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to you. Their most striking peculiarity to the ordinary observer is the extremely 
offensive odor they emit, especially when crushed. This perfume is simply unbear- 
able, that of the skunk being peaches and cream in comparison. 1 have met with 
these beetles only three times in a residence of fifteen years in this country. The 
first time one of them flew into my face at night and I crushed it with my hand, 
with the effect of getting some of the fumes into my eye, where it set up a distressing 
irritation. One can not wash the smell from his hands.” 
Voracity of Hippodamia glacialis.—Mrs. W. H. Pinney, of Springfield, Mass., 
writes us that she took a tiny larvaof Hippodamia glacialis, placed it in a jelly glass 
and fed it on the larve of the elm-leaf beetle. Before transforming it devoured 71 
of these larvie. Mrs. Pinney found it to be animportant enemy of the elin leaf-heetle 
during the summer of 1897. 
Injury to chrysanthemums by Corythuca irrorata.—On June 20, 1897, specimens 
were received at this office of the little tingitid bug Corythuca irrorata Riley, from 
the Florists’ Exchange, of New York City, with the information that the species was 
infesting chrysanthemum leaves. These insects were received from a grower in Ala- 
bama, who stated that they attacked the underside of the leaves, causing them to 
turn brown and die. Kerosene emulsion and tobacco had been used against the pest, 
but the correspondent wrote that ‘‘they just sit up and call for more.” The corre- 
spondent was advised to give them more. 
A Psyllid (Trioza diospyri) injuring Chinese persimmons.—Mr. Thomas G. 
Fulkerson writes from Tazewell, Tenn., August 6, 1897, that the little Psyllid ( Trioza 
diospyri), specimens of which he sent, crumples and rolls the leaves of Chinese per- 
simmons, but does not affect the native persimmons 15 feet away. 
Plant-lice injury to tomato.—Dr. T. P. Phelps writes, under date of June 13, from 
Mount Holly, Md., that a species of plant louse is doing great injury to early toma- 
toes upon his place. Our correspondent sent specimens which prove to belong to 
the genus Siphonophora and agree with Thompson’s description of Lrigeronensis, and 
stated that unless something were done in a remedial way his crop would be ruined. 
The same species occurs on tomato in the District of Columbia on the grounds of the 
Department of Agriculture and elsewhere, but we have no record of damage by it. 
Parasites of goats.—During September, 1897, specimens were received from the 
Angora ranch of H. T. Fuchs, at Tiger Mill, Tex., of the goat louse, Trichodectes 
limbatus Gerv. These lice were in a sample of mohair, and were somewhat trouble- 
some on the Angora goats. 
Specimens of another parasite of Angora goats were received during the same 
month from Mr. Charles P. Lounsbury, Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, South 
Africa, which were identified by Prof. Herbert Osborn as Haemalopinus stenopsis. 
November 5 we received from Mr. Frank M. Jones, of Wilmington, Del., specimens 
of Trichodectes climax Nitzsch, clipped from a Chinese goatskin, which bore evidence, 
“as our correspondent writes, of the presence and abundance of goat lice in China. 
The house crab spider as a destroyer of flies.— A correspondent at Riesel, Tex., 
Mr. W. E. Sherrill, writes, under date of July 19, that the little house spider known 
as Philodromus vulgaris Hentz, has a practically exclusive diet of house flies. He 
has taken the trouble to pick up the flies killed by this spider, and writes that the 
first week 106 were gathered, the second week 76, and the third week 94, and that 
one day, when flies seemed to be more plentiful than usual, the spider captured 27. 
A wasp parasite.—Dr. A. Oemler has sent specimens of the interesting tachina 
fly, Pachyophihalmus floridensis, which his daughter observed attempting to oviposit 
upon the common mud-dauber wasp, Pelopwus cementarius. This tly has previously 
been reared by Mr. Webster in Ohio, and also by Dr. Davidson in California; by the 
former from the nests of Trypoxylon, and by the latter from the nests of Sphex. 
The interesting point is, following the observation of Miss Oemler: Does the tly 
usually lay its eggs upon the wasp, and are they carried by the wasp to the nest? 
oO 
