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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY.

PERIODICAL BULLETIN. JULY, 1889.

Wrol, I. IN Gace. eee

INSECT LIFE.

DEVOTED TO THE ECONOMY AND LIFE-HABITS OF INSECTS, ESPECIALLY IN THEIR RELATIONS TO AGRICULTURE, AND EDITED BY THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND HIS ASSISTANTS,

WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

1889.

feo eer ARIMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY.

PERIODICAL BULLETIN. JULY; 18°9. Wools LT. iN oe t.

INSECT LIFE.

(DEVOTED TO THE ECONOMY AND LIFE-HABITS OF INSECTS, | ESPECIALLY IN THEIR RELATIONS TO AGRICULTURE, AND EDITED BY THE ENTOMOLOGIST

AND HIS ASSISTANTS,

WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIOR, 1889,

BIW? INS U.S. NATLO ROSY

= H. S. BARBER COLLECTION

SPHCTIALANOTES' =f2c-2 sc elethio Se Beta Bow Eee a oe eee ic oa Ee ec ermerets ARSENICAL POISONS FOR THE PLUM AND PEACH CURCULIO..-.-- S. A. Forbes. - REPORT OF A TRIP TO INVESTIGATE BUFFALO GNATS ....------ C. LL. Marlatt. . NOTES ON NOISES MADII BY JUUPIDOPTDRA:5-2=.----------s5== Henry Edwards...

A LETTER ON ICERYA PURCHASI

American Insecticides in India.—Sciapteron robinie in Cottonwood in Wash- ington Territory.—A Fodder Worm in the South.—Col. Pearson’s Method of fighting Rose Beetles.—Lyctus sp. in Bamboo.—The Texas Cattle-tick.—The Boll Worm in Texas.—A cosmopolitan Flour Pest.— Mites on a Neck-tie.—The Potato Beetle in the South.—Swarming of Urania boisduvalii in South America.—Letter on the proposed ‘‘Ameri- can Entomologists’ Union.” , STEPS TOWARDS A REVISION OF CHAMBERS’ INDEX, ETC..-Lord Walsingham.. GENERAL ANOTIES \ 2/5 cnc oro 2 ee meee alae 2 ae ie aoe EE Cee ee eee Two local Outbreaks of Locusts.—Tent Caterpillar in Arkansas.—The Thistle Caterpillar in Washington Territory.—The Cecropia Silk-worm again.—Spraying for the Elm Leaf-beetle.—The Dingy Cutworm.—The European White Grub.—A Wheat Pest in Cyprus.—The Entomological Society of Washington. 2

23 oh

Vol. II, No. 1.) INSECT LIFE. ‘[Buly, 1889.

SPECIAL NOTES.

With this number we commence the second volume of INSECT LIFE. The last number was somewhat delayed by the preparation of the ex- tensive indices, which, however, we feel will greatly increase the value of volume I. Largely through the kindness of the authorities of the Government Printing Office we were able to print the numbers during the past year more regularly and promptly than we had anticipated, and we hope to continue this regularity through the coming volume. As stated in the salutatory to the first volume, however, the force of the Division of Entomology is so actively engaged during the larger part of the year with field work and experimentation that some lack of promptness in publication can not but ensue. The publication of the bulletin met with even more favor than we had hoped at the start, and almost no adverse comments have reached oureye. The only criti- cism which we have noticed was published in the review column of the Atlantic Monthly, in which slight exception was taken to the idea of the publication of a magazine by the Government, which by its free

distribution would compete on unfairly advantageous terms with pri-

vate enterprises. We have no comment to make except that the va- rious branches of the Government are constantly publishing bulletins, many of which differ but slightly in character from this, so that if the title-page were only slightly changed, INSEcT LIFE would escape all criticism of this kind. We trust that the interest of our readers will continue, and that the tendency which INSEcT LIFE has so far shown, to increase the correspondence, and therefore the range of benefit of the Division of Entomology, will also continue.

South African Insects—That indefatigable worker, Miss Kleanor A. Ormerod, has just brought out privately a little work entitled “‘ Notes and Descriptions of a Few Injurious Farm and Fruit Insects of South Africa.” The book is published by Simpkin, Marshall & Co., of Lon-

don, and the price is 2s.6d, The descriptions and identifications of the 1

2 insects are by Mr. Oliver E. Janson, and the species are figured in nearly all instances. Many items of interest strike us in glancing through the pages, and while many of the species seem to be vicarious with our own in the damage which they do, but one (barring scale insects) seems to be identical with any American injurious species. This is the Diamond-back Moth (Plutella eruciferarum), which damages cabbage in the East Province. The Fluted Scale (Icerya purchasi) of course occupies a considerable space, while the Flat Scale (Lecanium hesperidum) is also mentioned.

