By the kindness of Prof. L. Bruner I have recently been able to study specimens of the South American Orphula pagana Stal., the type of the genus, and so to compare its structure with that of our native species latterly referred to Orphula. By this it appears, as Mr. Bruner has pointed out to me in correspondence, and as Mr. A. P. Morse has suggested (Psyche, VII., 407), that our species should be referred rathar to Orphulella, separated by Giglio-Tos from Orphula in 1894, though this was afterwards regarded by him as having only a subgeneric value Orphula in the stricter sense of the term is not, so far as I know, represented in the United States. Orphulella is the most widely distributed genus of North American Trypalinae and the most abundant in species. Those known to Prof. J. McNeill in his recent revision of our Tryxalinae were well separated by a table which I have here made the basis of a new one to include a considerable number of new forms. Besides describing these, I have added notes of distribution of the others, based on the collections in my hands, and given their principal synonymy.

The following is a list of the species of these two groups occurring in California, with notes on those forms knows to me:

Habropoda, Smith.

A small group of bees, comparatively local in their habits, and in appearance very much like the larger species of Anthophora.

Remarks in a recent issue of this magazine concerning “A Southerner arrested in Canada” recall some of the additions made to my local list during the summer of 1898. In this instance also some stragglers from a lower latitude were welcomed among my catch. Not only a few Noctuids but some of the birds also bore a Southern aspect (I cannot be expected to pass the birds unnoticed), most unusual among the latter being the appearance of several blue herons that frequented the salt marshes here for the better part of the summer. These waders are more at home in the swamps of Florida, although this is not the limit of their northern migrations by any means, yet they are considered great rarities here by the local sportsmen.

aspidiotus cueroensis, n. sp..—♀. Scale diam, slightly over 1 millim., circular, slightly convex above and beneath, with the margin somewhat elevated, like an oyster; very pale gray or grayish- white, quite a delicate shade, exuviae more or less to one side, covered, inconspicuous, but appearing as a dark spot on the inside of the scale. ♀. Shape ordinary; black when dry. No circumgenital glands. Anal orifice elongate oval, moderately large, distinct from bases of lobes about 1½ times its length. Only one pair of lobes, these and the area about their base remaining dark brown after boiling; lobes rather large, but short and broad, contiguous at the base, but thence diverging to their rounded apices, whence they slope downwards to the comparatively short outer side, the shape of the lobes being almost as in A. ostreaeformis.

The absence of a distinct ridge, carina or crest on the mesopleura just in front of the middle coxæ, an important structural character first made use of by Kohl, the recurrent nervure in the front wings joining the first cubital cell at or at least nearer the middle than the apex, and the great difference noticeable in the antennæ and the metathorax, readily separate this group from the Crabroninæ.

To me the Thyreopinæ seem to represent a large and distinct group, allied to the others it is true, but yet quite distinct, and divisable into many easily recognizable subgenera. It will be seen also that instead of suppressing the genera erected by some of the older entomologists, which fall into this group, and lumping them with Crabo, as has been done by Kohl and Fox, I have instead recognized all the genera of Latreille, Dahlbom, Lepeletier, etc., and besides have founded some additional genera.

In the Canadia Entomologist, 1899, p. 293, ff., Mr. Ashmead has divided, first Aphilanthops into Clypeadon, Patton, and Aphilanthops, Patton, and secondly Plilanthus into Epiphilanthus, Pseudanthophilus, Anthophilus, and Philanthus.

Vespa diabolica, Sauss., mut. Fernaldi (Lewis).—Prof. C. H. T. Townsend collected last year some specimens of V. diabolica and V. occidentalis on the Rio Ruidoso, N. M. Among the former I find an example which exactly agrees with the description of V. Fernaldi, Lewis, but it is evidently only a form of diabolica.

In the “Journal of the New York Entomological Society” for June, 1896 (Vol. IV., No. 2, p. 68), the present writer recorded the occurrence, on December 28, 1895, of adults, and larvæ from one-half to two-thirds grown, of Diabrotica vittata, in a greenhouse near Cincinnati, Ohio, that was being used for growing cucumber for winter market. The injuries inflicted upon the young cucumber plants were very serious, and resulted in a nearly total destruction of the plants. On March 25, 1899, serious injuries were again reported by the proprietors of these same greenhouses, and the complaint was accompanied by speciments of what, to all appearances, were the larvæ of this same species.

Hadena (Xylophasia) runata, n. sp.

Ground colour smoky brown or blackish, varying in shade even to a reddish admixture. Head usually a little reddish, with a black band crossing the front. Collar usually paler at the base, crossed by a black line about the middle; usually tipped with paler scales. Thorax with a distinct divided crest, which often contains an admixture of lighter vestiture, patagiæ with paler tips, a blackish submargin, and a disk as dark as the general ground colour. Primaries powdery, mottled, with all the markings well defined; no contrasts, save that the median space is usually darker than the rest of the wing. Basal line geminate, black, including a few whitish scales, and reaching to a narrow, short basal line which ends at the point of junction with the tranverse marking. T. a. line black, geminate, the outer defining line well marked, the inner vague, except at the interval margin, where an oblique black shade extends inward along the margin.

20. Schistocerca americana, Drury.

Gryllus americanus, Drury, Illustr. Nat. Hist., app. (1773).

Acridium americanum, Scudd. Mat. Mon. N. A. Orth., 466 (1862).

Schistocerca americana, Blatchley. Can. Ent., XXIII., 79 (1891).

