PREVIOUS WORK WITH INSECT PARASITES. 41 



the first day. The adults lived certainly for 35 days. Reproduction 

 occurred in the experimental jars, and the adults secured by this 

 laboratory reproduction were liberated in two localities near Boston 

 and parasitized eggs were sent to Prof. J. B. Smith at New Brunswick, 

 N. J., Prof. M. V. Slingerland at Ithaca, N. Y., and others to Washing- 

 ton. The first of the Massachusetts colonies consisted of about 600 

 parasites inclosed in an open tube tied to a tree in the Harvard yard, 

 Cambridge, Mass., on June 22. Mr. Fiske thinks that more than 100 

 found their freedom on the same day, and almost certainly all of the 

 rest within a week. A little more than a month later Mr. Fiske 

 found parasitized eggs one-fourth of a mile away from this colony. 

 At Melrose Highlands more than 1,200 were liberated on the 21st of 

 June and the 8th of July; and on the 27th of July fresh native eggs in 

 the neighborhood produced parasites, indicating the development of 

 a generation on American soil. In the summer of 1909 none of the 

 parasites was found, but this by no means indicates that the species 

 has not become established. Both the eggs and the parasites are 

 very small, and the writer expects that even from this first experiment 

 good results will follow. Arrangements had been made for a repeti- 

 tion of the sending in May, 1909, from Montpellier, this southern 

 locality allowing such an early sending as to insure the arrival of the 

 parasitized eggs in the United States at the proper time of the year. 

 Relying upon Prof. Mayet's promises and his great experience as an 

 entomologist, no other arrangements were made. Most unfortu- 

 nately, however, just before the time arrived Prof. Mayet died, and 

 the introduction was not made. It should be stated that in the death 

 of this admirable man France lost one of its most enlightened and able 

 economic zoologists. It is hoped to repeat the introduction, through 

 the kindness of Dr. Marchal in France and Prof. Silvestri in Italy. 

 Silvestri has promised also to send other natural enemies of the elm 

 leaf-beetle from Italy. 



Work with Parasites of Ticks. 



In 1907 the senior author described the first species of a hymenop- 

 terous parasite ever recorded as having been reared from a tick. 

 The name given to it was Ixodiphagus texanus, and it had been 

 reared from the nymphs of Hsemaphysalis leporis-palustris Pack, 

 collected on a cotton-tail rabbit in Jackson County, Tex., by Mr. 

 J. D. Mitchell. In 1908 he described another, HuntereTlus Jiookeri, 

 reared by Mr. W. A. Hooker at Dallas, Tex., from Khipicephalus 

 texanus Banks taken from a Mexican dog at Corpus Christi, Tex., 

 by Mr. H. P. Wood. Inasmuch as a closely allied if not identical 

 tick, RJiipicepTialus sanguineus Latr., is supposed to be a transmitter 

 of a protozoan disease in South Africa, sendings of the Hunterellus 

 were made in the autumn of 1908 to Prof. Lounsbury at Cape of 