Among the vicarious pests may be mentioned the Orange Fly (Cera- titis citriperda), which damages oranges in the same way as does the Morelos Orange Fly (Trypeta ludens—see INSECT LIFE, Angust, 1888, page 45); the Orange Butterfly (Papilio demoleus), which works upon the foliage of the Orange in the same way that the Orange Dog (Papilio cresphontes) works in Fiorida; the Bean Seed-weevil (Bruchus subarma- tus?), which damages beans just as does the Bean Weevil (Bruchus obso- letus) in America; a large Cantharid (Mylabris oculata), which injures beans and peas in a similar manner to the damage done by Meloids in the West; and the Cetoniid (Rhabdotis semipunctata), which injures figs and peaches just as does the “ Fig Eater” (Allorhina nitida) in our Southern States.

Professor Forbes’ Correction.— We are glad to make room in this num- ber for an article received from Professor Forbes which corrects a state- ment in the article on the Plum Curculio in the Annual Report of the Department for 1888. Our information in the Annual was derived from a newspaper report which we supposed reliable.

A Phase of Buffalo Gnat Injury.—A report by Mr. Marlatt on a trip made in April, published in the present number, is comparatively interest- ing as indicating an unexpected result of certain operations by the Army engineers. We have already published Mr. G. A. Frierson’s letter concerning this peculiar case (see INSECT LIFE, April, 1889, Vol. J, page 313), and in the light of Mr. Marlatt’s observations our opinion there published is confirmed. It is a hard case, and the only remedy can come through Congress in the shape of an item in the river and harbor appropriation bill.

Bibliography of American Economic Entomology,—The first part of this long-delayed work is now being printed, and the second part will prob- ably be in the printer’s hands by the close of the year, The preparation

3

of this work has been in the hands of Mr. Samuel Henshaw, of Boston, for the past two years, and the first part, just now being printed, com- prises the writings of B. D. Walsh and C. V, Riley.

Bulletin on Root-knot Disease in Florida.—This bulletin, mentioned in our Special Notes in the last number of INSEcT Lirs, has been delayed for the plates, which the printer could not have executed until after July 1. We hope soon, however, to have it ready for distribution.

ARSENICAL POISONS FOR THE PLUM AND PEACH CURCULIO. By S. A. Forbes

The following report of results of my recent experimental work on the ‘common peach curculio is intended to correct and complete a reporter’s summary of remarks made in August, 1883, at a meeting of the Cen- tral Illinois Horticultural Society, at Champaign, as republished in the last Report of the U. S. Entomologist, page 75. The experiments there alluded to were not generalized by me, but were described as merely preliminary to a much more elaborate series which I have since carried through.

The object of these experiments has been to ascertain some details of the food and feeding habits of the curculio and to test its sensibility to arsenical poisons when distributed on the trees which the insect fre- quents. In the case of the peach it was important also to find what amount of these poisons the leaves might receive without marked injury,

FEEDING EXPERIMENTS.

June 15, 1888, plum ecureulios confined with plum leaves. June 16, one observed making a deep, sharp, oblong excavation in the midrib; Similar work on other midribs, petioles, and stems. Beetles also seen gnawing the surfaces of the leaves, especially the fresher terminal ones. Leaves removed and green plums substituted. June 19, plums pep- pered with holes, some containing eggs, others not. July 2, fresh lot of beetles imprisoned with both leaves and green plums. The next day both had been eaten, the plums perhaps the more freely.

Several examples taken April 14, 1889, before peach trees were in bloom, were proven by dissection to have last fed on dead vegetation, as shown by the absence of chlorophyl and the presence of some of the fungi of decomposition. Curculios confined April 19, with both dead and living peach leaves, fed only on the latter, not having touched the dead leaves at the end of three days. Peach blossoms being placed in the cage, with fresh leaves also, April 22, both were freely eaten at once, the blossoms being, however, evidently preferred. Both calyx and

4

corolla were perforated with small round holes, and eaten away from the edge.

Three specimens taken in southern Illinois were dissected April 23, and found to contain vegetable tissues, chiefly of leaves (as shown by the fragments of spiral vessels), without fungi and with more or less chloryphyl. Vegetable hairs and peculiar pollen grains, not those of fruit blossoms, were also recognized.

Thinking it possible that the curculio might feed on flowers somewhat indiscriminately, we put a number under a bell glass with roses in full bloom. The next day, May 19, the petals were much eaten, and two days later calyx and peduncles had likewise been attacked. The rose leaves were net injured. When rose blooms and peach leaves together were offered the imprisoned beetles, they fed freely on both.

