52 



THE AMEEICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Notes on the TARANTaLA.-KiLi.EK — Glen- 

 ivoocl, Mo., Sept. 25, 1869. — I send you herewith 

 a specimen of an immense blue wasp with gol- 

 den glossy wings, which I found a few days 

 ago in my vineyard at Gleuwood, and which 

 from its unusual size attracted my attention. 

 It flew quite sluggishly, and after alighting on a 

 cluster of grapes, immediately proceeded to 

 cut into a berry with its enormous nippers, 

 sinking its head well into the fruit. It would 

 then attack another berry, and, if left unmo- 

 lested, would soon destroy an entire bunch of 

 fruit. "What was to me most remarkable, I 

 observed that the wasp was attended or fol- 

 lowed by a bevy of four or Ave honey bees, 

 who seemed to understand that the wasp made 

 au incision for their benefit into the delicious 

 fruit. Chas. Peabodt. 



[The wasp is a specimen of the Tarantula- 



'' killer (Pepsis formosa, Say), which we illus- 

 trated at Figure 101 of our First Volume. It 

 will be remembered by most of our readers, that 



2-5' the Tarantula of Texas (Vol. 1, Fig. 91) was 

 last year found in several difi'ereut parts of 

 Jefi'erson County, Missouri, and it is gratifying 

 to know that it is there accompanied by the same 

 enemy which attacks it in Texas. "We have 

 lately obtained two additional specimens of 

 this Tarantula-killer, the one captured at Hema- 

 tite and the other at Eureka in Missouri ; and it 

 is an interesting and suggestive fact that, while 

 the Tarantula was captured in 1868, its deadly 

 Digger-wasp enemy should be found the year 

 following; for they are both of very rare occur- 

 rence so far North. — Eds.] 



Geassshoppers — Fraiiklin, N. Y., Aug. (jth, 

 1809. — As to grasshoppers, we have fewer this 

 season than last. After five weeks in the hay- 

 field, I noticed at length during the last week 

 one small green grasshopper, and perhaps half 

 a dozen small brown ones not over half an inch 

 in length; I also found in my garden a single 

 rusty-brown road grasshopper. The scarcity of 

 this scourge of the West, and of other common 

 insects, makes it somewhat expensive raising 

 poultry here this year. But "it is an ill wind 

 that blows nobody any good." The haymakers 

 find it a great relief this season not to be obliged 

 to pull off their shoes every five minutes in 

 order to pick out the smashed grasshoppers. 

 Jas. H. Parsons. 



Horse-hair Snakes! — Washington, D. C. — 

 Horse-hair worms are often found attached to 

 aquatic plants in brooks or ponds in the North- 

 ern and Middle States, and probably also in all 

 the States. D. L. Dix. 



Grape Curculio— fi'aw Hill, near Spring- 

 field, III., Sept. 13, 1869. — A great manj of our 

 grapes were destroyed this year by a curcu- 

 lio. In the latter part of July I gathered a 

 handful — mostly Concords — which had been 

 punctured, and placed them in a glass tumbler, 

 with some sandy soil in the bottom. In about 

 a week I found in the glass several small white 

 larvae. On the 27th of August I found in the 

 soil two small beetles, which I send yoU. 



You professional entomologists must not 

 think too hard of the farmers and fruit-growers, 

 for paying so little attention to the study of 

 insects and the making of collections; for my 

 experience is that, with all my conveniences in 

 the way of collecting-apparatus and preserving- 

 cases and the lilce, I can make very few addi- 

 tions to my cabinet ; and as for noting habits, 

 &c., with any great degree of accuracy, it is 

 almost impossible for any one whose time and 

 mind are otherwise much employed, to watch 

 and record an insect through its most important 

 changes. 



That the circulation of the American Ento- 

 mologist may be extended, until it is known and 

 appreciated in every reading farmer's house- 

 hold, is the sincere wish of 



Phil. M, Springer. 



[The beetle sent Avas the Grape ( Jurculio 

 (Coeliodes incequalis, Say), described and fig- 

 ured by the Senior Editor in his First Annual 

 Report.— Eds.] 



Army Worm — Hannibal, Mo., Sept. 29, 1869. 

 — The Army-worm disappeared from this sec- 

 tion of country in five days after you left (June \/' 

 12th) . In the corner where we saw them thick- 

 est, being oppressed with famine behind and 

 our entrenchment in front, they turned On and 

 devoured each other, the larger eating the 

 smaller, and sometimes two making a meal ofl' 

 one and the same unfortuaate. I did not see 

 them kill each other. It may be that the living 

 attacked only those already dead. I saw live 

 ones carrying about dead ones in their jaws 

 like a pig with an ear of corn, as though to 

 avoid the others and to enjoy their meal alone. 

 There were a gallon or two of heads left in that 

 corner. A. E. Trabue. 



Royal Horned-caterpillar — Washington, 

 D. C, Sept. 30, 1869.— This remarkable cater- 

 pillar, figured in No. 12 of your first volume, . 

 was found this season, and has been found 

 heretofore, in the District of Columbia; while 

 the perfect insect has been secured by Dr. East- 

 man — the Physician of the Government Hospital 

 for the Army and Navy. D. L. Dix. 



