agricultural experiment station. 187 



Remarks. 



It is impossible to get seed entirely free from foreign seeds. It 

 is important, bovvever, whether the few found are harmless tike 

 herds grass seed in clover, or whether they are the seeds of bad 

 weeds. The above seed can not be regarded dirty, as the weight 

 of foreign matter is very small, but it contains the seed of the 

 foxtail and English plantain, one would not care to introduce in a 

 meadow. For my own planting I would reject such a seed as the 

 above . 



ENTOMOLOGY. 



Ticks. 



Ixodes ricinus, L. 



(Ord. Acarini : Fam. Ixodidoe) . 



We received specimens of a species of Tick from Mr. Thos. 

 Lord of Skowhegau, found on the domestic cat. The American 

 species of Ticks have not been studied much and the writings on 

 the subject arc meagre. Not being able to find a description of 

 the species, some of the specimens were referred to the Dept. of 

 Agric, Division of Entomology. They were examined by Dr. 

 Marx, and Prof. Riley writes us that the form is Ixodes ricinus, 

 L. The species sent us is very common in Maine and is the one 

 which so badly infests our wild hare, or rabbit. We have seen 

 rabbits during the month of July with the head almost covered 

 with these ticks and in such a condition it must have been a 

 misery to live. 



Dr. Marx of the Dept. of Agric, we understand, is studying 

 this group, and we may hope for a monograph of our American 

 species. 



Sphinx on Hawk Moths. 

 (Order Lepidoptera : Fam. Sphingidae. 



During' the past season three species of sphinges have been 

 received for examination, viz: Smerinthus geminalus, Say.. 

 Triptogon modesta, Harris, and Sphinx gordius, Oram. 



As these mollis are apt to attract attention on account of their 

 size, a few words regarding them may be interesting. 



They are called Sphinx moths, or Sphinges, because the larvce 

 have the curious habit of raising the anterior portion of the body 

 and remaining motionless for a long time in that position, thus 

 bearing a fancied resemblance to the fabled Sphinx, 