Again, May 23, curculios were confined with both bush honeysuckles and snowballs in blossom. The next day the honeysuckle blossoms were eaten, and on the second day those of the snowball also. On the other hand, beetles shut up with peach leaves and peony flowers ate the peach at once, as usual, but refused the peony entirely, not having eaten it at all after ten days.

INSECTICIDE EXPERIMENTS.

My first experiments with insecticides for the curculio alone were made July 6, 1888. Two lots were placed under glass, with leaves and green fruit of the plum, the food of one being sprayed with Paris green, 1 pound to 50 gallons of water, and the other not, The first beetle died in the poisoned lot July 9, and the next day all were dead, the check lot continuing without loss. July 28 a similar experiment was made with Paris green, 1 pound to 100 gallons, applied until the leaves began to drip. The poiscned beetles commenced to die the next day, and five of the six were dead on the 31st. In the check lot of six, on the other hand, only one was dead.

An experiment begun with 1 pound to 200 gallons was unavoidably suspended in two days, before results were reached.

Next, April 19, 1889, a lot of curculios, greatly exhausted by long con. finement in transit, were divided into five lots--the first, of twenty-four, a check; the second and third of twelve each, the fourth of nine, and the fifth of twelve. The food of the second lot was treated with Paris green mixed with water at the rate of 1 pound to 100 gallons; that of the third, with a pound to 200 gallons; the fourth, a pound to 300, and the fifth, a pound to 500 gallons. |

The previous hardships of the check lot caused many of them to die, most of them having been insensible, in fact, when first released; but the effeets of the poisons were nevertheless evident, as shown by the subjoined table:

5

Paris-green experiment No. 1, April 19, 1889.

Check lot. | 11b. to 100 gals. | 1 1b. to 200 gals. | 1 1b. to 300 gals. | 1 1b. to 500 gals.

Died. aes Number used, | Number used, | Number used, | Number used, | Number used,

24, 12. IPs 9. 12.

A\nim) O22). se cosseesoallosocoooppeemone 3 3 1 2 18) SR SAR OSe SoIae 2 | Brace oe te 2 3 Mike esaqenocesee io 2 3 2 ih 7s se SAGE SSE Oe Seo nooCODDa SoS 2 4 2 3 PD Ppp Soeee 3 1 Daa so hewelniocceistelon 1 PAHS OSO CSE ADE 2 Oh aoe Ses Sea os hee 1 1 OEE sisniaeta inte = Oh lesscdeeinc tone se-| SNeee setae ese 1 1 ofalt <<)... 10 12 | 12 9 12

May 4 this experiment was repeated with a fresher lot of beetles, with more marked results, curculios commencing to die two days after treat- ment in all the poisoned lots but one, all of one lot being dead in nine days, and in ten days all of every poisoned lot but a single beetle. In the check lot, meanwhile, only one had died.

Paris-green experiment No. 2, Mag 4, 1889.

| |

BPN OR WN Om RO Doe

Total ......:| 1 12 12 | 22 21

In both the above experiments, as also in the following, peach leaves were used as food, and these were sprayed but once.

All strengths of the poison mixture here killed the beetles feeding on it, the difference being seen in the rapidity with which they took effect. In four days from poisoning the ratios killed were 42 per cent. in lot two, 33 per cent. in lot three, 27 per cent. in lot four, and 18 per cent. in lot five.

Finally, May 17, a still more extensive experiment was begun with London purple, three hundred and forty-seven curculios being divided into five lots as before, their treatment differing from that of the-fore- going only in the substitution of London purple for Paris green. The results were rendered, however, somewhat less satisfactory by the late- ness of the season, which probably accounts for the number of deaths in the check. Other parallel observations led to the conclusion that spent

6

adults, doubtless the earliest to emerge, were already beginning to die spontaneously. The experiment was continued for cight days, when all the cureulios of the first lot were dead, and nearly all of the other poisoned lots,a fourth of the check having also perished.

London purple experiment, May 17, 1889. } ’ y le,

|

Check lot. 1 1b. to 100 gals. 1 1b. to 200 gals. 1 1b. to 300 gals.|1 1b to 5.0 gals.

Died. ite areas y pera | Number used, | Number used, Number used, |Number used, | Number used,

47. 100. 1uu. 50. | 50.

EFFECT ON THE FOLIAGE.

