1 882.] Entomology. 747 



whether it is a true parasite. We recall to our readers another 

 Dipterous insect, the Phora aletia Comstock, which has been 

 called, by its describer, one of the most important parasites of the 

 Cotton-worm, and which nevertheless turns out to be a mere 

 scavenger. Cyrtom <ra .-.'/■' ilaus may, like this Phora, lay her 

 eggs on the decaying pupae of Aletia, which are so commonly 

 met with at the time the worms have defoliated the fields 

 and have also eaten the leaves which sheltered the chrysalides. 

 These chrysalides when exposed to the light and heat of the sun 

 are very liable to rot, and on examining the chrysalides hanging 

 on the defoliated plants, by far the larger portion of them will be 

 found to be rotten, many containing the larvae of Phora, some the 

 larva of this Cyrtoneura, while the largest portion contain only 

 a badly smelling fluid. If further observations prove that this fly 

 infests only such chrysalides and cannot be bred from the living 

 Aletia larva, it cannot be considered a true parasite.— C. V. Riley. 

 , Habits of Polvcaon coxfertus Lee. — There seems to be 

 nothing recorded on the habits of the genus Polycaon beyond a 

 short notice in Dr. Horn's Revision of the N. A. species of Bos- 

 trichidae, 1 that P. confertus " occurs in California where it is said 

 to depredate on grape vine." We lately received from Mr. M itthew 

 Cooke, of Sacramento, Cal , some pear twigs in which the above- 

 named beetle was boring in exactly the same manner as our com- 

 mon Apple-twig borer, A m * ':: -era j n 1 i it is. Mr. G >oke s tys that 

 the Polycaon is quite injurious to apple and pear trees and also to 

 the grape vine. Thus, from what we know of its natural history, we 

 may safely infer that its habits do not differ essentially from those 

 of Americans bicaudatus, i. e., the beetle bores for feeding pur- 



ever, ovipositing in such twigs, and both male and female being 

 concerned in this destructive work. Both species live, in all 

 probability, as larvae in the dead and dry wood of forest trees. 



Dixoderus pusillus as a Museum Pest. — While speaking of 

 the habits of Bostrichid beetles, we would mention that last year 

 we made the acquaintance of the above-named species in the role 

 of a museum pest, it being usually met with in various drugs 

 and other stored and dry vegetable products. The beetles sud- 

 denly appeared in large numbers in one of our insect boxes which 

 had not been used for many years, perforating the paper lining 

 and evidently (c^dm^ on the cork with which the box was lined. 

 How the beetles came in the box remains a mystery to us, for the 

 box was made and lined nin : :n years ago and the insect had 

 not appeared previously.— C. V. R. 



MvRMECt 



