HABITS OF THE EUROPEAN SPECIES. 77 
This appearance I explain in this way: That the winged examples, as soon as they 
were ahle to fly, quickly Hew away and disappeared in order that they might serve 
as progenitors for new colonies. 
But the place of discovery has since been transformed into an immense vineyard 
by the Government, whereby grass, poplars, and also B. dorice had to disappear 
from thence. For four years I have, though seeking with the greatest diligence, 
been unable to get track of the winged specimens anywhere in this region, even 
though I know of a number of colonies of this species upon my own premises. 
While formerly I captured a few specimens each year and gave them partly to 
museums and partly to entomologists, I scarcely hope to attain such interesting finds 
in the future. 
The difference just mentioned between those individuals capable of flight and 
those not capable of flight in our species and also in the trans-Atlantic species can 
hardly be accidental, but may be sought for in the influences of environment. 
Next there crowds to the front the fact that in North America B. teucopterus is 
continually subjected to the attack of its deadly fungus parasite to a high degree, 
and its colonies die out as soon as rainy, moist atmosphere prevails. Consequently, 
the Blissus species living there must always hunt new habitats and be wandering 
continually to far distant localities. For this wings are of course necessary, and 
only by means of these is the species enabled to sustain itself at such a high grade 
of importance that it can, now here, now there, become a veritable plague to 
agriculture. 
With our European species it seems, on the contrary, in regard to many points to 
be otherwise; for, while her habits in the main are similar to those of her sister 
across the sea, yet there are found many important differences in their environment. 
Blissus dorice never congregates in such close masses as we read of in the American 
reports. It forms only insect islands, and even individual families seem to scatter 
out to some distance. In the steppes, moreover, the growth of grass is not matted, 
but stands in isolated bunches on the partially bare ground, the bunches being not 
infrequently separated by several paces. 
Our species will not go into cultivated fields. I have never found even a single 
specimen among forage plants that have been sown, and already this condition is 
one of the reasons why the European species does not cluster together in such 
uninterrupted masses. 
If, then, this is true the attacks of entomogenous fungi will hardly be able to 
create such havoc in B. dorice as it does among 7?. Jeucopterus in America. 
I have also during eighteen years never observed a wholesale dying' off in the 
localities of occurrence known to me. The fungus S. globuliferum has perhaps 
never attacked it, and even though the European form were susceptible to similar 
pestilences, yet it is always hardly to be doubted that the fungus in the European 
homes of B. dorice would not find favorable circumstances in that here during the 
period of development of this species in normal years great drought prevails. Rains 
lasting for a number of days, with continued moist and warm atmosphere belong. 
with us, among the rarities, especially during the summer, and it is the young stages 
that are especially sensitive to tho fungus attack, as has proven to be the case in 
America. 
Among insects there may possibly be found Blissus enemies, even though the 
extremely penetrating odor of this bug, which is identical with that of the one living 
in beds in houses, may serve as a protection. 
Taking all of this together, we observe that our European species is in less danger 
than the American, and that it is not subjected to catastrophes of total destruction. 
so far as has yet been observable in the stationary localities of occurrence in the 
open field, for I have never yet observed a sudden disappearance from the localities 
known to me. It is not necessary, therefore, for it to be continually hunting up 
new fields in which to thrive, and there was no apparent reason which in the 
struggle for existence would have given preponderance to the long-winged form; 