This large and beautiful locust has been twice reported from Ontario, at London, (Can. Ent., XXVII., p. 52), and at Toronto(Can. Ent., XXIX., p. 89), a single example being taken in each instance. These were probably wanderers from the South, certainly in the case of the Toronto specimen, and the insect can hardly be regarded as a native of our Province, though it may be established in the extreme southern portion.

Psilopa petrolei, new species.

black, polished, not light coloured, pruinose except the lower part of the occiput, cheeks and sides of face, which are thinly grayish pruinese; halteres yellowish, the knobs white. Eyes densely hairy, most approximate at middle of face. Third joint of antennæ slightly longer than the second, the spine of the latter not reaching beyond the apex of the antennæ. Wings hyaline, tinged with gray on nearly the costal half, except sometimes a spot toward apex of the submarginal cell; apex of second vein nearly twice as far from the first as from the apex of the third vein. Length, 2 mm.

While the Canadian species of this family are not numerous, they are of considerable interest, and because of the scattered nature of the literature, often quite difficult to identify. The present paper, while containing little that is new, will serve to bring together in conscise form the information necessary to enable the beginner to examine his material intelligently.

In the Leconte and Horn “Classification,” the following characters are used as defining the family: “Mouth-parts normal, palpi flexible, front and middle tarsi with five, posterior with four joints. Anterior coxal cavities open behind, head not strongly constricted at base, middle coxae not very prominent.

(46) Aspidiotus hederœ, Vall.; 1829-1897. I.

This is a very common pest in all greenhouses at Lawrence, and no doubt in all greenhouses in the State. It is found at Lawrence on Ivy, Palms and Cycas. A variety determined by Prof. Cockerell as probably ericœ, Boisd., on heather (Erica) in a greenhouse at Lawrence. The scale is longer than typical hederœ, and of a yellowish cast, and also covered more or less with the epidermis of the plant. Hederœ has been recorded from Kansas, Utah, Illinois, California, Florida, Colorado, New Maxico, and New York, on Ivy, China-tree, Lemon, Oleander, Orange, Lace-fern=Asparagus plumosa, Acacia, Maple, Yucca, Plum, Cherry, Currant, Melia, Grass and Clover.

Resembling imputans, Osb. & Ball, but with a much longer vertex; vertex longer than in producta, Walk. Olive green, a spot on the middle and another at the tip of each elytron and all below balck. Length, ♀, 4 mm.; ♂, 3.5 mm.; width, 1.75 mm.

Vertex flat, strongly acutely angled, the tip rounding, almost twice as long as the pronotum, fully twice longer than width between eyes, margin sharp, angle with the face acute; front depressed, almost as much above the ocelli as below, lateral margins straight, continuous with those of the clypeus; lorae small, two-thirds the width of the clypeus; pronotum over twice wider than long — half the length within the anterior curve; elytra flaring, venation of the reflex-veined type, the second cross nervure wanting.

This family has been associated usually, as a tribe, with the family Bembicidae, with which, however, according to my views, it has no relationship whatever. It is in reality much closer allied to the Nyssonidae, next to which I have placed it, and from which some of the species are separated with difficulty.

The characters made use of in my table of families will, however, I think readily separate these three families, and it is unnecessary to repeat them here.

I have been much interested in reading the notes upon the odour of scale insects by Professors Webster and Cockerell in the January and February issues of this journal. Durning my inspections in orchards and nurseries I have frequently detected the odour emitte by Aspidiotus perniciosus, mentioned by Webster, especially where the trees were badly infested, and have wondered what relationship it bore to the species. I have detected the most pronounced odours, however, in the genera Chionaspis and Lecanium. The odour produced by the Euonymus scale, Chionaspis euonymi, is very unpleasant to some persons. It is most marked upon badly infested, freshly cut twigs. If they are left in a tightly closed room for a few hours, the air will become very foul.

Egg.—A little less than spherical, the base flat. Twelve sharp ribs run to the vertex, which is large, circular, reticulate, with a central elevation at the micropyle; one-third of the way down these ribs neatly alternate with twelve others, forming twenty-four ribs around the base. Ribs straight; space distinctly, regularly cross striate. Diameter .8, height .7 mm.

Stage I.—Head rounded, mouth pointed; shining yellowish; width .5 mm. Body thickened at thorax and joint 12, robust, sharply tapering at joint 13, which is placed almost under joint 12. Translucent yellowish, shining and sticky like a slug, the food showing by transparency. Setae minute and pale, not glandular, tubercles obsolete. Rests curled on the back of the leaf; several larvae on the same leaf, but not gregarious. Hatched when found.

The beetles enumerated below were taken in 1897, some of them while the writer visited that city on the occasion of the annual meeting of The Royal Society of Canada, in June. Unfortunately, the weather was most unpropitious for insect hunting until the last day, when quite a number were taken, and later on in the season the list was increased by captures made by a brother, resident of the city.

While some of the species were well represented, very many were by only one or two specimens, and in a few cases by three or four. I feel very gratful to Prof. H. F. Wickham for kindly determining many of the species.

Having prepared for the Ottawa Naturalist a list of the Cerambycidae occurring in this district, I find, among other Canadian material in my cabinets, the following species which appear worthy of record: For the Vancouver Island species I am chiefly indebted to my friend, Rev. G. W. Taylor, who resided near Victoria when the specimens were collected. Other material was collected by Mr. A. J. Hill, of New Westminster, B. C., and by Dr. Fletcher. Several of the species I captured when at New Westminster, etc., in 1888, and a few were received from Mr. T. C. Weston, of the Geological Survey, and from the late Capt. G. Geddes.