98 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



600 examples of ophionids were taken. Two species were well 

 represented in this lot. There were none of the long-tailed 

 Ophions, hence the figures give no idea of the relative abundance 

 of this parasite or of the other species not represented. The one 

 by far the most abundant was Ophion bilineatum Say, 

 the two-lined Ophion, which was represented by 450 examples. The 

 species next in abundance was Ophion tityri Pack., which 

 was represented by 118 examples, while Eniscopilus pur- 

 gat u s Say was represented by but 23 individuals. It will be 

 noticed that the two species taken most abundantly are not well 

 represented in most collections and but little is known of their 

 habits. This record does not in the least reflect on the value of 

 these two as parasites. It is possible that both are equally effi- 

 cient in their own fields and it is most probable, seeing that they 

 are crepuscular or nocturnal in habit, that they breed largely in 

 larvae which rarely fall into the hands of the collectors. The 

 two-lined Ophion has been reared mostly from arctians or 

 noctuids. Though records of this character are still far too 

 scarce to permit the formation of a positive opinion, it is likely 

 that this species does material service in keeping larvae belonging 

 to these two families in check. The observations are even more 

 meager regarding Ophion tityri. Here is certainly a field 



for investigation. 



General habits 



The different members of this group may usually be seen flying 

 slowly about shrubbery and in the grass during bright days from 

 early May till into October. In cloudy and wet weather they 

 seek some sheltered place — at least this is true of the diurnal 

 species. The long-tailed and the purged Ophions are the two 

 taken most commonly in the day, and they are the best repre- 

 sented in most collections examined. The trap lantern record 

 would appear to indicate a great preponderance of the two-lined 

 Ophion. This must be ascribed to the crepuscular or nocturnal 

 habits of the latter form. The females are the more active and 

 are more abundant in collections. This might be expected, as 

 on her devolves the labor of searching out a suitable nidus for 



