This is a stout, hairy beetle (fig. 1) which makes its appearance early in spring, usually towards the end of April or beginning of May, flying about in open fields and about the borders of woods, with a loud buzzing sound, resembling that of a bumble bee. It belongs to the flower beetles, most of whom live on pollen and the honey of flowers, and are fond of sweets.

In this communication it is my purpose to record such of my observations on some local species of the “clear-wings” as it is deemed are real contributions to our knowledge of the group. I shall say more or less about the following species : Aegeria tricincta, pini n. s., pictipes, acerni, pyri, tipuliformis, exitiosa and Trochilium denudatum. There are other species known in our fauna, but these only have been encountered in the fields.

There occurs in certain orange groves in southern California a species of Aspidiotus which infests the bark, leaves and fruit of the orange and which from the extent of its ravages has created great alarm. This insect is popularly known by the fruit growers of that section as the red scale, although this name does not well describe its color.

EGG—Spherical ; the surface much covered with a rough crust which rises to a summit, either small and pointed, or rather large and truncated ; the sides of this crust irregularly melon-ribbed ; color of surface russet, of the crust bright ferruginous. Duration of this stage 7 to 9 days.

Graphiphora agrotiformis, n. s.

♀. This form reminds one of Agrotis collaris or versipellis. Eyes hairy; tibiæ unarmed ; tuftings obsolete. Fore wings blackish brown to the continuous, black, upright, uneven subterminal line ; beyond with the fringes brownish. Median lines geminate, faint. Orbicular round, paler than the wing ; reniform moderate, outwardly excavate, upright, pale-ringed with dark centre ; the cell between the spots black-shaded; the stigmata are comparatively small.