Tt is well known to fruit-growers that the leaves of the peach are much more sensitive to the scorching effect of the arsenical poisons than those of the apple or plum, and it is important to know just how strong a mixture of the common arsenical insecticides that tree will bear under favorable, and also under unfavorable, conditions. My experiments on this point are incomplete, but they are given here for what they are worth:

First. Two branches of a peach tree were sprayed May 18 with Lon- don purple mixtures, a pound to 100 and a pound to 200 gallons, re- spectively. A week later no noticeable difference could be made out between the condition of the two branches, the tips of the leaves in both being somewhat deadened and dry. May 20 identical applica- tions were made, with no apparent effect on the foliage by May 22. Heavy rains followed, and ne further observations were made.

June 6 two other branehes were sprayed as before. A heavy rain followed June 8, and more upon the 9th. the poison were somewhat apparent on both branches, reddish discol- orations occurring where the fluid had gathered in drops and also along the margins of the younger leaves. Further rains occurred on the 16th and 17th. On the 18th the discolored spots had increased in size, those on the branch sprayed with the stronger solution being somewhat larger and more numerous. No leaves had fallen, but those worst affected were easily detached, and doubtless would have fallen event- ually. This loosening of the leaves was evidently due, not to damage to the petiole, but to premature ripening of the leaf,* consequent on the chemical injury to the blade. June 8 two other branches were sprayed

* Ascertained by studying sections of the petiole,

On the 10th the effects of

7

as before, substituting Paris green for London purple in both mixtures. Light rain followed the same day, and more on the 9th. On the 10th a scorching of the leaves was somewhat evident, a little more so where the stronger mixture was used, while on the 18th the condition of the foliage was practically the same as on those branches treated with Lon- don purple—if anything, a little less severely injured. There was also a barely perceptible difference in favor of the weaker mixture. Suppos- ing that all the worst injured leaves were rendered practically useless to the tree, the loss of foliage would probably amount to 4 or 5 per cent.

There can certainly be no further question of the liability of the cur- culio to poisoning by very moderate amounts of either London purple or Paris green while feeding on the leaves and fruit of peach or plum; but much additional experiment is needed to test the possibility of pre- venting serious injury to these fruits by this means. The pupal hiber- nation and late appearance of a considerable percentage of the curcu- lios make it possible that sprayings must be several times repeated, and perhaps carried further into the season than is consistent with safety ; and the limit of tolerance of these poisons by the peach under ordina- rily trying circumstances has not been clearly ascertained. Further, the observations above reported on the food plants of the curculio make it likely that, in nature, a smaller proportion of the food of these bee- tles comes from the peach or plum than has hitherto seemed probable, and that poisons there applied would kill less certainly. It seems worth while to make the attempt to attract the adult to flowering plants in the orchard other than the peach, with the hope of poisoning it there (especially late in the season) without using these dangerous insecticides on fruits afterwards to be eaten.

REPORT OF A TRIP TO INVESTIGATE BUFFALO GNATS.

By C. L. MARtatt, Assistant.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 22, 1889.

Str: In aceordance with your letter of instruction of April 5, 1889, I proceeded to Frierson’s Mill, La., and studied, as far as the conditions would permit, the relation of the raft of logs in Bayou Pierre to the injurious abundance of the gnats in that immediate locality. Examination was also made to determine the feasibility of re- moving the raft to prevent the further breeding of the gnats thereon.

I wish here to express my thanks to Mr. G. A. Frierson and brothers for their kind hospitality, and for the efficient aid rendered by them in the investigation of the raft and bayou.

Respectfully, C. L. MARLATT.

Brot Cove kun Ey,

U.S. Entomologist, Washington, D. C.

As you had surmised would be the ease, the Buffalo gnats had already disappeared when I arrived at Frierson’s Mill. A few Turkey Guats

8

were observed about horses and cattle, but it was evidently somewhat early for this species to be about abundantly.

The severity of the attacks of the Buffalo Gnat the present season was plainly indicated by the general emaciated condition of the cattle and mules—the effect also of the repeated application of oils.on the latter being shown on many of them by the loss of large patches of hair. The remaius of smudge fires were frequently seen in the vicinity of the negro houses and through the woods. In addition to these visible indi- cation of the Simulium attacks was the unvarying testimony to that effect of the planters and negroes questioned, all of whom ascribed the abundance of the gnats to the presence of the raft, and manifested no little anxiety to have the Government take measures to prevent the yearly recurrence of this pest.

As shown in the letter from Mr. G. A. Frierson, and also by my own inquiries, the planters have, from their extended experience with the gnats, learned how to prevent loss of stock, by the use of train oil to which a small amount of sulphur is commonly added for the work ani- mals; and smudge fires for cattle, sheep, ete. But the annoyance dur- ing the six weeks of the spring from the immense swarms of gnats, practically stopping field work, and also preventing the stock from feeding, can not be avoided.

