The form of the palpi is that of Anybia langiella St., as represented Ins. Brit., v.3, but the wings are a little longer than those of langiella are there represented, though the hinder pair have the same form. The neuration of the fore wings is that of L. epilobiella(fig'd loc. cit.) except that the apical vein is obsolete in the single specimen examined by me ; that of the hind wings also resembles that of epilobiella; indeed, if the dorsal and submedian veins were represented in the figure of epilobiella, and the sub-apical or discal branch was produced forwards into the cell,the neuration would be that of this species.

[Some little time ago Mr. Chambers sent us a specimen of the insect referred to in the following communication, and desired our opinion respecting its specific position. Being unable to give any definite opinion on the matter, as we know but little of the Micro-Lepidoptera, we sent his note and specimen to Mr. Stainton, the great English authority on the Tineina. He very kindly examined the specimen, and communicated his views respecting it, through us, as noticed below.—Ed. C. E.]

On the 24th of April, 1868, I found under a log, near the Port Stanley Railroad track, a short distance from London, a young larva of an Arctian, which I supposed to be Parthenice, but since it differed slightly in appearance from the young of this species which I had reared before, I resolved to trace its history. In common with other allied species, this had evidently hybernated the winter through in the larva state, and had just awoke from its torpor.

Extracts of free amino acids from six species of ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus (F. Smith), P. occidentalis (Cresson), Tapinoma sessile (Say), Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer), Conomyrma pyramica (Roger), and Novomessor cockerelli (E. André) were analyzed by thin layer, one and two dimensional paper chromatography, and an automatic amino acid analyzer to determine the potential use of qualitative and (or) quantitative data of the free amino acid composition of ants in taxonomic studies. The results demonstrate that no significant qualitative differences exist, but that the automatic amino acid analyzer may be used to show significant quantitative differences in the free amino acid composition of the ants studied.

The successful transfer of adult insects from jars or cages to killing bottles or other cages is at best tedious and often difficult. The device illustrated in the accompanying plate was designed to facilitate this work. It has been tested in the insectary at Indian Head throughout one season with very satisfactory results. The model described and illustrated (Fig. 1) is a convenient size for use in transferring insects from small jars.

Interference between Formica obscuripes Forel and Dolichoderus taschenbergi (Mayr) colonies was observed in the laboratory and in the field. D. taschenbergi was by far the stronger competitor in the laboratory test, but only slightly superior to F. obscuripes in the field. It was concluded that colonies of F. obscuripes and D. taschenbergi transplanted to areas requiring ant protection would not be rendered ineffective by the presence of previously established colonies of either species.

Culex siphonalis, sp. nov.—♀. Head brown, occiput covered with pale yellow scales, antennæ brown, basal joint and two following ones testacesou; proboscis pale brown, with dark brown scales scattered over the surface, covering the apical fourth; palpi dark brown, with minute terminal joint oval in form, pointed at the apex and slightly spiny. Mesonotum covered with pale yellow and brown scales at the sides and with a median vitta wholly of brown scales, the pale yellow scales sometimes forming a narrow border to this vitta; scutellum brown, with yellowish-brown bristles on the posterior margin; metanotum evenly brown; pleura brown, clothed with patches of dirty white scales; halteres yellowish-white, black at the apex.

According to one of the popular ecological theories, populations are self-governing systems, which maintain themselves in existence by utilizing “density-dependent factors”, whose effect becomes more intense as the population increases and less intense as it decreases. This theory is connected with a mathematical model developed by V. A. Bailey and A.J. Nicholson, 1935, to represent the results of the interaction of predator and prey populations. According to the theory, as expressed verbally, a disturbance of the conditions of stability – the “steady state” – produces oscillations which tend to re-establish the stable conctition. In fact, however, when numbers are inserted in the equations, the population values, at the end of one or more cycles – which increase in amplitude if there are more than one – fall below unity, which, on a common sense view may be considered to mean the extermination of the prey, followed by that of its predator or parasite.

During the summer of 1866 we found ourselves among those who were trying to escape the hot weather of July by a trip to the Saguenay. The few hasty notes of insects taken during this journey must necessarily be very imperfect, since a day or two at most was all the time that could be devoted to any one locality.

Length 4.4 mm. Black, shilling, margin of elytra feebly greenish, appendages slightly rufescent. Head as wide as pronotum at apex. Pronotum narrower than elytra, 70 per cent. ( ♀ ) to 74 per cent. ( ♂ ) as long as broad, apex 74 per cent., base 80 per cent. as wide as pronotum at widest. Sides of pronotum broadly arcuate in front, feebly sinuate behind : front angles round ; hind angles right ; apex feebly emarginate; basal impressions bistriate; median line nearly entire. Elytra octostriate; the striae entire, three and four and five and six severally confluent towards apex; the third stria with two dorsal punctures; the striae coarsely punctate, the punctures absent on apical fifth; the eighth and marginal striae evidently finely punctate, distant from each other except on basal fourth.

The genus Decanematus is recorded for the first time in North America, and a new species D. dulichus is described. A key is provided for the three known species.

A sequential decision plan, based on the Poisson distribution and providing for two infestation classes, was drawn up as an aid to management of the alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyll.), on first-growth alfalfa in Ontario. It is based on counts of the oviposition punctures in three-stem bouquets of alfalfa, and, in economic situations, will provide the grower with sufficient lead time to consider alternative action strategies. An appraisal of the plan under field conditions showed that it rated the infestation status of the weevil correctly in 56 of 60 cases. Sampling time averaged 35 man-min.

Related to crassipes Meigen, to which it traces in my key (Tr. Royal Can. Inst., XV. 252, 1926). It is readily distinguished by the wholly black posterior femora, presence of abundant erect black hair on the upper surface of the anterior tarsi and in having the basal segment of the anterior tarsi shorter than the following three segments instead of longer than the apical four segments. Length 4.75 mm.

Cassida azurea Fab. was incorrectly identified as C. hemisphaerica Hbst. in the paper entitled “Biology of the tortoise beetle, Cassida hemisphaerica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a possible biological control agent for bladder campion, Silene cucubalus (Caryophyllaceae), in Canada”, Can. Ent. 108: 945–954, 1976. Thus, all references to C. hemisphaerica in that paper, with the exception of those in sections Geographic Distribution and Recorded Host Plants, should read C. azurea.

It is reported from various quarters that V. Californica has within a year or two first been observed in British Columbia, where it is now regarded as something new and strange. It has been suggested to me that a few facts about it, as to California and Oregon, would be of interest.