40 
parent even in the darkest individuals; head and anterior lobes of 
the pronotum with the velvety appearance so marked in spretus, but 
here dark or olive-brown without the reddish tinge so common in 
that species ; the pale, oblique, metathoracic ray usually apparent but 
often obliterated. 
There are no reliable characters by which to distinguish it from the 
female of femuT'Tubrum ; the posterior lobe of the pronotum is usually 
less conspicuously punctured, agreeing in this respect with spretus. 
Male. —Differs from spretus in being smaller, pronotum rather 
more constricted and sub-cylindrical; eyes more round and promi¬ 
nent; the notch at the tip of the last segment less distinct, sometimes 
almost obliterated ; more of the nerves of the wings dark. 
From the male of femur-rubrum it differs in usually having longer 
wings, in some individuals they are as long, proportionally, as in any 
specimen of spretus. in others little or no longer than in femur-rubrum ; 
in the more slender form and smaller size; in having the apical seg¬ 
ment of the abdomen narrowed and notched at the tip ; in having the 
cerci broad throughout and shaped as in spretus ; in having the tooth¬ 
like appendages at the base of the super-anal plate shoitened and 
broadened, and with a longer union at their base. 
It is evident from these characters that atlanis is an osculant form, 
intermediate between spretus and femur-rubrum , partaking largely of 
the characters of each, and in a few respects differing from both. 
The female approaches very near femur-rubrum , scarcely showing var¬ 
ietal differences from the female of that species; while on the other 
and the male approaches much nearer spretus , as shown by the char¬ 
acter of the terminal segment of the abdomen, the form of the cerci 
and the length of the wings. 
CHINCH-BUG—( Blissus leucopterus )—Say. 
This is, beyond all question, the most formidable insect with w'hich 
the farmers of Illinois have to contend. Although diminutive in 
size, and possessing no other weapon of destruction than its tiny, slen¬ 
der, tubular mouth, it makes up by numbers for lack of individual 
capacity for extensive injury. It is already so well-known that it 
would seem scarcely necessary for me to give more than a brief de¬ 
scription here, but as young farmers are yearly added to the agricul¬ 
tural army it is best to keep the facts before the public, hence we re¬ 
peat here much that has been written heretofore. I give a brief 
account of the histoiy of the species in Illinois, notes on its operations 
in 1874, and some account of its habits and the remedies suggested. 
It was first described by Mr. Say, in 1831, as follows : 
“Lygseus leucopterus. —Blackish, hemelytra white with a black spot. 
Inhabits Virginia. Body long, blackish, with numerous hairs; an- 
tenna3 rather short, hairs; second joint yellowish, longer than the 
