Synedoida Mucronata, n. s.

Eyes naked, lashed. Labial palpi with long cylindrical narrow third joint; second joint heavily scaled. Abdomen untufted. Of an inconspicuous fuscous or brownish gray, sprinkled with pale points, markings all concolorous with the wing. The t. p. line is brown and distinct at costa, forming a strong tooth opposite cell, below this it is rounded over median nervules and fainter. Sub-terminal line straight, distinct, even, brown, and well marked. Reniform concolorous, constricted, with pale edging. T. a. line even, slightly arched. A terminal dentate line; fringes brownish. Hind wings sub-pellucid, irridescent whitish, with soiled veins, with vague brownish borders, beneath with dark dots on primaries, which become a clouded spot. Body brownish gray. This species has the form of Mr. Morrison's Tœniocampa vegeta, but is of an ochrey fuscous gray, not at all reddish, or brown with a red tinge. Arizona. Coll. B. Neumoegen, Esq. Expanse 33 mil. Tibiæ apparently unarmed.

The following larvæ (with the exception of the one first described) have the usual Chrysomelid form of which the well-known Colorado Potato Beetle may be taken as a type. In Chrysomela pallida, Say, the body is more elongate, approaching the Coccinellidœ somewhat in form. With the exception of Lema collaris, Say, which forms a sort of cocoon among the leaves, they all enter the earth to pupate. A few of the following larvæ have been described by various authors, and are introduced here merely for comparison.

Chrysomela pallida, Say. Body black, elongated, much wrinkled and roughened; the sutures of the segments and the venter sometimes tinged with brown; head and cervical shield polished black; length 8 mm. Lives in communities on poplar. Several of these larvæ entered the earth to pupate June 1st, and the beetles issued about June 19th. (Determination of Dr. Horn.)

Having had several enquiries addressed to me as to how I captured the Pselaphidæ, etc., a list of which appeared in the Entomologist of March, 1881, it has occurred to me that it might be acceptable to some of my entomological brethren to have a detailed account of my method of moss-hunting published in our organ.

First, then, as to gathering the moss. For pedestrian excursions, a game bag, or haversack, to sling over the shoulder, will be most convenient; where a vehicle is employed, a pillow case or grain bag may be used, and in either case a small hand rake about a foot long will be found very useful. As soon as the snow leaves the ground, the collector may seek some open swampy woods, where the ground in varied with little mounds by the decay of fallen trees or the upturned roots of wind-falls, which are overgrown with mixed mosses,—or the banks of a pond or creek, strewn with rotting logs and branches.

In this paper is given simply what has been noted by the writer during a study of these insects extending over more than a year.

Sivodrepa panicea.—This is the elliptical, reddish-brown beetle, about one-eighth of an inch long, which is found in almost every edible drug, and in some, such as aconite root and capsicum, that would be pronounced far from edible. In addition to these two drugs, I have found it in bitter almonds, sweet almonds, angelica, boneset, calumba, chamomile, chocolate, coriander, dandelion, elm bark, ergot, extract of licorice, German chamomile, orris root, prince's pine, rhubarb, squill, and sweet flag.

Here I am again imprisoned within the walls of the town, after enjoying all the liberty of the field. How unphilosophical and dissatisfying to a devotee at the shrine of Nature are the labors that attach to a locality like this! One must turn over a new leaf occasionally. To balance the ledger, even though it have golden results, is comparably but as the dust of the balance. The City is stupid, hot, and odoriferous—empty, and yet full. Wealth, with its polished exterior, has long since departed, and “poverty, a wrinkle of itself,” remains. The intensity of the heat brings the hidden life without, and the town is seemingly the more full. What a wretched place in midsummer is a great City!

The following larvæ have the usual eloneate, sub-cylindrical form and hard integument of the notorious wire-worm; they all live in decayed wood, and pupate in cells in the wood.

For the determination of the perfect insects I am indebted to Mr. E. P. Austin.

Elater nigricollis, Herbst.—Body polished, yellowish brown, palest underneath and at the sutures of the segments; a narrow dark brown band at either end of each segment except the first and posterior end of the last segment; these bands pass entirely around the body; the last segment tapers posteriorly to a fine, dark brown point; head dark brown, the jaws black; a prop-leg beneath segment 12; length about on inch. I found several April 25, and enclosed them in my breeding cage, in which was placed some decayed oak-wood and damp sand; the first pupa was noticed August 19, and the beetle issued from it on the 30th of the same month.

