Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



they can. This mode of oviposition, however, finds a parallel 

 in a closely-allied species, Adoxus obscuriisSJmw, whose larvae, 

 in Europe, also feed on the roots of the grape, and the eggs, 

 according to the studies of Mr. E. Dupont, are deposited on 

 the leaves.* Although A. obscurus is a grape-infesting insect in 

 Europe, in America, neither the species itself, which occurs in 

 Colorado, Nevada, and California, or the variety iritis Fab., 

 which extends from New Hampshire westward to Lake Supe- 

 rior, Utah, Colorado, and Washington, are known to affect 

 the grape. With the species directly under consideration, 

 the eggs are, as a rule, placed under the slightly loosened bark, 

 as shown in Fig. 4, Plate IX, several dozen being frequently 

 found in a single cluster, the ends pointing obliquely toward 

 a common center. The number of eggs deposited by each 

 female is as 3~et undetermined, but as giving an idea of the 

 number placed on a single vine, over 700 have been taken 

 from one vine, while from a section sixteen inches in length 

 and one inch in diameter, from the main trunk of another, I 

 took 225 eggs. Though I have once or twice found eggs 

 pushed down between the earth and the base of the vine, 

 there seems to be no partiality shown for this or any other 

 locality on the vine, the sole object being to secure a place 

 wherein to secrete them. However anomalous this method 

 of oviposition may appear to us, we must -not lose sight of 

 the fact that the natural habit of the wild grape differs some- 

 what from those of the vineyard, and the habit of oviposition 

 has been followed by the female long enough in the past to 

 thoroughly adapt the anatomical structure of the ovipositor 

 for its requirements. The ovipositor consists of a retractable, 

 telescopical arrangement, having a somewhat loose and baggy 

 appearance, but terminating with a slender, flattened, more 

 chitinous and rigid appendage, from 1.3 mm. to 1.8 mm. in 

 length, the tip of which is provided with a pair of short, 

 obliquely-truncated forceps, black in color, except at the ends, 

 which are white and provided with a number of short, stiff 

 hairs. At the base of these is a couple of slight lips, which 

 are rounded in front, apparently forming a socket for the 

 reception of the end of the egg. See Figs. 2, a, b, c, Plate IX. 

 From what I have observed respecting the oviposition of 



:;: Progres Agricole et Viticole, Vol. X, pp. 576-578, Sep., 18S9. 



