from his description, identify the insect with any known depreda 
tor upon the Potato-bug. I wrote to him requesting him to send 
me specimens, and soon after received from him a number of tin 
above named species. As the Capsidce are all vegetable feeders 
and as the Capsus linearis is often abundant on early potato vines, 
which they injure by puncturing the young shoots, I at firs 
thought that Mr. Taylor had confounded this species with tin 
Arma spinosa or some other species which is well known to de 
stroy the eggs of the Potato-beetle in the way he describes. Bu 
as he speaks as if he had actually seen them performing this act 
and as the Capsus linearis is a very indiscriminate feeder as re 
spects its plant-food, and finally as the two Lyttce , above men 
tinned (Nos. 6 and 7), are also plant-feeders, and vet are admitted 
on what is supposed to be sufficient authority, to be occasiona 
feeders upon the larvae of the Potato-beetle, I am inclined to he 
lieve that, after all, Mr. Taylor’s observations may have been cor 
rect. This point, however, will have to be settled by future obsei 
vation. 
To these insect depredators upon the Potato-bug I have prett; 
good, reason to add a four-footed animal, which we are not in tin 
habit of regarding in a very friendly light, and that is the Skunk 
This animal is well known to relieve the opprobrium which usu 
ally attaches to his name, by destroying the May-beetle, and it 
larva the White grub, and some other of the larger sized insects 
Whilst on a visit to Benton Harbor, Mich., early last spring, Mr 
L. Camfield stated to me that a part of his potato field furthes 
from the house was comparatively free from Potato-bugs, am 
that he knew that skunks frequented it from the fact that his do. 
was often heard barking there, and bore unmistakable evidence 
on his return, of the company he had been in. I told Mr. Can: 
field that as every fact of this kind was of interest, I wished h 
would watch, some moon-light night, and see if he could verify hi 
supposition. Later in the season, in answer to a letter of inqu 
ry from me, 1 received a reply from Mr. Camfield, under date t 
Aug. 15, saying that he had not seen a skunk about his premises 
they having been probably frightened away by the dog. But h 
adds that his brother and neighbor, who have potato patches i 
the same inclosure, near a thicket much frequented by skunks 
have been but little troubled by Potato-bugs, though others i 
