In order to expedite the study of the effects of various biologically active chemicals upon the blood cells of insects a rapid clinical type method was needed that would allow preparations to be made with small (1 microliter or less) samples of blood which could be drawn without sacrificing the insect, and could be fixed and stained quickly for examination. A method meeting these requirements for the study of the blood cells of the American and German cockroaches has been developed.

Oxydemeton-methyl, azinphosmethyl, dimethoate, and acephate were evaluated in Douglas-fir seed orchards for control of Douglas-fir cone gall midge, Contarinia oregonensis Foote, and Douglas-fir seed chalcid, Megastigmus spermotrophus Wachtl. Results varied with infestation levels and specific chemicals. There was no significant reduction of infestation levels of either insect with the application of acephate. Oxydemeton-methyl injections, oxydemeton-methyl spray, and dimethoate significantly reduced cone gall midge damage. All four chemicals were ineffective against the seed chalcid for infestations of less than 10% of extractable seed. Oxydemeton-methyl injections, azinphosmethyl, and dimethoate significantly reduced the incidence of seed chalcid when the infestation was high (61%). There was no statistically significant difference (α = 0.05) for pairwise comparisons between chemicals which significantly reduced the infestation levels of either insect.

On the 22nd June, 1901, I received from Mr. A. Kwiat, of Chicago, a batch of eggs of Arctia virguncula, Kirby. These eggs were laid on the 18th June and hatched on the 25th and 26th. The following notes on the early stages of the species were taken. A brief description of the mature larva was published by Mr. Coquillett, in the first number of Papilio, in 1881.

Cincindela. A glance over the catalogue shows many names marked as varieties of others, and a glance into the boxes of any fair collection shows these same to have a diversity of appearance, that in many instances requires an educated experience to reconcile with their being specifically identical; as for example, a green C. sex-guttata and a black consentanea, or an immaculate green unicolor and a black modesta.

Mr. R. H. Meade has kindly examined the N. American Anthomyidæ of the Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, forwarded to him by the Baron von Osten Sacken. The collection was returned last year by the Baron to the Museum. The species are separated carefully and accompanied by a list giving the genera and species, the latter not named except when identical with European species.

The species here described somewhat superficially resembles Staphylinus cinnamopterus Grav., yet appears distinct and to be hitherto uncharacterized. In admiration of Professor J. H. McGregor of Columbia University, and in appreciation of kindnesses tendered me, I propose to name this new form:

Staphylinus macgregori n. sp.

Habitus nearly as in cinnamopterus but larger in size and rather more robust; piceous, the elytra fusco-ferrugineus, the legs fulvo-ferrugineus ; pubescence inclined, on the head, thorax, and elytra of a rusty hue and with few erect, brown setae, on abdomen fusco-piceous pubescence intermixing with fewer rusty-colored hairs and an abundance of dark setae; anterior tarsi broadly dilated in both sexes ; head slightly narrower than prothorax, widest at basal fourth thence gradually narrowing anteriorly, hind angles obtusely prominent, punctures round and ocellate throughout, close-set but clearly separated by shining interspaces, sparser anteriorly; mandibles longer and more slender than in cinnamopterus, the two inner teeth much less prominent and more poorly developed; antennae piceous to fuscopiceous, a third longer than head; prothorax but slightly wider than head, truncate at apex, rounded at base, punctures ocellate, more elongate at the sides than those of head and somewhat larger, smaller and more closely set than in cinnamopterus but separated by shining interspaces, the median line evident, polished, but very narrow throughout, in places ill-defined or obliterated; scutellum velvety black; elytra fusco-ferrugineus, longer than wide, very finely but strongly and densely punctate, clothed with a decurved rusty-colored pubescence similar to that of head and thorax but more dense; abdomen obscurely fulvous at tip, piceous, coriaceo-reticulate and very sparsely and finely punctate at sides, with median velvety fuliginous spots suffering intermixture of short cinereous hairs at the sides; under surface of abdomen clothed with sparse, long, depressed, fuscs-piceous pubescence, coriaceo-reticulate, punctures very fine and sparse, slightly less sparsely distributed at sides of segments, the male fifth ventral with a very broad circular and feeble sinuation medially, the male sixth ventral obscurely fulvous at tip and with a broad, rounded, median emargination about one half as deep as long, fifth ventral of female truncate, sixth female ventral rounded evenly and fulvous. Length ( ) 10.0-12.7 mm.; width 3.0-3.3 mm.

