A first account of the habits of Pseudomasaris vespoides has been given by Dr. A. Davidson ('13). He found their nests, usually attached to a twig of a low bush, and built after the manner of the mud dauber wasp but of stony hardness. The completed cell was closed by a stopper of clay which was depressed in the center so that the top of the nest presented a series of small cups. The cup was believed to conserve the rain, soften the stopper and enable the insect to more easily emerge. The cells were thought to have been stored with small larvae. According to Bradley ('22), P. vespoides is found in South Dakota, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California.

On June 25th and 26th an old pasture supporting a thrifty growth of white spruce from 3 to 10 feet in height was inspected for spruce budworm injury. Very few budworm larvae were found but large numbers of Zeiraphera larvae were present. In the course of the study it developed that these were chiefly Z. ratzeburgiana with about 40% Z. fortunana. An older pasture adjoined and the growth was 15 to 25 feet in height. Here the relation was reversed. Z. fortunana formed over 75% and on the larger trees Z. ratzeburgiana was not found at all. No attempt was made to separate the larvae, and these figures are based on a study of the moths. In the case of old pastures where the small trees and reproduction were absent only Z. fortunana was found. Where the young growth was just taking possession and ranged from 3 to 8 feet, Z. ratzeburgiana was the dominant species.

The attention of the writer was called, on July 8, 1926, to a small black fly which was present in large numbers on the bodies of goslings at the Dominion Experiinental Station at Fredericton; at this time only two, and they were in poor condition, remained alive of an original flock of twenty seven. The blackfly was identified by Mr. C. H. Curran as Simulium bracteatum Coq.

Among plants that possess toxic properties few are so well known, or so much dreaded, in North America, as poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron). The plant is distasteful to nearly all herbivorous animals, though its berries are eaten by a few rodents and birds. On the whole it is permitted to flourish unmolested and it has managed to enlist the cooperation of several birds as aids in the distribution of its seeds. The immunity enjoyed by this plant from larger creatures does not, however, apply to the smaller forms of life and among its insect enemies Coleoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera are representd. A study of the lepidopterous insects found feeding upon poison ivy was begun some years ago and a number of species were reared. The notes relating to these have now been brought together under the above heading.

On page 84, article 9, volume 68, Proc. U.S.N.M. (1926), under the head of Eumacronychia, there appears the following statement: “This genus, erected by Townsend in 1892, has long been considered synonymous with Hilarella and has never been generally accepted.”

The Peckhams in “Wasps Social anl Solitary” state that (p. 76) “Ashmead quotes from Fabre the remarkable statement that Oxybelus carries her flies home impaled on her sting, an idea that probably arose from the fact that nearly the whole of the fly is visible.” The species they studied, O. quadrinotatus, carried its flies one at a time, upside down head tightly clasped with its third pair of legs, and all of the abdomen projecting beyond the abdomen of the wasp.

The four-banded leaf-roller, Eulia quadrifasciana Fern., is very closely related and similar in habits to the red-banded leaf-roller, Eulia velutinana Walk. It was described by Fernald (1882) as Lophoderus quadrifasciana but was later placed in the genus Eulia by Kearfott (1905). Fernald (1908) put Lophoderus Steph., in synonymy with Eulia Hubn. For at least eight years following the original description it seems to have attracted little attention. Sanderson (1904) recorded it for the first time as a pest of apple in Delaware. The same year Fletcher (1900) reported it somewhat abundant in Canada. Subsequently it has been recorded from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Illinois and it is apparently common throughout north eastern United States. It has been found somewhat common in Pennsylvania by the writer (1922) who mentions it in connection with Eulia mariana Fern., as a pest of apple.

It is now more than twenty years since H. S. Barber recorded and described a most peculiar insect larva that had been taken from beneath the dead leaves of tree Yucca at Hesperia, on the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. It may be recalled that specimens of this larva were taken to Washington, where one of them remained alive without taking food for a period of twenty six months. The species was once more recorded by Couden who reported finding a single specimen in old alcoholic material that had been received from D. W. Coquillett at San Bernardino in 1892.

The present paper is intended as a supplement to our knowledge of the Canadian species of Sagaritis, a genus which has been monographed by Mr. H. L. Viereck in his “Preliminary Revision of the Campopleginae in the Canadian National Collection,” published serially in the Canadian Entomologist, Vols. LVII, LVIII.

The black onion fly was observed as an eneniy of onions as early as 1865, but no positive published records of similar injuries were brought to the writer's knowledge until more recent years. This fly is a native species, and although recorded as occurring in New Jersey, it has not attracted attention save in the States of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and there are, therefore, reasons for believing that it is practically restricted, at least as a pest, to the middle western region and does not extend very far east or south of the states mentioned.

