Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 4OI 



the head to inspect an object or by shying at unaccustomed 

 objects, and is not the caterpillar's behavior the same in degree? 

 Of course it is not ; it must be unconscious from the known 

 structure of its nervous system. 



(For the possible identity of the parasites, see Insect 

 Life, II, p. 256; III, pp. 26-27.) 



2. Oviposition of the Weevil Lixus concavus Say. (Coleop.). 

 At Blacksburg, A'irginia, June 8, 1903, a female was ob- 

 served ovipositing into the stein of a species of dock. The 

 whole operation was completed in about thirty minutes ; twen- 

 ty-seven minutes for excavation of the nidus, one minute in 

 laying the egg therein, and two minutes for smoothing off the 

 cavity. The first thing done by the female was to pull off short 

 parallel strips of the plant's skin, peeling them back about an 

 eighth of an inch and bending them. This was continued until 

 the cavity reached some depth, upon which, the operation be- 

 ing no longer possible (or else the pith being reached), the 

 female inserted the snout into the cavity, and enlarged the lat- 

 ter sufficiently to receive the egg. While doing this she was 

 often nearly "standing on her head." The egg was deposited 

 simply by turning in her tracks and applying the end of the 

 abdomen to the excavation. This performed, she again turned 

 slowly and commenced to smooth over the lacerated portions 

 of the nidus; the latter was then filled by pushing adjacent 

 tissue into it and completed by turning back into their places 

 the short strips of skin upon which she began operations. The 

 female then crawled to a leaf and commenced feeding, eating 

 out crescentic areas from its margin. The male was absent, 

 probably due to the late date. 



Although this weevil will lay eggs into the stems of rhubarb, 

 the consequent larvae do not seem to be able to mature with- 

 in that plant, being killed by it. 



3. Notes on Malacosoma americana Fabricius, (Lepid.). 



In Floyd County, Virginia, April 10, 1903, the larvae of this 

 species were observed eating into the buds of apple. In the 

 same place, in two instances, as many as ten old nests were on 



