266 



THE AMERICAN 



the figure (168) , is especially fond of them. The 

 most conimon parasite which occurs abundantly 

 in the West, as well as in the East, and which 

 we have bred from several other caterpillars, is 

 a maggot producing a Tachina-fly, which differs 

 only from the Eed-tailed Tachina-fly {Exorista 

 leucanicB, Kirk.), which infests the Army-worm, 

 in lacking the red tail.* The other parasite 

 which infests it iu the East, but which we have 

 not yet met with, is a species of Pimpla very 

 closely allied to P. melanocephala, Brull6, but 

 differing from that species in the head being 

 red and not black. f 



SUM5IAEY. 



The Tent-caterpillar of the Forest differs from 

 the common Orchard Tent-caterpillar princi- 

 pally in its egg-mass being docked off squarely 

 instead of being rounded at each end ; in its 

 larva having a row of spots along the back 

 instead of a continuous narrow line, and in its 

 moth having the color between the oblique lines 

 on the front wings as dark or else darker, in- 

 stead of lighter than the rest of the wing. It 

 feeds on a variety of both forest and orchard 

 trees ; makes a web which from its being usu- 

 ally fastened close to the tree is often over- 

 looked ; is often very destructive, and is most 

 easily fought in the egg state. 



HOW TO COLLECT AND STUDY INSECTS— No. 4. 



IIY P. G. SANBORN, BOSTON, JIASS. 



*Exorisla leucania, Kirkpatric)i=-E. mililaris, Walsh. Wc 



have bred the varie y lacking the red at tip of abdomen from 



larvae of Altacus cecvopia, Liiiu. , Datana ministra, Drury, 



^ Agrolisinermis,lU\ey, andot twouudetermined Agrotidiaiis. 



^Practical Entomologist , ir, p 114. 



A Pla(;ue of Beetles. — A very serious plague 

 of small brown beetles has occurred in Yorkshire, 

 and during the last few days the Swede-turnip 

 crop has been destroyed. This is especially so 

 in the Wold district, many farms having no plants 

 remaining. At Malton, on Saturday, the farmers 

 obtained new stocks of seed, and re-sowing would 

 commence on Monday. The beetles in myriads 

 have also attacked the tare and pea crops. The 

 long drought is supposed to have favored this 

 destructive visitation of insect life. 



[We find the above in a late number of Scien- 

 tifle Opinion; but why talk about such an un- 

 usual visitation without even hinting at the 

 species? — Ed.] 



A corresiDoudent of the New Enyland Farmer 

 says that last year he saved his onions from the 

 maggot by removing the earth from the bulbs 

 with his fingers, being careful not to disturb the 

 i-oots while weeding them. A pound of copperas 

 dissolved in a pailful of soft soap, and, when 

 thinned with water, applied to the onions, is 

 good to keep off the maggot, and to promote the 

 gi'owth of the onions. 



Explanation op Cut— (a) Larva; {b) winged male; (e) 

 worker, (d) soldier; (e) large female; (/) nymphe. 



There may be something under tliis old slab, 

 which lies so flat on the surface of the grovmd ; 

 turn it over carefully. Sure enough, besides the 

 earthworms of all sizes and ages that retreat 

 hastily from the garish light of day into their 

 smooth, cylindrical burrows, and the active 

 spider that scampers ofi" in the grass, here are 

 some little whitisli insects — a whole colony of a 

 Imndred or more — many upon the under surface 

 of the slab, which seems to be channeled and 

 grooved shallowly, exposing the cleaner color of 

 the wood; and many more moving briskly about 

 in corresponding- channels on the ground, occa- 

 sionally disappearing down the holes. 



These are the '■ White Ants," as they are im- 

 properly termed, Termes flavipes of Kollar. 

 Those stupid and clumsy ones, with immense 

 heads and long black jaws, are called soldiers ; 

 touch tliis one with a spear of grass and see how 

 he rushes to seize it, snapping his jaws and ex- 

 hibiting every sign of anger and ferocity. There 

 is always a regiment of these soldiers or fighting 

 men attached to every respectable colony of 

 Termites, and their mission is solely to defend 

 their weaker vessels, the workers, against ma- 

 rauders of all kinds. These round-headed ones 

 are the workers, and those tiny, white, helpless 

 fellows are the young. Notice, if you please, 

 how indefatigably the workers arc seizing the 

 little ones, one by one, in their mandibles, and 

 carrying them cai-efully below to some place of 

 security. They pinch up their tender skins on 

 the back, with just sufficient force to got a good 

 hold without harming the tender little creatures, 

 and lifting them up, as a cat carries its kittens, 

 convey them safely away. What are these long, 



