786 The American Naturalist. [September, 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
Harvest Spider Notes.—A recent study of a large number of 
specimens of the common striped harvest-spider, from all portions of 
the United States, leads to the conclusion that the northern and south- 
ern forms so intergrade that they should rank asa single very variable 
species, instead of being considered two species as now recognized. The 
southern form having appeared in the original publication before the 
northern, has precedence, and should as now be called Liobunum 
vittatum (Say) while the northern form is Liobunum vittatum dorsatum 
(Say). An illustrated paper giving a more complete account of the 
species will appear in the NarurRALisr at an early date. 
During the spring just passed I collected a number of the harvest- 
spiders described by Dr. Wood as Phalangium formosum, and since 
placed by myself in the genus Forbesium. They were confined in 
vivaria and fed on plant-lice; but instead of depositing eggs as I had 
hoped they would, they continued growing and casting their skins 
until they evolved themselves into another genus and species—Liobu- 
num ventricosum (Wood). This fact accounts for their sudden disap- 
pearance each spring. It is not unlikely that the specimens referred 
to formosum may include, in other localities, the young of other species. 
If the southern Forbesium hyemale proves to be also the immature 
form of another species, the genus will become a synonym.—CLA RENCE 
M. WEED. 
Protective Resemblance in Trombidium.— While collecting 
the past spring I have frequently stooped to pick up what I supposed 
to be the common New England red mite (apparently Say’s Trom- 
bidium sericeum) only to find one of the seed-capsules of one of our 
abundant Sumachs, which in the spring are widely scattered over the 
ground. A few feet away the resemblance between the Trombidium 
and these detached capsules is very striking, the color often being pre- 
cisely alike. If the mites are at all subject to attack by birds this 
resemblance must enable many to escape—C. M. W. 
_The South Dakota Insectary.—The experiment stations are 
gradually perfecting their facilities for the study of injurious insects, 
several of them already having insectaries for carrying on observations 
