Oncocnemis saundersiana Grt. The young larvae of this species were first found at Bobcaygeon, Ont., in June, 1931, feeding within the blossoms of a Pentstemon sp. but died before reaching maturity. At the same time and place in 1932 a number of more fully grown larvae were secured, either feeding on the blossoms or resting flat against the main stem of the plant; the larvae are smooth, slender and of a pale green color, variably suffused with a pinkish shade, exactly matching the Pentstemon blossoms, and at times they may be entirely pink, especially in those instances where the caterpillar is resting on the flowerheads. Pupation takes place in the earth and the moth emerges in late August.

Through the courtesy of Dr. J. McDunnough of the Division of Systematic Entomology, Canada Department of Agriculture, I have had the privilege of examining a series of Polistes from several of the Southern Canadian Provinces. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the distribution of this genus as shown by the collection and to present some comments on the characteristics of the species studied, especially as they relate to the United States forms.

According to Ashmead (1896) and others, the wasps belonging to the genus Polistes usually feed their young chewed-up fragments of lepidopterous larvae. However, Riley (1873) mentions P. rubiginosus Lept. as one of the natural enemies of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, whose larvae it carries to its nest. A varied diet is therefore to be expected in these wasps. Nevertheless, I was very much surprised when I came across a rubiginosus engaged in a violent struggle with a large cicada (identified as Tibicen auletes Germ. by Mr. William T. Davis), at Ranken, Missouri, on July 19, 1932.

Oblong, rather slender, castaneous, elytra pruinose, pronotum and head rufo-testaceous. Head cribrately punctured except hehind the distinct transverse carina on the vertex where there are a number of distinct punctures at the sides separated by their own diameters, clypeal suture slightly impressed, clypeal margin slightly reflexed, a few short erect setae immediately anterior to the carina.

The North American species of this difficult genus are very poorly known. The names of our species, as listed in Leng's catalog, are in need of some revision. One name, mellillus (Say), has escaped the attention of all authors but is valid for the common Drasterius elegans of our literature.

This wasp has been reported capturing as prey the western harvester or mound-building prairie ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Cresson), and carrying it on its sting or on the posterior end of the abdomen to its nest. During the month of September, 1932, the writer was again privileged to wasp and to make some further observations.