while yet she was in the cellor burrow. They remain but a short time in copula, 
then the Q completes her exit from the larval habitation, and flies about, 
further unmolested by the <j’, in search of a suitable tree upon which to oviposit. 
One found, she explores all crevices with her antenne and a satisfactory spot 
found —often a hole left by a Pimpla in emerging—she deposits an egg, which 
is very small, smooth, oval, and yellowish brown in color. 
The oviposition is performed as follows: the long ovipositor is bent, passed 
between the posterior legs, the abdomen is elevated almost to aright angle with 
the thorax, and the ovipositor guided by the anterior tarsi is forced with a 
ramming motion into the wood to the depth of from 2 to 3 inches. 
The ovipositor is composed of three pieces; two, grooved and pubescent act 
as a sheath to the borer proper and do not enter the wood; the third has the ap— 
pearance of a horse hair, is rather flattened and tapers somewhat to the tip, 
where it is armed with about 21 saw teeth at each side and about 14-on the 
upper edge. If we now make a cross section of the borer at this point we find 
that it consists of three pieces; the upper part horse shoe shaped with a T rail 
projection on the ends and the two lower parts each like half a horse shoe furn- 
ished with a groove in which the T rail fits easily and in such a manner that the 
pieces may slide upon each other without separating and to leave the borer cap- 
able of sufficient expansion to allow the egg to pass through the hollow centre. 
In boring the ovipositor has not only a ramming, but also a sliding motion, 
the side pieces. which do the cutting, being forced forward alternately until the 
desired depth is reached. 
Pimpla has been supposed an Ichneumon, but I have long doubted this be. 
eause I never found in the wood any larva upon which it could feed. Ihave 
during the past season watched many females ovipositing and have cut off the 
ovipositor when ready to be withdrawn and in no instance have I found a 
larva of any kind anywhere near the point reached by the borer and where the 
egg was deposited. The conclusion i is therefore that the larva is atrue wood 
feeder and not parasitic. 
Messrs. Hulst and Weeks stated in the discussion following, that they had 
reached the same conclusions from independent observation. ; 
Mr. Hulst gave an outline of a paper read by Prof. Macloskie of Princeton 
at the meeting of the A.A.A.S. on the Dynamics of the Insect Crust, and in the 
course of the discussion of this subject Mr. Cramer stated that he had. observed 
in a larva of Papilio philenor that 24 hours after it was blown and mounted the 
oral parts were still in motion as thongh the insect were alive. 
‘Prof. Mayer gave an account of how he had collected during the past season 
and secured many rarities in Lepidoptera. 
Mr. Cramer exhibited and explained a device for blowing and preserving 
lepidopterous larvee, which was universally approved by the members present. 
Mr. Cramer illustrated the subject by preparing a specimen. An abstract of his 
address was offered for publication. A. C. Werxs, Rec. Secy. 
Members are requested to note the change of place of meeting, and it is 
also desired that all those having books of the Society do return them as soon 
ag conveniently possible, as the Library isabout to be re-arranged and the books- 
catalogued. Vibes Pre we es 
104. -BULLETIN BROOKLYN ENTOM. SOC. VOL. VII. November 1884.] 
