 mouth of the cell down, aud, I think, the wasps 

 were larger and ditterent. 



I have found Enmolplms auratus as abundant 

 on Apocynum cannahium, var. glaberrinum, as 

 it is on A. androsaimifoliuiii. 



The Dryocampa imperiaUs moves its scales 

 in a small place on the back of the thorax, as if 

 they were driven out and in by air from under- 

 neath. W. H. Patton. 



[Since the article on wasps, referred to by 

 our corre^^poiident, was published, we have met 

 with a small nest 'of PoUstes metricus, Say, 

 which was built in a vertical position, with 

 horizontal cells, the nest being attached laterally 

 by a central pedicel or point. The species sent 

 by our correspondent is the P. fuscatus, Fabr., 

 and we thus have two exceptions to the rule laid 

 down in that article, that the American species 

 of this genus build horizontal nests with verti- 

 cal cells, while the European species build ver- 

 tical nests with horizontal cells. We have never 

 noticed the peculiar motion of the scales on the 

 thorax oH Dryocampa imperiaUs. — Ed.] 



SyuASU l5uG AND WnrxE Bush Scollui"— 

 Jefferson dtp, Mo., Feb. 6, '70.— I think you 

 make a mistake in stating that the Squash Bug 

 does not touch the White Bush Scollop Squash 

 (November No., p. o.i). I have raised nearly 

 all the varieties of squash for several years, and 

 am sure that both the Squash Bug (Coreus tris- 

 tis) and the Striped Cucumber Beetle (Diabro- 

 tica I'ittuta) attack all more or less. But here 

 is the dift'erence: Some of the varieties have 

 large, tender, succulent leaves and stems, like 

 the Hubbard, for instance; and if they are 

 planted in near proximity to the harder, tougher 

 varieties, the bugs and beetles will attack the 

 first in preference. That is all. I have never 

 succeededin raising the Hubbard, Boston Mar- 

 row, Mammoth, or Turban ; these the bugs will 

 always take. The following varieties are likely 

 to be slighted and passed by whenever the bugs 

 can get at the former: Early Yellow Bush 

 Scolloped, Early White Scolloped, Early Bush 

 Summer Crook-neck, Fall or Winter Crook- 

 neck, and Yokohama. This latter excellent 

 winter variety, from Japan, has very hard, 

 tough stems and leaves, and usually escapes 

 unscathed. By planting the tender varieties 

 here and there among the others, the bugs will 

 congregate upon them, and cau be destroyed 

 more easily, and thus a crop cau be secured, as 



the balance will escape. This is on the same 

 principle of planting nectarines among peach 

 trees to attract the Curculio. J. F. Wielandy. 



The Man(;oli>wlrzel Fly — New York, Feb. 

 4, '70. — The Rev. Mr. Haughton describes, iu 

 the "Quarterly Journal of Microscopic Science," 

 the fly whose larva has recently proved des- 

 tructive to Maiigold-wurzel. Until last year it 

 seems that the male sex predominated, and con- 

 sequently little harm was done; then, however, 

 the proportions were reversed, the females be- 

 ing estimated as twelve to one, and hence the 

 extent of the injurious work. 



I find the above in tlie Notes aud Memoranda 

 of the " Intellectual Observer." It is to be 

 regretted that a journal devoted to science 

 should make so important a statement in such 

 a slip-shod manner. But assuming that the 

 term " fly " has reference to some Dipterous 

 insect, is it a fact that the males of that order . 

 copulate with more than one female? If not, 

 it is uiflicult to see hoV a superabundance of 

 females would lead to an increased abundance 

 of larva;. As a general thing, we know that 

 males of most species, at least iu Lepidaptera, 

 preponderate. But we also know, that many 

 species are periodically abundant and then again 

 scarce. Now, is it, or is it not, a fact that this 

 periodical abundance is at all due to the abun- 

 dance of females of the previous brood? If so. 

 is it possible to trace the law regulating the 

 relative proportion of the sexes? Is the ''influ- 

 ence" meteorological? Has the abundance or 

 scarcity of food anything to do with it? 



W. V. Andrews. 



Time ok the Api'EAK.i^NCE of the Polyphe- 

 mus Moth in Louisiana and Kentucky. — Cov- 

 ington, Ky., Feb. 20th, 1870.— It is not very 

 important, perhaps, but for the sake of being 

 " right upon the (entomological) record," I 

 wish to correct an error as to Polyphemus and 

 Chalcis marim in your last number. I thought 

 I had stated — but perhaps I did not- that the 

 specimens of C. maricv were bred from a cocoon 

 of Polyphemus, taken in New Orleans, where I 

 spent last February. Polyphemus is disclosed 

 there in February, but probably not earlier than 

 the last of May here. Your article conveys the 

 impression that it is disclosed here in February. 

 At New Orleans it occurs by the million on the 

 live oak, and, I think, cannot be very subject 

 to parasites, as from over fifty cocoons I bred 

 the moth, while only one produced the Long- 

 tailed Ophion {O. macrurum), and one the 

 Chalcis marioi. Here Polyphemus is very rare ; 

 more so than Luna. I have found iu all my 

 excursions around here only one cocoon of 

 Polyphemus, and that produced nothing. 



V. T. Chajibeks. 

 [We difler from our correspondent iu the 

 opinion that the matter is not very important. 

 It is of the utmost importance, and we thank 

 him for making the correction. — Ed.] 