As shown later the raft was formed in 1872-73. The gnats were not especially troublesome, however, previous to the spring of 1885, since which time they have appeared in increasing numbers every year. They seem to have extended the present season 5 to 10 miles out from the bayou, swarming in greater numbers on cleared and particularly on meadow land.

As indicating the abundance and probable source of the gnats the present year, the report of several planters living near the raft is here recorded, viz, that the water in the neighborhood of the logs in the time of the greatest abundance of the gnats seemed to be in ebullition from the great numbers of flies constantly popping to the surface.

A heavy rain on the day of my arrival (April 13) prevented an imme- diate examination of the raft and bayou, and, unfortunately for my work, the rain continued with increased violence during the night and part of the day following. The bayou became much swollen, rising, in fact, nearly up to the high-water mark of the spring (February and March) floods, and 6 to 8 feet above the level of the few weeks pre- vious, during which the Buffalo Gnats had been abundant. By this means much of the raft, and especially that portion likely to bear evi- dences of the gnats, either as eggs, larvae, or cocoons, was covered with water; and as the raft consisted of large logs tightly wedged together, it was impossible to remove them for examination with the means at hand, except in a few instances. The floating portion of the raft was not likely to contain cocoons in any quantity, and larvee were not found on these logs, although they afforded excellent breeding places 1n the

9

numerous whirls of water caused by the rapid current of the stream impinging against them.

Careful and continued search on April 15 over 2 or 3 miles of the lower portion of the raft, near Lake Cannisnia, resulted in the finding of a few isolated cocoons on logs which were partially upright, and thus projected several feet into the water. Logs so placed, and possible of removal for examination, were not commonly met with. Nearly all of the floating logs extended lengthwise on the surface of the water, being submerged but a few inches, and hence did not afford suitable condi- tions for the cocoons, and if larve of the buffalo gnat were on the logs their small size prevented their discovery.

On the day following (April 16) that portion of the raft near Red Bluff was examined, and here again were found excellent breeding places for Simulium larve, viz, a swift current striking against the logs and rubbish of the raft forming innumerable whirls and eddies, and somewhat better success attended our search here. On submerged branches, twigs, ete., which projected several feet below the surface of the water and which were evidently raised with the floating lower por- tion of the raft, were found large numbers of cocoons (some few of which contained pup) and larvie. <A few cocoons and larve were also found attached to water plants growing from the logs. These specimens were found only where the current set strongly against the raft, this causing the riffles known to be necessary for the larval and pupal existence of Simulium species.

The larvee and pup found proved to be largely if not altogether those of the Turkey Gnat (S. meridionale Riley). Many of the larvee did not exceed 1™™ in length, were almost hyaline and apparently but recently hatched (?); others were full grown, and spinning cocoons. These larvie were found attached to the smaller branches and twigs which were in nearly every instance already thickly crowded with cocoons. It is probable from the association of the Turkey Gnat larve with most of the deserted cocoons that the latter had contained the earlier ap- pearing gnats of this species. Some few of the cocoons may have been those of the Buffalo Gnat, as also some of the minuter larvee, but this could not be satisfactorily determined.

The height of the water prevented any satisfactory examination of the trees and shrubs growing near the bayou, but wherever possible branches or vines so situated and extending into the water were drawn out and examined. No evidence of gnats, however, was found.

Mr. G. A. Frierson has promised to look for cocoons here as soon as practicable. The reported appearance of the gnats coming to the sur- face in such places in quantity as well as about the raft would indicate that the larve had during the spring flood attached their cocoons to such submerged trees and branches. Examination will also be made at low water for further evidences of the gnats on the lower and at

10

present inaccessible portion of the raft, which is more likely to bear cocoons in quantity than the floating material at high water.*

The relation of Bayou Pierre to the Red River is such, as shown in the report of Captain Bergland contained in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, Part Ll, 1885, Appendix U, pages 1487-1493, that in times of high water three-fourths of the discharge of the Red River is through this bayou, and in times of low water but one-fourth. Before the formation of the raft, this very great augmenta- tion of the bayou in high water had no ill effect, but now the water, checked by the raft, floods every spring much of the adjacent low-land, thus furnishing additional foothold for larvie, and possibly also driving the adults in larger swarms to the higher land.

During the summer months the water is confined by moderately high clean banks and is free from drift, except where such material is held by the raft. This would indicate that the raft is largely responsible for the abundance of the gnats in that locality.

The smaller streams in the neighborhood dry up in the course of the summer, and hence could not breed gnats; however, a number of the principal ones were carefully searched for cocoons or larve without the discovery of any evidence of them.

The Buffalo Gnat was reported to be quite abundant on the Sabine River; and it also occurs in less numbers on the Red and Washita Livers.

