36 



a length of only five or six feet I took fifty, nearly all of which were paired. The beetle 

 proves to be Pseudomus truncatus, Lec. On the 21st I took two specimens of Cephaloon lep- 

 turoideSy Newm,, as well as several of Dendroides concolor, Newm., and other fine species. 

 Among the beetles mentioned by Dr. Le Conte as bred from hickory twigs, is^ Chariessa 

 pilosa, Forst, During the latter part of J iine and the following month numerous specimens 

 of this handsome beetle were observed upon felled and old hickories. They were very active 

 — coursing about in search of prey, and doubtless destroying many insect enemies of this 

 tree. One was seen devouring an Agrilus egenus, Gory, and a second feasting on Magdalis 

 barbita, Say, both injurious and abundant species. The delicate and rare Buprestis, Pceci- 

 lonoto cyanipes, Say, was captured on June 22nd, upon a dead Avillow, which I hope may 

 yield me more during the coming season. On the same day a very fine female Bella- 

 mira scalaris, Say, was taken ovipositing on an old maple stump. Beating low bushes 

 on the margins of a small lake yielded numerous species, including Cupes concolor, Westw., 

 the only specimen of this family I have yet taken. During September the Locust-borer, 

 Cyllene robinice, Forst., was very abundant in all parts of the 'city. Although I had 

 never previously captured the beetle, I knew from the decayed condition of our locust 

 trees (which are not numerous), that it must infest them. In the latter part of the 

 month, GEcanthus niveus, was, as is usual, in large numbers on raspberries, and in full 

 song, if we can so designate its musical performance. An interesting feature of its con- 

 certs is one of which I have not been able to find any mention in books accessible. While 

 the male is energetically shufiling together its wings, raised almost vertically, the female 

 may be seen standing just behind it, and with her head applied to the base of the wings, 

 evidently eager to get the full benefit of every note produced. On October 7th, I dis- 

 covered in the seeds of the basswood some lepidopterous larvae of which I would be glad 

 to hear from members studying lepidoptera, as I can find no mention of any moth at- 

 tacking the fruit of this tree. Do the larvae leave the seeds, and, as they have the power 

 to do, lower themselves to the ground, or do they remain until the seeds fall from the 

 tree ? The seeds are completely eaten out, and I noticed in a double-seeded fruit that 

 after finishing one seed, the larva proceeded to the other. 



AN UNUSUAL MODE OF COLLECTING INSECTS. 



An office-mate made a capture last summer in a novel manner, but such as would 

 not meet with the favour of entomologists as a method of collecting. He had occasion 

 one hot midsummer day (29th June) to go out for a short time, and on returning com- 

 plained that a fly had flown into his ear, and, having crawled in as far as possible, was^ 

 causing great annoyance by a disagreeable buzzing and scratching. I advise him to pour 

 a few drops of oil into the infested organ, or, better still, perhaps, to seek a doctor and 

 have the occupant extracted by skilled labour. On reaching the doctor's office he found 

 that he was absent at a medical convention, but after telephoning all over the city he 

 found a stay-at-home doctor to whom he went and stated the case. An examination of 

 the ear was made, but the doctor could discover nothing in it, and as the buzzing and 

 scraping had then ceased, it was decided that the insect had taken his departure. How- 

 ever, he said it would do no harm to pour a little oil into the ear to allay the irritation 

 which the fly had caused. My friend had not gone far from the office when the insect, 

 which had only been taking a rest of playing possum," commenced a more violent com- 

 motion than ever, causing his unwilling host to hurry home and try the anointing pro- 

 cess. Hastily pouring in a few drops of oil, he lay down with his ear on a pillow, and 

 almost immediately felt the intruder withdrawing from its hiding-place and beating a re- 

 treat. Lifting his head he was astonished to see, not a fly, as he expected, but a long-legged^ 

 active beetle, scampering away. This he imprisoned and bore back triumphantly to me to 

 identify. It proved to be a full-sized and lively specimen of Acmoeops pratensis. The 

 doctor, on being afterward confronted with the prisoner, was greatly surprised that it had so 

 well secreted itself from him, and assured my friend that it might easily have caused serious 

 trouble. Small insects cause frequent annoyance and occasional slight pain by flying into 