In connection with the investigative work on Trachychele damage to western red cedar, it became expedient to make a study of the life history of the species, Trachychele blondeli Mars., which has become very troublesome to pole operators on the Coast of British Columbia. Accordingly a study of the life history was started by the writer in 1925. In the fall of that year and during the spring and summer of 1926, the seasonal history was studied and observations were made on emergence, egg laying, and breeding habits. The exact length of time spent in the larval state is still uncertain.

The family Scatophagidae, which is richly represented in the northern parts of America and the Old World, is particularly well represented in Canada and most of the species described from America occur in this country. At least some of our species referred to genera established for Palaearctic forms belong doubtfully to these genera and the determination of species is rendered very difficult because the majority of our species have been described in the genus Cordilura. An examination of Loew's types has enabled me to place his species and to determine that a great many of those in the Canadian National Collection are undescribed and descriptions of some of these are now given. Others will be described in a complete revision of the family now under preparation.

Color pattern: Strikingly cross-banded throughout. Vertex, white or suffused wit11 yellow. Anterior two-thirds of pronotum, orange-red ; posterior third, white. First tegminal band occupying bases of tegmina to a point on costal margin slightly caudad of tip of scutellum, deep orange-red. Second band, white, extending to middle of clavus Third band, dark orange-red, about as wide as length of costal plaque; connected narrowly along costal margin with first tegminal band. Fourth band, white; rather narrow. Fifth band, golden yellow; somewhat wider than the fourth in middle; much wider at costal margin; margins uneven. Sixth band, white or transparent; narrower than the fifth; extending almost to cross-veins. Seventh band, smoky black; occupying rest of tegmina. Cross-veins, whitish ; most of base of cell M4, transparent ; costal plaque, purplish red with a white spot in either end; dorsum of abdomen and most of ventral surface, black or dark brown with the exception of the face between the eyes which shades off into a bright red band marked by several small white spots.

♂ Head dark olive-brown, tinged with paler ochreous around the base of the antennae and behind the ocelli ; thorax deep black-brown, the pleural sutures marked with ochreous; abdomen dorsally light clay-color with deep brown semi-rectangular lateral patches, extending forward and downward from the posterior margin of each segment but not attaining the anterior margin except on segments one and two where they occupy nearly the entire segment; ventrally similar in color to dorsum with lateral longitudinal brown streaks or bands adjoining the suture; forceps and setae dull smoky.

In general appearance and coloration resembling D. spicatus DeLong and D. debilis Uhler, but with vertex much less sharply angled, and with tips of elytra slightly margined with fuscous. Length, female 3.5-3 7 mm.; male 3-3.2 mm.

Hyloicus luscitiosa race bombax nov.

Similar to eastern luscitiosa, both fore and hind wings considerably paler, the usual sagittate black dashes on the fore wing only about half normal size.

The present form is almost undoubtedly a western race of luscitiosa, a parallel to H. gordius oslari R. & J.

Holotype.—♀, Provo, Utah (Tom Spalding) and pupal skin from which it emerged, V-14-19, unique.

The writer has had by him for some years a sniall series consisting of both sexes of an interesting mosquito taken on one of the small coastal islands near Victoria, British Columbia. Description has been postponed from time to time in the hope that further specimens, together with larvae, would indicate the status of this species in relation to another form occurring commonly in the mountains, and interior and northern parts of the province. Since there seems little chance of these being secured at present it is thought best to offer a name and describe the species at this time.

The types of the new species herein described will be found in the Canadian National Collection. Many of them have been collected by workers in Western Canada through whose efforts very many species not previously represented on the National Collection have been secured and to whom we are greatly indebted.

In Volume 69, Articles 9 and 11, of the Proceedings of the United States National Museum, R. C. Shannon has reviewed certain Syrphid genera. Apparently some of the synonymy cited is erroneous and I present some notes indicatating certain inconsistencies. It is well to point out that Shannon has not taken the trouble to examine types of species outside those found in the British Museum, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, and the United States National Museum. Had he done so I feel sure that his conclusions in some cases would have been different.

An investigation of the insects living upon the fruit trees and shrubs growing in the neighbourhood of Treesbank, Man., was carried on during the summers of 1924; 1925 and 1926. The following list arranged by orders includes all the insects observed, with notes on their food plants and general time of occurrence in the adult stage, together with those species found already breeding on cultivated fruits.