682 The American Naturalist. [July, 
artificial selection, hardy varieties of the crop plant have developed, 
and the range becomes thus extended along what may be termed un- 
natural lines, with certain species, at least, and within certain limits 
with them, their insect enemies will naturally be unable to follow them. 
The result will be, theoretically, natural selection with the insects try- 
ing to catch up with the results of artificial selection with the plants.” 
An All-purpose Net.—There is no doubt but that a special net 
for each kind of collecting will give the best results, but while the net 
becomes better suited to one purpose it becomes at the same time less 
suited to other purposes. A specialist will adopt a special net, but an 
ordinary collector will want an all-purpose net even if not quite the 
best for each insect. 
The net we have found to meet best the requirements of an all-pur- 
pose net is one consisting of a strong but light brass hoop about a foot 
in diameter, soldered firmly into the end of a brass or tin ferrule. This 
ferrule should be about six inches long to serve as a handle when beat- 
ing, when long handle is removed. 
The bag of the net should be of strong but light cloth as a good mus- 
lin or swiss. It should be about two feet deep, and taper gradually 
from the mouth to the bottom where it should be two or three inches 
wide. This will enable one to easily remove an insect with the cyan- 
ide bottle or with the hand, and facilitates the clearing of the net by 
reversing it.— Entomologists Post- Card. 
Picobia villosa (Hancock) is Syringophilus bipectinatus (Heller).— 
In the number of April, 1895 of Tar American Narura.ist (Vol. 
X XIX, p. 382-384, plate X XII), Mr. Joseph L. Hancock describes 
and figures as “anew Trombidian” a species of Cheyletine already well 
known in Europe. His Picobia villosa does not differ from Syringo- 
philus bipectinatus Heller. 
Mr. J. L. Hancock is not acquainted with the modern literature on 
interesting type. In a communication made, in 1884, before the Aca- 
démie des Seiences de Paris’, I have shown how this form is common 
on the birds of all orders. It lives in the quill of the feathers of the 
wings, and comés out but rarely. 
The Syringophilus bipectinatus and its variety major have been 
figured by Professor Antonio Berlese, from my preparations, in his great 
work entitled: Acari, Myriopoda et Scorpiones Italiani (fase. 
XXXVII, n° g et 10, 2 pl.). 
* TROUESSART Sur les Acariens qui vivent dans le tuyau des plumes des Oiseaux 
—(Comptes-Rendus Acad. des Sciences de Paris, XCIX, (1884), p. 1130). 