The raft in Bayou Pierre originated in the attempt of the United States Government (in 187273) to close Tone’s Bayou, whieh connects Bayou Pierre with the Red River, and to confine the water of Red River to its own channel. <A large raft which was being removed from above Shreveport was run into Tone’s Bayou and the attempt made to retain it there by means of a boom. This raft and also a second one formed later were entirely swept away by floods and earried into Bayou Pierre, where they are at present lodged. As described by Captain Bergland (1. c.) the raft “ extends 5.3 miles above and 2.8 miles below Red Bluff at the meuth of Wallace Lake. The upper portion is fragmentary, of recent formation and loose structure, occupying in the aggregate one- fifth of the area of the water surface. That below is nearly continuous and gradually becomes denser until at its lower end it becomes solid- ified.” This lower portion of the raft has now become almost entirely solidified by the massing of the logs and the accumulation of débris, and trees and shrubs are now growing upon it.

*Mr. Frierson subsequently collected and forwarded to the Department a con- siderable quantity of material—cocoons, larvx, etc., from this place, concerning which we quote briefly from his letter of May 3 as follows:

““The water has fallen about 2 feet below its level when the gnats were hatching out. * * * The current is very swift, *~ * * and I found that every over- hanging tree, logs sticking out of the water, and the millions of roots on the bank were literally piastered over with the cocoons for the distance of 2 feet above and below the water.”

fh

In the estimates made by the Government Engineers for the clearing

of Bayou Pierre, the principal item has been the cleaning out of this

lower raft. The removal of this portion of the raft is not now neces-

sary, however, as the water has made for itself a new channel through Bennett’s Bayou on the west. This natural change in the course of the stream, and the slow but constant breaking up of the remaining and less stable portions of the raft, will make the clearing of Bayou Pierre at the present time comparatively inexpensive. The raft, even if left to take its own course, would in time go out of itself, and if the work of loosening that portion above Red Bluff should be undertaken in time of high water, the bayou might be freed of logs with little difficulty. Taking the estimates in the report above cited as a basis, $25,000 would probably cover the expense of removing such portions of the raft as is now necessary. The final disposition of the material of the raft would occasion some difficulty. It could, however, be directed into Lake Can- nisnia and secured there in still water, beyond the reach of the current of the Bayou Pierre, which crosses this lake. If this were done the gnats would not breed on the raft, and in a short time, by the accumu- lation of sediment and growth of plants, if would become entirely solid- ified, as is now the case in its lower portion in Bayou Pierre.

The utility of the stream as a water-way and the reclaiming of much valuable land which would result from such improvement, while having no direct bearing on the question at issue, may still be mentioned as an additional reason for removing the obstruction of logs, if this is thought not to be warranted by the presence of the gnats alone.

NOTES ON NOISES MADE BY LEPIDOPTERA. By HENRY EDWARDS.

The article by Mr. A. H. Swinton on “ Stridulation in Vanessa an- tiopa,” published in the last number of “ InsEcr Lirk,” Vol. I, p. 307, has directed my attention to the subject, and I venture to add a few notes on this interesting phase of entomological study. It is not alone among the Vanessas that antiopa has the power of making a sound, for many years ago in England, when I began to collect butterflies and moths, I observed that the beautiful Vanessa io, the favorite of every young entomologist, gave out a slight rasping sound when many speci- mens were flying together, or when a male was in hot pursuit after the opposite sex. But the sound was very slight and could only be distin- guished when “all around was still,” and when there was no conflicting jnfluence to deaden the insect’s expression of love. The projecting vein which is shown in Mr. Swinton’s cut is also quite apparent in V. 7%, and probably isa character of the whole of the genus. Still more remark-

12

able is the noise produced by various species of the Nymphalid genus Ageronia, to which attention was first called by the late Charles Darwin in his‘‘ Naturalist’s Voyage Round the World.” This was his famous ex- pedition in H. M. S. Beagle, which enabled him to contribute so largely to our knowledge of the fauna of the various countries visited. During his stay in Brazil he paid considerable attention to entomology, and his notes upon the singular habit of Ageronia are worth transcribing in full. He says:

IT was much surprised at the habits of Papilio feronia (Ageronia feronia of later authors). The butterfly is not uncommon, and generally frequents the orange groves. Although a high flier, yet it very frequently alights on the trunks of trees. On these occasions its head is invariably placed downwards, and its wings are ex- panded in a horizontal plane, instead of being folded vertically, as is commonly the case. This is the only butterfly which I have ever seen that uses its legs for running. Not being aware of this fact, the insect, more than once, as I cautiously approached with my forceps, shufiled on ome side just as the instrument was on the point of clos- ing, and thus escaped. Buta far more singular fact is the power which this species possesses of making a noise. Several times when a pair, probably male and female, were chasing each other in an irregular course, they passed within a few yards of me, and I distinctly heard a clicking noise, similar to that produced by a toothed wheel passing under a spring catch. The noise was continued at short intervals, and could be distinguished at about 20 yards distance. I am certain there is no error in the observation. (Nat. Voyage, Appleton’s edition, p. 33.)

