816 The American Naturalist. [September, 
way during the day that only a trained eye can detect its presence, and 
then only with extreme difficulty.” The moth mentioned is very 
common in central New Hampshire though it appears to be either very 
rare or unknown nearer the sea and I have observed hundreds of spec- 
imens in the position described. The deception is certainly well 
carried out though not in every case so fully as described by Mr. 
Webster but the larva is even more closely concealed. 
I had read that it was to be found feeding on the seed pods of the 
Evening Primrose and had several times looked for it in vain until one 
day I discovered a specimen in the act of backing out of the hole which 
they excavate in the pod, by gnawing a hole in the side and then eat- 
ing the more juicy seeds. I broke off the whole stalk and was carrying 
it home when I noticed that there was a second caterpillar resting be- 
tween the pods and resembling them so wonderfully both in shape and 
size as to escape my notice. J then began to examine the head more 
closely and to my astunishment I found seven others resting in a similar 
manner. I thought I had seen them all then, but on looking in the 
breeding cage in which I had placed them, two or three days after, I 
found the stalk so wilted as to be unpalatable to the caterpillars and no 
less than eleven were wandering around the sides of the cage. The 
other two were doubtless in the same position as those seen but were 
overlooked even in a close inspection. There is the possibility that 
they may have been in one of the hollowed pods but it is not at all 
probable as they would have had much difficulty in completely enter- 
ing one.— W, F. F. 
Ambrosia Beetles.—In the year book of the Department of 
Agriculture for 1896, Mr. Henry G. Hubbard has contributed an article 
of more than usual interest to the general reader on the habits of the 
“ Ambrosia beetles.” These beetles which are quite small and resemble 
their relatives the bark boring Scolitide, differ from all other known 
wood boring insects by not feeding on the wood itself but on a fungus 
which grows on the interior oftheir burrows. 
Their galleries may easily be known from wood feeding species by 
being clear from bits of wood or other refuse and being black on the 
inside as though burnt with a hot wire. These galleries are usually 
excavated by the female but in some instances she is assisted later by 
the young larva. 
The food fungus, or “ ambrosia” does not “ make its appearance at 
random in the galleries of the beetles. Its origin is entirely under the 
control of the insect. It is started by the mother beetle upon 4 care- 
