THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



159 



The Ajierican Naturalist. — No. 11 of this 

 excellent monthly is at hand, and the next num- 

 ber will completj the third volume. The editors 

 are performing a labor of love, and strongly 

 appeal to the naturalists of the countrj^ to give 

 the magazine that support which it well de- 

 serves. Tlie subscribers to the Entojiologist 

 who are interested in other branches of natural 

 history, cannot do better than club with the 

 Naturalist in renewing their subscriptions, as 

 a liberal discount is made. The new volume is 

 to open with an illustrated article on the Ancient 

 Megalithic Monuments of Peru compared with 

 those of other parts of the world, by the eminent 

 archasologist E. G. Squier, and with another on 

 Sponges, by Prof. Jos. Leidy, of Philadelpliia. 



The Country Gentleman. — Luther Tucker 

 & Son, Albany, N. Y. With the beginning of 

 the new year this sterling paper was enlarged, 

 and the old heading was exchanged for one 

 more beautiful and becoming. The Country 

 Gentleman has no superior as a strictly agricul- 

 tural paper, and we take this opportunity of 

 thanking the editors for the many kindly notices 

 they have given of the Entomologist'; and to 

 assure them that their good will is appreciated. 



The Prairie Farmer. — This old stand-by of 

 the western farmer still continues to improve, 

 and we rejoice in its success. With the new 

 year it donned a new and improved dress, and 

 it now appears more attractive than ever. The 

 publishers have also engaged a special draughts- 

 man and engraver, and more attention is to be 

 paid to the illustrations. The price is but $2.00 

 a year, and every new subscriber gets a copy of 

 the Prairie Farmer Annual, while every one 

 sending two names and $4.00 receives a beauti- 

 ful allegorical lithograph, entitled "The Far- 

 mer pays for All." The Prairie Farmer ($2.00) 

 and the American Entomologist (.$2.00) can 

 be had for $3.00 by parties sending for both 

 papers at one and the same time. 



Tick's Illustrated Catalogue and Floral 

 Guide for 1870.^ — Mr. Vick has our thanks for 

 this beautiful pamphlet, which eclipses all former 

 catalogues. Every lover of flowers should send 

 to Jas. Vick, of Kochester, N. Y., for a copy. 



Michel Bros. & Kern's Floral Catalogue. 

 — Just as we go to press this catalogue reaches 

 us, and we have not the space to give it the 

 extended notice it deserves. We hardly sup- 

 posed that anything so creditable could be got- 

 ten up in the West, and Mr. Vick will soon 

 have to look to his laurels, lest he be outdone, 

 in the catalogue business, by some of our West- 

 ern friends. We can confidently recommend 

 the above firm to those of our "readers who 

 wish anything in the floricultural line that is 

 thoroughly adapted to the Mississippi valley; 

 for we have long admired their strict integrity 

 and courtesy. 



ANSWERS TO CORBESPONDEUTS. 



Notice.— Such of our correspondents as have already 

 sent, or may hereafter send, sm.all collections of insects 

 to be named, will please to inform us if any of the 

 species sent, are from other States than their own. 

 Lists of insects found in any particular locality are of 

 especial interest, as throwing light upon the geograph- 

 ical distribution of species. But to make them of real 

 value, it is requisite that we know for certain, 

 whether or not all the insects in any particular list come 

 from that particular locality, and if not, from what 

 locality they do come. 



Pithy Blackberry Gall— i'. C. Spavlding, Rose 

 Hill, Mo. — The woody blood-brown gall found on 



Crii;. 103 : 



(6) yellowish-green; (c and d) white. 



Blackberry canes, over three inches in length and divi- 

 ded longitudinally into five pretty regular ridges, is the 

 common Pithy Blackberry gall, caused by the Slisty 

 Oall-ily (DiastropTius nehulosus, O. S.) This gall was 

 first described (Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., II, p. 36) by 

 Baron Osten Sacken. Its shape varies, but there are 

 always four or five of the wrinkled ridges more or less 

 traceable along the stem (Fig. 103, a), corresponding to 

 the rows of punctures which the female made in deposit- 

 ing her eggs. It is really a deformation of the cane, 

 chiefly due to a hypertrophy of the pith in consequence 

 of the poison injected at the time of depositing. If a 

 longitudinal flection is made, the inside will present the 

 appear.ance of Figure 103. h, the flesh being insipid in 

 taste. Near the edge the flesh in the fresh specimens is 

 soft and green to the depth of about one-quarter inch, 

 contrasting strongly with the yellow, pithy and woody 

 interior, in which are found the cells, which vary in 

 form from perfectly round to oblong-oval . At the pre- 

 sent time the larva (Fig. 103, c)— which when straight- 



