(^ NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



species by Dr A. D. Hopkins of the United States Bureau of 

 Entomology and the writer. An examination of the literature 

 shows that there may be a question as to the specific identity of 

 this European form. We have used the above specific name and 

 given illustrations of the insect (pi. i8, figs, i, 2), since our material 

 was not sufficiently abundant to permit of an authoritative identifi- 

 cation. This form may prove, as has been stated in the case of 

 at least one Chermes on fir, to be a synonym of C h e r m e s 

 funitectus Dref. 



Apparently, this is the first record of the introduction of the 

 species intO' America. A Chermes discussed under this name by 

 Gillanders is recorded by him as very destructive to young silver 

 firs, comparatively young specimens of Abies nordman- 

 n i a n a and even fairly old trees of Abies nobilis. He states 

 that young silver firs in nurseries are often killed outright by this 

 insect. The data at hand justifies us in considering this species a 

 dangerous form which should be excluded, if possible. 



MISCELLANEOUS 

 Blow fly (Calliphora viridescens Desv.) . Sev- 

 eral larvae and two pupae of this species were received under date 

 of July 30, 19 10, from Mrs H. B. Reist of Schenectady, accompanied 

 by the statement that they had been found under a rug in a study 

 on the second floor of a new house. Subsequent correspondence 

 developed the fact that the rug had been sent a month earlier to a 

 vacuum cleaning establishment located over a stable. There appears 

 to be no other probable explanation for the occurrence of the larvae 

 in this strange environment, other than that they may have worked 

 into the fabric from some adjacent nitrogenous material while at 

 the cleaning establishment, since the common blow fly larvae, 

 as is well known, thrive in fresh or decaying flesh, cheese or 

 nitrogenous vegetables. The parent flies, kindly determined by 

 Mr D. W. Coquillett of the United States National Museum, 

 appeared August loth. They are about one-third the size of the 

 more common blow fly, Calliphora vomitoria Linn., 

 v\^ith a somewhat similar steel-blue or violet-blue abdomen, though 

 easily recognized by the grayish black thorax in marked contrast to 

 the duller black thorax of C . vomitoria. It is perhaps need- 

 less to add that both of these blow flies are distinguished from the 

 rather slender, grayish banded, exceedingly common house fly by 

 their larger size, greater stoutness and violaceous coloring. 



