310 Forty- FOURTB Report on the State Museum 



due to the contraction and sudden relaxation of the larva within: 

 some of them will jump three-fourths of an inch from the table." 



An interesting jumping gall was received by me last year, from a 

 gentleman at Fort Edward, N. Y., which had been found beneath a 

 tree leaping actively about, by his little daughter. Unfortunately, I 

 was not able to obtain the insect from it and learn the particular 

 species. . 



The most interesting of all these " jumpers " is, undoubtedly, the 

 one popularly known as the " Mexican jumping seed," which is a large 

 seed-vessel, of nearly half an inch in diameter, believed to be of a 

 species of -£JMp/ior6m. [*] Its peculiar leaps, jumps, and tumbles are 

 occasioned by the movements of the caterpillar of a small moth confined 

 within, known as Garpocapsa saltitans Westwood. The insect borrows 

 additional interest from the fact that it is congeneric with our well- 

 known and common codling-moth {Garpocapsa pomonella), which is 

 responsible for the annoyance of the fruit-eater, and serious losses 

 to the fruit-grower, from the defilement, disfigurement, and destruc- 

 tion of the " apple-worm." 



In my fourth report on the insects of New York, figures, and a 

 pretty full account of these jumping seeds have been given, and refer- 

 ence made to other literature on the subject. 



I regret that I can not give a more satisfactory reply to your 

 inquiry — one which would enable you to return a positive answer to 

 your correspondent. 



Epilachna borealis (Fabr.). 



The Northern Lady-bird. 



This lady-bird — one of the few Goecinellidce which are chargeable 

 with injury to vegetation, has been sent to me from Mr. Wm. Fal- 

 coner, as having been remarkably destructive in the gardens and con- 

 servatories of Mr. Charles A. Dana, at Dosoris, L. I., during the summer 

 and autumn. It had never before appeared in such numbers. Last 

 year a few occurred, but during the present year it has multiplied 

 enormously, and seemed to abound "by the millions." It has not 

 been particular in its food, for every member of the Gucurbitacece is 

 apparently acceptable to it and eagerly devoured. It has shown a 

 special fondness for eating into the rind of melons — Mr. Falconer 

 having taken from seventy to eighty from a single melon. Writing 

 in October — at that time, " every nook and cranny about the sheds, 



[* The plant has lately been determined as belonging to the genus Sehastiana, the 

 species being undesoribed. (See Biley, in Insect Life, vol. iii, 1891, page 431.)] 



