BAB1TS 6f phora aletiJ:. 
119 
mentioned parasites, and a great many Phoras. At the same time a very 
large number of chrysalides were examined which had webbed up in the 
leaves of Artemisia tridentata and other weeds and shrubs adjacent to 
the devastated fields. Not a single rotten chrysalis was found among 
them, by far the largest number being healthy, and only the usual pro- 
portion contained Chalcis or Tachina larvae or pupae. Xot one of them 
contained Phora larva?, nor whs any Phora raised from about 150 chrys- 
alides which I took indoors and preserved in a tight jar. The fact that 
the greater portion of the chrysalides which were on the naked leaf- 
ribs of the devastated fields proved to be rotten, while at the same 
time those which had regularly webbed up in the leaves of the adjacent 
weeds were healthy, is probably due to the influence of sunshine and 
rain on the unprotected chrysalides. A large portion of these hung 
downward, suspended only by one thread or the remaining portion of 
the web. This unnatural position causes them to be stretched, the soft 
ligaments between the segments thus exposed offers a convenient place 
for the young Phora larva? to enter the interior of the chrysalis. 
"After it has once been asserted that Phora is a true parasite of 
Aletia, and since it is an undisputed fact that Phora has actually been 
raised from chrysalides of Aletia, it is, of course, difficult to prove the 
contrary. My observations prove only that Phora lives as a scavenger 
on other dead and decaying insects as well as in decaying chrysalids 
of Aletia." 
