242 NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 
ravages of caterpillars. In certain seasons these caterpillars appeared 
to be attacked by an epidemic, their bodies bei ng swollen to bursting, 
and Mie threads phis visible between the rings of the body, which 
seemed to issue fro e body itself. In this cabin great numbers 
were found still SE to the leaves. The destroying agent had been 
identified by Dr. Reichhardt of Vienna as the mycelium of a fungus which 
he named Empusa aulice. The distribution of the Empusa is very con- 
siderable; the only order of insects which is not at present known to be 
subject "s their attacks being the Neuroptera (dragon flies, etc.) ; they are 
known to be parasitic upon sertis Seven Hymenoptera (bees, ants, 
etc.), Lepid an (butterflies and moths), Diptera em and gnats), 
eset (crickets, etc.), and aphides, perii in the larva or gu condi- 
tion, on wate sends and even the same species on tdt. and fishe 
Not dd is their distribution over so many different animals aes 
but also the lesan a rapidity of their development in the individual. 
€ common house-fly is, in some years, destroyed i 6 this emp in 
ast numbers, and vd dung-fly has been in certain districts almost anni- 
bin In the forests of Pomerania and Posen the caterpillars € been 
killed by it in such quantities that it may be considered to have saved 
tion. 
Cordyceps —— Jsaria farinosa, and Penicillium glaucum ; the two lat- 
ter forms he inclines to unite as different stages of growth of the same 
plant. — The rice 
SECT-FERTILIZATION OF FLOWERS. —In an article contributed to 
this respect, to the related families, one of which is familiarly repre- 
sented in our gardens by the Canna, or Indian Shot. Here the arrange- 
ments depends upon the viscidity of the pollen, and the bursting loose of 
the style; the pollen is first deposited on an expansion of the style, 
whence it is taken away by the insect, to be deposited upon the stigma 
of the flower next visited. 
N AMERICAN Oaks. — Concluded. A. De Candolle, 
b 
teen are synonyms of others. De Candolle proposes three new speci 
Q. Lindeni (collected in New Grenada in 1842, by Linden), Wislizeni ( 1, 
n New Mexico by Wislizenus), and omissa (from Seemann's collection, 
but omitted in ** Plante agii d = ”). Q. dumosa Nutt., and acutidens 
Torr., are not mentioned. Counting these omitted species, and drop- 
ping olivæformis and Leana as eg then uniting grisea with oblongifolia 