Seated at my desk this evening, with a copy of Vol. I. of Edwards' Butterflies of North America before me, I am forcibly reminded, as I turn to the magnificent plate designated as “Argynnis I.,” of an experience of my boyhood. My home, from 1858 to the fall of 1863, was in the village of Salem, N. C., famous as one of the most successful of the settlements made by the Moravian Brethren under the lead of the good Count Zinzendorf, and well known throughout the South as the seat of an excellent seminary for young ladies. The war broke out and the hopes cherished of sending me to the North to be educated were in conseqnence disappointed. I was left to pursue my studies under a tutor, and to roam the neighborhood of afternoons in quest of insects, of which I gathered a large collection. Unfortunately my stock of books upon entomology was limited, and aside from an original copy of Say's work, of no especial value. My determination of species was therefore very imperfect.

Egg.—Length .06 inch by .02 in width. In shape elliptical, rather narrow. Color dingy yellow, somewhat pulverulent. There were 56 of these found on the under side of a leaf, set on one end and about .05 inch apart. They were found September 9, 1883, at which time they were hatching, hence the length of the egg period is not known.

Young Larve.—Length .06 inch. Color dull yellow, more or less brownish at the ends, the sides of the head distinctly brownish. Each joint bears six branching spines concolorous with the body. In outline somewhat elliptical, the head being nearly as broad as the middle of the body, but the anal joint is not. Length of this period 5 days.

Upon request, I sent to Dr. H. A. Hagen specimens of the parasite of the Phylloxera, Diplosis (?) grassator. At the same time I sent him specimens of the Psylla described on page 198 of vol. xiv. Dr. Hagen favored me with information as follows:—

“The fly is a Cecidomyia; I think it is not sure that it belongs to Diplosis. At least the reticulation of the wing differs in having the median vein straight, and the fork at the hind margin wanting. You will see in Osten Sacken's Catalogue that the museums do not possess this type for Cecidomyia. I have gone through the literature, and find till now your species is not described. The larva is shrivelled up, therefore the trophi are not visible.

In this species of the genus Cicindela there are several very marked varieties, differing in the number, size and, manner of disposing of the markings on the elytra; while other less marked, yet distinct forms, coming between the more marked ones, constantly occur. Being struck with the considerable differences between the specimens I have collected of this species, it occurred to me that my observations on the subject might be of interest to some others; and with that view I give them.

Catocala Sara, n. sp.

Expanse 3.10 inches. A form in size and general appearance resembling C. Aspasia, Streck., but having much darker colored fore wings, besides other points of difference. Primaries blackish gray from the base to the t. a. line, along the posterior margin to the subterminal line, and from this in a broad band to the costa, the inner part of this band running along the inner side of the reniform. This color is formed of a black or brownish black ground, sprinkled with white scales. This leaves a pale space between the stigmata from the median vein to the costa, and the whole end of the wing beyond the dark space spoken of. T. a. line indistinct, of the ground color, but with less white scales; t. p. line distinct anteriorly, one large and one small tooth opposite the reniform. Subterminal space scarcely tinged with brown, the subterminal line white with a sprinkling of black scales. Orbicular indistinct, black with a few white scales, reniform with a few white scales and an annulus of gray, Terminal space gray. Secondaries rosy red, the median band very much as in the form Walshii, not reaching the inner margin, a little constricted opposite the disc, beyond this a little enlarged, after which it narrows to less than half tlie costal width. Terminal line like Walshii, with an internal excavation before the anal angle that reaches half through the band.

Egg.—Shape of Eurytheme, fusiform, tapering evenly from the middle to either extremity; the base broad, the summit pointed, ribbed longitudinally, and crossed by numerous striæ; color, pale green when first laid; later, changing to crimson; duration of this stage about four days.

Young Larva.—Length, .1 inch; cylindrical, thickest on two and three, tapering slightly to thirteen; each segment from two to thirteen several times creased, and on the ridges thus caused are many fine black points, each with minute black hair; scattered among these are larger black points, or tubercles, some with long, tapering, black hairs, but most with long, white, clubbed appendages; on two there is a cross row of these in front of the segment, five on either side, running from dorsum to base; on three and four are four each, also in front, but after four, there are three to the segment, disposed in triangle, two being in front, one on the last ridge; these form longitucliual rows; thirteen has three black hairs on either side in triangle, and from four to twelve are two black hairs at base of each; color, dull yellow-green; feet and legs same; head rounded, but little depressed at top; a few tubercles scattered over the face, each with long, tapering, depressed, black hair; color, pale yellow-brown. Duration of this stage about four days.