Though the winters of Iowa are quite severe, there are, nevertheless, always a few days when the weather is moderate enough to admit of the entomologist getting out for a few hours work at his favourite pursuit. When the sun comes out and the snow disappears in sheltered spots, a little investigation will yield much that is of interest, and throw considerable light on the habits of many of our insects.

Teras comandrana, n sp.

Expanse of wings 13 mm. Head, palpi thorax, and basal half of forewings, light yellowish-brown or fawn coloured. A large cinnamonbrown tringular spot rests on the costa, extending from the middle to the outer fourth, and the apex extends nearly half way across the wing. The outer part of the wing is light cinnamon-brown, and the whole surface is crossed by numerous oblique, irregular metallic band, which are visible only in an oblique light. A row of minute black tufts alon ghe inner side of the costal spot, two or three more near the fold below, one on each side of the fold at the basal third of the wing, and three near the middle of the wing at the outer fourth. Fringe concolorous with the outer part of the wing.

The preliminary List of the Orthoptera of Iowa, published by Prof. C. E. Bessey in the Seventh Biennial Report of the Iowa Agricultural College, is revised, a number of species being added and a number of names taken from incorrectly determined specimens rectified.

Ichthyrua multnoma N. SP.

Ground colour of primaries dark “ecur drab” (Ridg. iii., 21, * but much darker), heavily irrorate with “clove brown” (Ridg. iii., 2.) scales which almost entirely obscure the ground colour at the basal portion fo the wings as well as outside the third and fourth lines. First (basal) transverse line faintly yellowish, inwardly arcuate from internal margin to median vein, then rectangularly bent towards the base and following the median vein for about 1.5 mm, when it is again bent at right angles and proceeds straight to costa.

The following table includes only the species of Phora described by Leow, and four new ones—ten in all. Phora atra of European entomologists, together with P. cornuta, Bigot, fuscipes, Macq., and rufipes, Meigen, are said to occur in North America—the second in Cuba, the last two in the Hudson Bay region—but I have not seen the descripitons.

In 1878 Dr. Arnold Forster, in his “Kleine Monographie”, erected many new genera in the family Chalcididæ that have been either overlooked by subsequent entomologists, or, at least, not included in any recent tables of the genera of this family, amongst which is a genus he calls Cratœpus placed by him in the Tetrastichoidœ, and which I am pleased to announce also occurs in America.

How often, in turning over the pages of his check-list, has the American collector of beetles allowed his eyes to rest a moment upon those lines of type which announce the existence in our fauna of the mysterious family Stylopidæ, with its two genera, Stylops and Xenos; each represented by a single species; but, recognizing in these names only the records of captures almost legendary in their antiquity, he has turned the page with a feeling that they represent to him unattainalble rarities.

1. Marginal cell as long or long or longer than the first submarginal (if shorter it is scarcely noticeable). 2

Marginal cell always much shorter that the first submarginal .6

The late Mr. W. S. Foster sent me some years ago a list of Lepidoptera taken by himself in 1888 at Marshall Pass, Colorado, which deserves to be put on record as a contribution to the knowledge of alpine entomology. The collecting was done at altitudes from 10,000 to 13,000 feet, on the slopes of the Continental Divide and Mt. Ouray, on the north side of the railroad track. This is in Saguache county, and about forty miles from the district in Custer county, of which the alpine insects are recorded in Can. Entom., 1890.

The editor informs me that he wishes to publish in this year's volume of the Canadian Entomologist several short articles for the benefit of beginners and many others, who, although they do not aspire to being considered entomologists, yet would like to know something about our common insects, and the best way to preserve such interesting specimens as may chance to come in their way, until they may have on opportunity of mounting them for their own collections or giving them to interested friends. I have been asked to send some notes on the above subject.

It would seem appropriate that this hitherto somewhat rare and inconspicuous little carabid should be brought to the notice of the Entomological Club of the A.A.A.S. in its new role of a benefactor.

I have been observing its habits for two years, and am confident that to it, more than to any other agent, do we, in the neighborhood of St.Louis, owe our present comparative freedom from the Web-worm nuisance. Whereas formerly almost every other tree would, at this season of the year, be infested with one or more of the disfiguring nests, they are now so few and far between that it requires some search to find one.

It is a well known fact that certain plants, as Sliene antirrhina, L., and allied species, exude a sticky, viscid substance of stalk or peduncle for the purpose of preventing ants, small beetles, and other honey-loving intruders, which are too small to aid effectively in fertilization, from creeping up to the flower and robbing the honey-glands of their precious nectar. Other plants, as the Sundews, Drosera rotundifolia, L. etc., excrete a smiliar substance with which they attact insects, which are caught and afterwards utilized as food by the plant.

I desire to call attention to the species of this genus, in order to get further information, if possible, as to the occurrence of the species in this country. The species of the genus that were described by Jenyns (Annals of Natural History, 1839, III., p. 241–244) have often been considered simply as the common house-bug occurring upon the different animals which they were described as infesting—the bat, the pigeon, and the swallow.

In Goldthwaite's Geogl. Mag., Vol. 2 p. 738 (Nov., 1891), is a paper on “Butterflies that Bathe”, giving observations of M. G. Lyell, Jr., in Australia, on certain butterflies, species not stated, that “ backed into the water unitl the whole of the body and the lower part of the hind legs were under water, the two forelegs only retaining their hold on dry land.

All of the following species were determined by Dr. P.L.R. Uhler:- Lioderma ligata, Stal.

In coitu on mesquite (P. juliflora), July 14. It was found numerous on Chinese cabbage on college farm July 16.

Mozena obtusa, Uhler MS.

Taken in July on Prosopis juliflora. In coitu July 8.

Exoprosopa, Macq.—At the present time no little confusion exists in regard to those species in which the brown of the wings does not form crossbands, and I am unable to give a table for separating these species that would be of much use to the student.

I saw the type of this species in the Britsh Museum and considered it to represent a distinct species, allied to E. grata. Prof. Smith says, Can. Ent., 134., “I have no hesitation in referring the species(?) as a suffused aberrant grata.” Now the hindwings want the band and are immaculate, hence there is no “suffusion” on the secondaries. The forewings resemble grata, but the markings differ.

On page 138, Vol. XXIII., is mentioned the finding, in rotten logs, of colonies of this species. The fate of the speciments taken on 30th April may be related. Unfortunately the individuals then taken were not counted, but they consisted of workers and larvæ, the latter being more numerous. The box was examined on 1st June and it was found that many of the larvæ had formed cocoons, and that the remainder were feasting on a green caterpillar, which had been dragged down into the nursery.