1927] 
Dipterological Notes 
35 
tablishment has suffered more than usual damage from the 
ravages of the Merodon which appears to have been present in 
more or less abundance every season since it was first noticed in 
the place nearly twenty years ago. At that time besides various 
species and varieties of Narcissus, it was found to attack bulbs of 
Vallota purpurea and its varieties. Recently it has been found 
very destructive to many rare and beautiful Hippeastrum hybrids 
formerly known under the generic name of Amaryllis. And it is 
probable that it will be found to attack other plants of the 
Amaryllis family to whi6h the Narcissus belongs. The pest has 
affected bulbs both in the open air and in the greenhouses.” 
Although recorded by Ranks in the “Bibliography of Economic 
Entomology,” pt. 7, p. 50, 1901, this important paper on the 
history of this species in America seems since then to have been 
overlooked. A specimen in the Museum of Comparative Zoology 
bears the following label “From Hippeastrum bulbs in Green- 
house, Brookline, Mass., March 16, 1897, J. G. Jack.” There is 
also a specimen from Prof. Jack in the collection of the Boston 
Society of Natural History. In 1902 I received from G. Chagnon 
for determination a specimen collected at Montreal, which was 
recorded in Aldrich’s Catalogue in 1905. This record probably 
led Curran 3 to say, “The Species was first reported outside from 
Montreal.” The later history of the species (1908-1916) is given 
by Dr. C. L. Metcalf (Ent. News, vol. 30, p. 173, 1919) . 
3 Kansas Univ. Sci. Bull., vol. 15, no. 1, p. 169. Dec. 1924. 
