40 
The Food Relations of the Carahidce and Coccinellida\ 
Genus Loxopeza. 
Three specimens of this genus were studied, all belonging to 
the species X. (itriventris , collected in July and September in 
Northern and Central Illinois. One of these had eaten immense 
numbers of minute, oval, binucleate cells, determined by Prof. 
Burrill as spores of Sphmronemei, probably Phoma, a fungus 
which forms small black specks upon dead wood, stems of weeds, 
etc. A second specimen had eaten some undetermined insect, 
and about equal quantities of three elements, namely: the above 
spores of Phoma and pollen and anthers of grass, — doubtless blue 
grass, upon which the insect was taken. A few spores of Hel- 
minthosporium were likewise noticed. The crop of a third speci- 
men, taken at Normal, was distended with an oily liquid, but 
contained nothing else except a few spores of Helminthosporium. 
This specimen had probably been sucking the juices of some in- 
sect. The ratios of animal and vegetable food, as nearly as I 
could estimate them, were as forty-four to fifty-six. A specimen 
of this species, captured in the orchard, had not recently taken food. 
Genus Calathus. 
Six examples of C. yregarius, three from Du Kalb County and 
three from the orchard, are the only representatives of this genus. 
One-third of the food of those first mentioned consisted of cater- 
pillars, a second third of other insect larvae, and the remainder of 
the pollen of grass. The food of the second group was extremely 
similar, a third consisting, as before, of vegetation, another third 
of canker-worms, and the remainder of insect fragments not 
further determinable. 
Genus Platynus. 
The stomach of a single P. decorus , taken in the orchard, con- 
tained only liquid animal food. Two examples of P. limbatm s', 
both from Southern Illinois, in April, had derived about four- 
fifths of their food from the vegetable kingdom, partly seeds of 
grass and partly the parenchyma of exogenous plants. The 
remainder consisted entirely of Aphides (plant-lice). These 
specimens were doubtless too few to give a correct idea of the 
average food of the genus as a whole. 
