222 ENTOMOLCX5ICAL NEWS. [May, '15 



tance. Professor Herrick wrote: "I am in receipt of two 

 very interesting letters from a woman in Oriskany, New York, 

 who is much worried regarding what she thinks are bedbugs. 

 However, I have finally obtained specimens from her, and they 

 are much smaller than the ordinary bedbug. Since the chim- 

 ney in the house is full of swifts, and these bugs apparently 

 invaded the room from an opening in the chimney, I take it 

 for granted that they are a species parasitic upon the swift. 

 Even if this be true, her letter is interesting from the fact that 

 she maintains that these bugs have attacked voraciously the 

 occupant of the bed in the room next to the chimney. She 

 says, 'There is no doubt, I think, of their having bitten my 

 sister not only two nights, but fresh bites having appeared 

 during the second day, we examined her clothing and found 

 them (the bugs) hidden there.' So far as I am aware, this is 

 a new role for this particular bug." 



Specimens which I received from Professor Herrick were 

 most probably Cimex hirnndinis, but I could not compare them 

 with actual specimens of that species. The evidence is not 

 complete, but the facts incline me to believe it more and more 

 probable that the allies of lectulariits will readily forsake their 

 original or natural hosts when these latter are near to dwell- 

 ings and attack human beings. A fowlhouse or a pigeon loft 

 may thus become a center of infestation and the possibilities 

 of disease transmission from animal to man so much aug- 

 mented. 



Tibicen septendecim (Linnaeus) in Montgomery County, Virginia 



(Hem.). 

 On June 21, 1901, and later, English sparrows were observed catch- 

 ing the adults of this species above a half dozen times, once or twice 

 when the cicada was flying. I noticed the characteristic egg-slits in 

 the following trees: White cedar {Chamaecyparis sphracroidea; trees 

 apparently not injured) ; Wild cherry (Prunus sp. ; small slits) ; Euro- 

 pean linden (Tilia europaea; wounds large and ruptured) ; White oak 

 {Quercus alba; injury very noticeable); Red oak (Quercus rufa; 

 injury noticeable) ; Apple {Pyrus mains vars.) ; Dogwood (Cornus) ; 

 Hickory (Carya sp.); Black walnut (Juglans nigra); Lilac (Syringaf 

 vulgaris) ; Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) ; Peach {Prunus per- 

 sica) ; Poplar (Populus sp.) ; Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis; small, 

 subtriangular punctures) ; an unknown tree in forest of mountains ; 



