16 



of the present year, when he was surprised and delighted to receive a 

 large series of specimens from Mr. A. H. Kirkland, who had reared the 

 species from Asterodiaspis quercicola, which he states has become com- 

 mon upon the oaks throughout the Middlesex Fells in the region near 

 Boston. It must be many years since this scale insect became origi- 

 nally established by means of imported trees near Boston, since it has 

 spread so greatly and established itself so thoroughly, and it is more 

 than likely that the Habrolepis was brought over in small numbers with 

 the original importation. That the scale insect, in spite of the presence 

 of this parasite, has spread and increased so remarkably is by no 

 means an indication that eventually the parasite may not become very 

 abundant and exercise a restrictive influence upon the further spread 

 of the scale; in fact, we should rather expect that there may at some 

 time come a season when the parasite will become enormously multi- 

 plied and seriously retard the increase of its host. 



The writer has already called attention to the ease with which these 

 internal parasites of the Ooccida? are distributed by means of the com- 

 mercial distribution of their hosts, and has shown that many of the 

 species of Aphelinina3 have already become subcosmopolitan in this 

 way. A similar commercial distribution of the insects of the sub- 

 family Encyrtinpe has not as yet become so marked, yet such a distri- 

 bution must constantly be going on, and this instance is a good 

 exanrple of what we may expect with this group as well as with the 

 Aphelinina3. 



The extraordinary structure of the Habrolepis dalmanni has been 

 incidentally mentioned. It is in fact a unique type among the Euro- 

 pean Encyrtina?, and although it was described more than sixty years 

 ago from Europe, the writer has always suspected from its oriental 

 facies that it was originally an importation into Europe. Eecent 

 receipt of specimens from Mr. Koebele has confirmed him in the idea 

 that Habrolepis is an oriental type. Undescribed species from Japan 

 indicate this fact. It is worthy of remark, however, that other speci- 

 mens have been received from Mexico. These may be descendants 

 from specimens imported from Japan to Mexico, or the genus may also 

 be neotropical. 



The paper was briefly discussed by Mr. Alwood. 

 Mr. Felt presented the following paper : 



NOTES ON SOME OF THE INSECTS OF THE YEAR IN THE STATE 



OF NEW YORK. 



By E. P. Felt, Albany, N. Y. 



The present season has been characterized by the scarcity of plant 

 lice, only one or two complaints having been received, whereas in 1897 

 reports of injuries by these insects came from all quarters. The foliage 



