1 8 8 2 .] E7itomology. 1 1 5 



to Mr. Grote, who upon this second more careful examination de- 

 cides that it is neither of the species mentioned, but an undes- 

 cribed species of Chilo." 



Accepting Mr. Grote's decision, we described the insect as 

 Chilo oryzceellus, but ventured the following opinion: "As Mr. 

 Grote's types are in London he maybe mistaken even in his final 

 opinion, and the careless manner in which he has often made 

 other genera renders it quite possible that Diphryx is a myth, 

 founded on an imperfect specimen as above indicated." 



In order to get positive information on the point in doubt, we 

 subsequently mailed specimens of ®ur C. oryzceellus to Lord Wal- 

 singham, with the request that he compare them with the type of 

 Diphryx prolateUa. His Lordship promptly replies by date of 

 October 1, 1882 : "I had no difficulty in finding this and ascer- 

 taining that you are completely justified in your conclusion that 

 the Crambid No. 2557 [£ oryzaelius] is the same species. Grote's 

 type is a female, and has the palpi (labial) broken off, the shorter 

 maxillary palpi alone remaining." 



It is apparent, therefore, that Mr. Grote not only founded the 

 genus Diphryx on what has no existence in nature, but mistook, 

 besides, the maxillary for labial palpi. 



Effect of Pvrethrum upon the Heart-beat of Plusia bras- 

 SIC/E. — While engaged in experimenting for Professor Riley, with 

 different samples of Pyrethrum, upon various lepidopterous larvae, 

 in September of the present year, I was much interested in noting 

 the enormous increase in the rapidity of the pulse which the pois- 

 oning occasioned with the larvae of the cabbage Plusia. These lar- 

 vae are so very delicate and transparent that the course of the vital 

 fluid can be observed with ease, and repeated countings show the 

 normal heart-beat to range between 44 and 68 per minute, aver- 

 aging about 56. In the first convulsions from the effects of Py- 

 rethrum the pulse immediately rose, and in the course often min- 

 utes reached from 150 to 164, and usually subsided in the next 

 fifteen minutes to the neighborhood of 140. As the convulsions 

 ceased the pulse fell but slightly, but became very weak, until, 

 finally, it could be counted no longer. The last count before the 

 heart ceased to beat, apparently through the paralyzing of its 

 walls, showed a rate invariably of about 130 to the minute. — L. 

 O. Howard. 



A Butterfly Larva injurious to Pine Trees.— In the 

 course of some remarks recently made by Dr. H. A. Hagen be- 

 fore the Entomological Society of Ontario, at its meeting in 

 Montreal, he gave an interesting statement of the injury of Pieris 

 menapia to pine forests in Washington Territory, and particularly 

 in Colville valley, twelve miles from Spokan. 



The caterpillar, found in all stages, destroys mostly the yellow 



