June 24, 1892.] 



SCIENCE. 



357 



Indian Hemp, Rheumatism-weed, 



Apocynumandrosaemifolium,L. 1.60 .44 .69 7.47 

 Elders. 



Sambucus canadensis, L. 1.56 .31 1.00 7.41 



Eag-weed, 



Ambrosia artemisiaefolia, L. 1.36 .41 1.79 7.32 

 CroldeDrod, 



Solidago juncea. Ait. 1.27 .39 1.62 7.15 



Spanish Needles, 



Bidens frondosa, L. 1.24 .32 1.92 7.14 



Orchard Grass, 



Dactylis glomerata, L. .95 .54 2.61 7.08 



Naked-weed, Skeleton-weed, 



Chondrilla juncea, L. 1.13 .74 1.27 6.74 



Oat-grass, 



Danthonia spicata (L.) Beauv. 1.13 .28 1.77 6.50 

 Old-field Balsam, 



Gnaplialium obtusifolium, L. 1.04 .41 1.75 6.35 

 Evening Primrose, "Wild Beet, 



Oenothera fruticosa, L. 1.05 .39 1.68 6.29 



Blue- joint, 



Andropogon provincialis. Lam. .73 .24 1.29 4.44 

 Broom Sedge, 



A^idropogon scoparius, Michx. .78 .21 .68 3.68 

 Panicled Panic-grass, 



Panicum virgatum, L. .60 .28 .68 3.40 



Average 



1.60 .53 2.51 $9.60 



It will be seen, that, if this is a fair number of species to 

 draw conclusions from, weeds properly composted should 

 be worth $9.60 per ton These values are of course com- 

 puted upon a water-free basis, while the farmer would 

 gather with his weeds about 50 per cent of their weight in 

 water. We have, however, proved that proper composting, 

 especially with the addition of lime, rots and kills all the 

 seeds of the weeds gathered; and argue that, if the farmer 

 thus removes the weeds from his lands and roadsides, thereby 

 decreasing the annual production and continued presence of 

 the same, that if he thus relieves his fields of the trash, giv- 

 ing more room for good, clean grass, that if he places upon 

 Ws cultivable ground the humus that it would otherwise 

 never receive, that if he is thus taught to utilize all such 

 matter as has heretofore gone to waste upon his farm and in 

 his ditches and roads, this compost would be raised by these 

 profitable issues to the full value of the dry material as 

 given above. 



W. Va. Agr. Exp. Station. 



NOTES ON LOCAL MEMBRACID^ AND FDLGO- 

 RID^. 



BT E, B. SOtTTHWICK, PH.D. 



In the MEMBRACID^, the sub-family Darning is repre- 

 sented by Ophiderma salamandra Fairne., which with us is 

 very rare. Ophiderma rnera Say and O. arcuata Say are 

 both recorded from New Jersey, and Fitch records mera as 

 occurring in New York and feeding on the butternut. 



In the sub-family Smilun^ we have several species, Acu- 

 talis tartaria Say being quite common and very variable in 

 coloration, some of them being nearly black. Acutalis calva 

 Say is much smaller and exceedingly rare. 



Telamona ampelopsidis Harr. is represented by half a 

 dozen specimens. It is quite rare. A friend informs me 

 that a few years ago he found it very common on Ampelopsis 



in this city. I have one specimen of what'is]labeled^Z'7'a^opa 

 calva Say. It is shaped very much like T. ampielopsldis 

 Harr., save that the apex of the hump is more narrow I 

 have not taken any other species of Telamona, although 

 several are recorded from New Jersey and New York. 



Thelia is represented by bimaculata Fabr. It is rare, and 

 but two specimens were taken, both from elder [Sambucus). 



Ceresa is represented by three species: brevicornis Fitch, 

 bubulus Fabr., and diceros Say, the latter being very rare, 

 and the other two species common. 



Stictocephala festina Say is very common and very uni- 

 form in size. S. festina Say I have never taken, although 

 it should occur with us. 



In the sub-family HoPLOPHOElNJi: I have never taken a 

 representative species. But Plotycoris quadrivittata Say 

 and P. vittata Fabr. are both recorded from New Jersey, 

 and should occur here also. 



In the sub-family Membeacin^, Enchenopa binotata Say 

 is very common indeed. I have taken it from the butternut, 

 Viburnum; New Jersey tea (Ceanothus), bittersweet iCelas- 

 tris), and white birch. Ptelea, grape, Cercis. and locust 

 are also given as its food-plants. On Ceanothus it is very 

 abundant in all stages of transformation, and a species of 

 black ant is very attentive to it in the pupa state, no doubt 

 obtaining from it honey-dew, as in the case of Aphides. 

 When disturbed they become formidable enemies and bite 

 one's hand very severely. 



Enchenopa curvata Fabr., now known as Campylenchia 

 Gurvata Fabr., is exceedingly common; and the length 

 of the projection of the thorax, for a long time, led 

 me to believe there were two species. But Professor Van 

 Duzee says they are one and the same species; that is, those 

 with the long, curved thorax and those with the short and 

 less curved thorax. 



In the family FULGORID^ and sub-family CixiiN^ I 

 have one species of Phypia not known to Professor Van 

 Duzee. Cixius stigmatus Say is very rare, or at least is so 

 very delicate as to be easily torn and unnoticeable, which 

 may account for its scarcity in my collection. 



Otiocerus Degeerii Kirby is represented by a single pair. 

 This is a very curious, as well as beautiful insect, with its 

 long fore- wings widening out like a fan at the ends. 



In the sub-family Dityophorin^ we have Scolops sulcipes 

 Say and S. angustatus Uhl., the former a common species 

 and the latter quite rare. Monopsis tabida Spin. I have 

 never taken, but it probably occurs here. 



In the sub-families IssiN^ and Caloscelin^ I have never 

 taken a single representative species. But, in the sub-family 

 Flatin^, Ormenis pruinosa Say and 0. septentrionalis 

 Spin, are very common. Pruinosa has formerly been known 

 as Plata pruinosa and Poeciloptera pruinosa Say. This 

 insect is common on the white birch; but I have taken it 

 from the elm and maple, more particularly from the young 

 sprouts. Dr Riley records it as feeding on red clover, 

 Erigeron canadensis, and quite a number of other plants 

 and shrubs, not specified; and Dr. Filch records it as occur- 

 ring on the gooseberry and rhubarb. It is quite a general 

 feeder, but vvith us it seems to affect the white birch most. 

 Dr. Fitch also mentions its occurrence on the privet in New 

 York, but I have never discovered it on this shrub, although 

 it is everywhere abundant in Central Park. 



Amphiscepa bivitata Say is very common with us; but I 

 have not as yet, from my own observation, found out what 

 plant it feeds upon most, as the sweep-net gathers it from 

 grasses and weeds alike. 