In the first generation brown mite, Bryobia rubrioculus (Scheuten), on apple inhabits the wood as well as the leaves. To eliminate sampling the wood, which is very tedious and time consuming, equations were developed to describe the total population of immature stages and adults from observations of the number of mites on the leaves alone.

Pontania consors, new species.

Larva and Galls.—Dyar, Jour, N. Y. Ent. Soc., VI., June, 1898 p. 121.

Female.—Lenght, 4.5–5. mm.; slender; surface shining, not at all pubescent; clypeus distinctly emarginate, lobes triangular; ocellar basin distinctly defined, but with walls rounded; crest rather sharp, unbroken; fovea oval, distinctly defined; antennae short, joints 3 and 4 subequal; sheath moderatly broad, regularly rounded at tip; clothed with a rather dense fringe of long browish hairs; cerci narrow and elongate; claws deeply cleft, rays subequal; venation normal, upper discal cell of hind wings elongate, as long as or exceeding lower. Colour black; orbits and face brownish-yellow, including the area between the bases of the antennae; pronotum, tegulae and legs for the most part and venter of abdomen yellowish or resinous; bases of coxae black; posterior tarsi strongly infuscated; sheath dark brown; apical half of abdomen, dorsally, resinous, more or less infuscated; veins and stigma dark brown or strongly infuscated; wings hyaline or nearly so.

As many Canadian entomologists are still not clear about the relationship between the recently formed Entomological Society of Canada and the regional entomological societies in Canada, I shall attempt to clarify it.

The national society will serve not as the parent of but simply as the link between the Acadian Entomological Society, the Entomological Society of Quebec, the Entomological Society of Ontario, the Entomological Society of Manitoba, the Entomological Society of British Columbia, and any others that may be established.

In arranging the National Collection material in Xenoschesis, two species were encountered which appear to be undescribed. The following descriptions are therefore presented with a table to the American species, which are all represented by specimens in the National Collection. Colour appears to be most valuable in separating our species and has therefore been used in the following key. The specimens before me exhibit only slight variation.

Bracon nuperus Cress. was reared from larvae of Orellia ruficauda (Fab.) collected at Vineland and Belleville, Ont., and Armstrong, B.C., by Dr. Peter Harris of the Research Institute, Belleville, Ont., while investigating the biological control of Canada thistle, Cirsiurn arvense (L.) Scop. (Harris, in press). The cocoon and cast skin of the last larval instar are described and illustrated here because the cephalic structures possess some unusual characteristics that differ from descriptions of this genus by other authors (Genieys 1925; Goidanich 193 1 ; Glover 1934; Salt 1931; Short 1952), and that have not been heretofore described. The methods and terminology used are similar to those described by Finlayson (1960).

Sphex (Ammophila) nigricans. Dahl. Several nests were seen on October 12, 1930, at Pittsburgh Lake, Ill. (Opposite St. Louis, Mo.). The mothers were excavating nests although it was very late in the season. The burrows in the ground were “L” shaped; the neck, one-half inch in diameter by one-half inch long; the pocket at the bottom, one-inch wide by three-fourths inches deep. I found one caterpillar at the bottom of each of the three nests I opened.

Wishing to obtain a series of males of our common ground wasps, I paid a visit on the afternoon of October 21st to a larqe nest of Vespa occidentalis, Cresson, that I had noted some time previously, near my house. The day was dull and the wasps sluggish, but quite a number of males and perfect females were crawling about the entrance to the nest. Among the wasps were some specimens of a conspicuous yellow and black Hymenopteron unlike anything that I had seen before. I secured nine specimens, all males, and on my return home easily made out by the help of Cresson's Synopsis that the insects belonged to the genus Trigonalys. The next step was to turn to Harrington's paper in the Can. Ent., XXVIII., page 108, and compare my specimens with the description of the unique Trigonalys canadensis. unfortunately, all my specimens were males, while Harrington's type was a female. Consequently the description did not quite fit, but on the following day I took three females and satisfied myself that the species I had found was the genuine T. canadensis.