Asa boy, I had read this interesting note by the great naturalist, and in the last months of the year 1866 If had, during a stay of four weeks in Panama, the opportunity of observing for myself this curious butterfly habit. The species Ager. feronia, A. ferentina, and A. amphi- nome, and more especially the two former, are particularly common in the forests around the city of the Isthmus, and it is not possible to walk amile through them without meeting with many examples. The sound made by the first-named species is like that of the next, and somewhat recalls the noise produced by a boy’s imitation of the old watchman’srattle. It isa decided “ click,” “ click,” very often repeated, and can be, as Mr. Darwin says, distinctly heard at the distance of 20 yards. Indeed, I should be disposed to extend this to at Jeast 40 or 50 yards on a clear day, and when no wind could carry the sound away. The noise of A. amphinome is a heavier and more grating sound, and the two species can be readily distinguished without being seen. The trees on which they are accustomed to sit are species of Cassia or Mimosa, and their gray color, closely resembling that of the bark, renders them rather difficult to be seen when at rest.

J once went into the forest some time after sundown to see if they re- mained at night upon the trunks of the trees, as moths do in the day- time, but I could not find a single specimen, although many trees on which I had noticed them during the day were carefully examined. In a foot-note to page 33 of Mr. Darwin’s narrative, he quotes Mr. Edw. Doubleday as having described before the Entomological Society, March

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3, 1845, “a peculiar structure in the wings of this butterfly which seems to be the means of its making its noise.” He says:

It is remarkable for having a sort of drum at the base of the forewings, between the costal nervure and the subcostal, ‘These two nervures, moreover, have a peculiar screw-like diaphragm or vessel in the interior.

Darwin also alludes to a statement in Langsdorft’s travels (1803~07) that ‘‘a butterfly called Februa hoffmanseggi makes a noise when flying away like arattle.” This name probably refers to Ager. ferentina, which was called Ager. februa by Hiibner.

In addition to this genus, I have observed the power of stridulation in two other butterflies, viz, ia those of the genus Prepona, also natives of Tropical America, and in Charaxes sempronius of Australia. The noise of Prepona is only made as it takes wing from the trunks of the trees, on which it is also fond of resting, and is not repeated during its flight) It is therefore most probably in this case used as a defense against birds or other enemies. The Charavxes as it alights upon a bunch of the beautiful and sweet-scented flowers of Bursaria spinosa closes its wings with a grating sound not unlike that of the Prepona, and repeats the same

_asitis disturbed from its resting place. In butterfliesit would appear that

the noises are all caused, as Mr. Swinton suggests, by the rubbing of one vein of the upper wing against a corresponding vein in the lower wing, and probably they are all produced by slight modifications of the same structure, and it would appear that the power of stridulation is confined to the Nymphalid group, in which, as will be readily seen, a large development of the veins of the wing, particularly towards their bases, occurs.

There is very considerable difference in the sounds produced by the moths, that of one species having been likened by the older authors to “the voice of anguish, the moaning of a child, the signal of grief.” This description applies to the well-known European Sphinx (Acherontia) atropos, familiarly known as the ** Death’s Head Moth,” which gives out a very singular and plaintive cry, not unlike that (though in a greater degree) produced by a captive beetle of the Geotrupid or Coprid group when pressed between the finger and thumb. The noise of the great atropos has caused it to be regarded with superstitious terror, and this added to the grotesquely horrid mark of the skull and eye-sockets upon the thorax has made it in the districts in which it abounds an object of awe and terror. It is somewhat strange that, in this age of entomological research, the means by which the sound is produced by this species is yet unknown, comparative anatomists being considera- bly at variance in their opinions on the subject. Some observers have stated that the larva of this insect has also the power of emitting a sort of squeaking noise.

