91 



upon Baltimore shade trees. Last } T ear, in 1902, this species was 

 about as prevalent as usual. The egg masses were about as abundant 

 in 1903 as in 1902, but upon examination Mr. Clark could find com- 

 paratively few which had not been eaten. He found the larva? of 

 Anthrenus and the cast larval skins in nearly every egg mass exam- 

 ined. In fact, we may sa} T , he could not find a single perfect egg 

 mess to experiment with as to the time of hatching. This observation 

 is of very great interest and importance. Down to the time of our 

 note, above cited, this Anthrenus had not been known to feed upon 

 living animal matter. Are its habits changing? 



ABUNDANCE OF THE RHINOCEROS BEETLE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 



In a letter dated July 27, 1903, Hon. Wyatt Aiken, writing from 

 Abbeville, S. C, stated that the rhinoceros beetle (Dynastes tityus 

 Linn.) had attacked swamp ash grown as shade trees in that vicinity, 

 and that the odor proceeding from the beetles, which is well known to 

 collectors of insects from its strength and persistence, was ver} r obnox- 

 ious. As a remed} r , 80 trees were cut down by order of the town 

 council, with the result that the offensive odor disappeared. The 

 explanation is that the insects are more attracted to ash than to other 

 trees, and with the disappearance of their favorite host plants in that 

 vicinity they went elsewhere. Notes on this species, together with 

 illustrations, were published in Bulletin 38 (on pp. 28-32). 



In commenting upon the occurrence of this insect the Abbeville 

 (S. C.) Medium of July 30, 1903, states in an editorial that several 

 years previously similar complaints were made at Magazine Hill, 

 which was the particular locality where the insect was a nuisance, and 

 that the city council had destro}^ed trees at Fort Pickens where the 

 insects had been noticed, as also in other parts of the city. The trees 

 were estimated to be worth $100 each, and the loss was therefore 

 stated to be $8,000. 



THE LENGTH OF THE FIBER IN THE COCOON OF THE DOMESTIC 



SILKWORM. 



Authorities and popular works differ greatly in their estimates of 

 the length of the fiber in the cocoon of the domestic silkworm, Bom- 

 hyx mori. Published statements of the length of this fiber could be 

 cited which range all the way from 1,100 feet to 11 miles. Even so 

 good an authority as the Encyclopaedia Britannica places it at 300 

 yards. Recent measurements made in the Division of Entomology 

 show that with certain Milanese yellow cocoons raised in the United 

 States from eggs purchased from France the fiber varies in length 

 from 888 to 1,195 yards. 



