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all probability establish itself in a very few years in the upper austral 
and perhaps a portion of the transition region in the vicinity of its 
present known range. It would be interesting to learn whether it 
first reaches Nebraska in the West or Ohio in the East. The natural 
course of progress of insects imported from Europe is westward, but 
three would seem nothing to prevent the species traveling eastward, 
as in the case of the Colorado potato beetle. 
PSYLLIODES PUNCTULATA MELS. ON RHUBARB.—This flea-beetle 
occurred in 1896 in abundance in the neighborhood of the Department 
of Agriculture on rhubarb, the leaves of which it perforates with 
minute holes. It was observed throughout the month of April of that 
year, but the present season could not be found. 
CORN AND GRASS-FEEDING CHA TOCNEMAS.—The brassy flea-beetle, 
Chetocnema pulicaria Cr., and Ch. confinis Cr. have both been recorded 
as affecting corn. The former does considerable injury by feeding, when 
in the adult condition, upon the blades of corn, but the latter, in the 
writer’s experience and that of Prof. J. B. Smith, who has given the 
species the name of sweet-potato flea-beetle, is far more often found 
upon sweet potato and other convolvulaceous plants. Some time ago 
the writer found the adult of Ch. parcepunctata Cr. feeding upon the 
leaves of corn at Kennett Square, Pa.,in June. At this time it could 
be found only upon corn. Ch. denticulata Il. is very abundant in Mary- 
land and Virginia in the vicinity of the District of Columbia on the 
common barnyard grass, Panicum crus-galli, and will probably be found 
later to be injurious to some of the useful Graminacee. The larve of 
the latter species probably teed at the roots of the grass mentioned, but 
this is probably not the original larval food plant, as it is not indigen- 
ous to this country, whereas the beetle is native, so far as known. 
THE LOCUST LEAF-MINER ATTACKING HERBACEOUS PLANTS.—A 
list of new adult food plants of Odontota dorsalis Thunb. was given in 
the Canadian Entomologist for October, 1896 (Vol. XX VIII, p. 248), 
all trees on which the beetle was observed to feed, by Mr. A. D. Hop- 
kins, who remarks that this indicates the possibility of the species 
changing its normal habits and becoming destructive to the foliage of 
fruit-bearing and other trees. The possibilities are still greater as 
regards the range of plants that the insect is liable to attack, as L have 
had occasion to observe the beetles in considerable number feeding 
upon the foliage of red clover which grew under locust trees upon 
which the larve had originally fed. The explanation is simple. The 
insects had been blown and washed off the locust leaves by storms, and 
had fallen to the ground, where they had been too well contented to fly 
back to the trees. This observation was made at Cherry Dale, Va., in 
July. In August the beetles were found at work on the leaves of hog 
peanut (falcata comosa)* growing under locust trees at Glen Echo, Md. 
It is not easy to account for a second occurrence of this species upon 
*Amplhicarpewa monoica of Gray’s Manual. 
