12 



were carefully studied with the following result : Those having the 

 normal venation, males 3, females 19 ; those having three submarginal 

 cells in one anterior wing and four in the other, males 1, females 3. ]No 

 specimens were found having four submarginal cells in both anterior 

 wings, as were found by Mr. Harrington. It has been my experience 

 that where variation in venation occurs at all it is not the same in both 

 wings. As already stated, not the least variation in venation was found 

 in the specimens of ignota studied, which with this season's material 

 runs up to some fllty specimens. 



In my study of Iowa and Illinois saw-flies I have found considerable 

 variation and uncertainty iu their venation, and do not consider it a safe 

 basis (other things being equal) for distinguishing species. Of the spe- 

 cies which have been found to be especially variable in this respect are 

 Nemattis ribesii Scop., Monophadnus rubi Harris, Uriocampa cerasi Peck, 

 and in a less degree Pristiphora grossularice Walsh. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE MALE OF MONOSTEGIA IGNOTA Nor. 



Since the male of M. ignota to my knowledge has not been described 

 I append a description of the same herewith : 



Male. — Body shining black, less robust than the female. Antennae about as long 

 as the head and thorax, finely hairy, slightly enlarged in the middle; first joint twice 

 as long as the second, third longer than the fourth, remaining joints subequal. 

 Head black, rugose, slightly hairy, with three depressions about the ocelli and one 

 extending around the base of eacli antennae to the base of the clypeus. Nasus cre- 

 nate. Anterior angles of the prothorax white or dusky, spots on the terguni light 

 gray or fuscous or entirely wanting. Legs black. Knee joints of all the legs whitish 

 or fuscous, anterior and middle tibiae with their tarsi light brown or fuscous. Wings 

 and venation same as in the female. 



One specimen has the knee-joints of the posterior pair of legs black, another has 

 the legs of a uniform color throughout. 



LARViE OF A CRANE-FLY DESTROYING YOUNG WHEAT IN 



INDIANA. 



By F. M. Webster, La Fayette, Ind. 



Although the larvpe of these flies have long been known to oe de- 

 structive in England, reports of their ravages in America have been 

 very rare, and besides of quite recent occurrence. An outbreak ap- 

 pears to have occurred in meadows in southern Illinois in 1887,^ and 

 we studied another iu clover fields in Madison County, Indiana, in the 

 spring of 1888, while a report of injury to growing wheat in California, 

 in March, 1889,^ closes the list, unless we include complaints of injury to 

 wheat about Champaign, Illinois, in 1885,^ which, though at the time 



1 Frairie Farmer, July 16, 1887. 

 ^Pacific Rural Press, March 23, 1889. 

 3 Prairie Farmer, September 18, 18c6. 