In our own country, if any one has ever noticed a large swarm of the pretty little moth, so injurious to our grape-vines (Alypia octomaculata), about.a bush of flowers, he will have been conscious, if his ears were

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attuned to the finer harmonies of nature, of a slight breezy sensation rather than a sound, but one quite appreciable by a clear hearing. If the moths are driven away, the sound ceases, and there is no doubt but that it had been produced by the males in paying court to their mates, and probably by rubbing the antenne at their tips’ across the costal nervure, which will be seen to be considerably thickened about its middle, just where the apex of the antenna would reachit. This thick- ening of the costa is much more apparent in an allied species, Alyp. lorquinii, than in our common form. With the latter I was enabled sume few years ago, while walking across the Pablic Garden in Boston, to notice the peculiarity I have spoken of. The insect was in the great- est possible abundance upon a small bush of a plant of the Composite family, the name of which I do not know, not less, I should think, than from two hundred and fifty to three hundred specimens being about the single shrub. I distinctly heard the slight humming noise to which I have alluded, and am quite confident that it did not proceed from the vibration of the wings.

A more remarkable instance of stridulation, and certainly the most striking that has come under my notice, I was fortunate enough to witness during my residence in Australia. I was collecting insects in the Plenty Ranges, about 20 miles from Melbourne, and in the burning heat of mid-day had sat down to rest and pin my captures under the shade of a thick acacia tree. I was astonished and almost startled at a peculiar sound apparently very near me, which was unlike anything IT had ever heard, and which I at first thought was the voice of some unfamiliar bird. I listened intently, looking in the direction of the noise, but could see nothing. I took up my net and walked up the opening in the woods, the sound still continuing, and greatly exciting my curiosity. It was very loud and distinct and not unlike “ whiz, whiz,” repeated by the mouth with the teeth closed. I had proceeded about thirty yards when the noise suddenly stopped. I sat down and waited, thinking that I should again hear it and be able to trace it to its source. I was not disappointed, for in a few minutes it again appeared, and this time quite close tome. I looked very carefully and in an opening, buzzing abont with a swaying lateral motion, were two or three insects, which at first sight I took to be some species of Hymenoptera. I gave a sweep with my net and made a capture which was soon safe within my collecting bottle. My heart beat violently, as I fonnd that I had taken a lovely black and orange moth, such as I had never before seen. I was alone, and had no one to whom I could communicate my pleasure, but I clearly understood Mr. Wallace’s feeling upon his first capture of Ornithoptera cresus, which he so graphically describes in his “ Malay Archipelago,” and I felt as if I should have gloried in making those primeval woods echo with my shouts.

Three more of the beautiful little creatures soon found their way to my collecting box, and the records of that day’s excitemeut still remain

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ma Fe oe

with me in a treasured corner of my collection. The whole of my speci-

“mens are males, and it was not until some years after that I became acquainted with the other sex of this singular moth. It belongs, as

does Alypia, to the family Zygenida, as we at present understand that very incongruous group, and the generic name is Hecatesia, my species being H. fenestrata. The structure by which the insect is enabled to produce the singular and striking soun1 is the thickening of the costal membrane about the apical third, behind which, and nearer to the center of the wing, is a rather broad vitreous space extending almost to the median nerve, this space being transversely ribbed, as are the bundles of eggs in some species of Orthoptera. The antenne are thick- ened at the tips into a sort of prolonged club, pointed at the extreme end, and with the under side of the terminal joints horny and devoid of cilia. These, striking as they would do in flight at the will of the in- sect against the transverse muscles of the transparent space, cause the whizzing and characteristic sound which so attracted me, and which is doubtless intended as a call of love to the individual of the weaker sex, who sits enthroned in the branches listening with delight to the noisy homage of her many lovers.

Another species of this most curious group is found in the southeast- ern part of the province of Victoria, and was called by the late Adam White H. thyridion. I took several examples of this in the summer of 1856 at Westernport, the females, differing in this respect to the other species, being much more common than the opposite sex. In this the clear space is much smaller than in I. fenestrata, the sound produced by it being weaker and more closely resembling the buzzing of a bumble- bee. <A third species of the genus, H. exultans, from Western Australia, is figured by Boisduval in Trans. Linn. Soc., London, 1877, and a fourth is described and figured as a native of Mexico by Mr. H. H. Druce, in the Biol. Centr Amer., but of the habits of this last mentioned nothing as yet is kuown,

A LETTER ON ICERYA PURCHASI.

The following letter was written June 10, 1889, by Hon. Edwin Wil- lits, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, to Hon. Ellwood Cooper, President of the California State Board of Horticulture, in response to a letter from Mr. Cooper transmitting certain resolutions of the fruit- growers of California. It is here published as a good summary of the past work of the Division of Entomology relative to this pest, and as a Statement of the present condition of affairs: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, /Vashington, D.C.

| Hon. EELWoop Cooper, | President State Board of Horticulture, San Francisco, Cal. | T have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your le' ter of May 20, transmitting | © petition of the fruit-growers of California in convention assembled, to the effeet |

20613—No, 1

9) ae)

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that this Department send a qualified agent to Australia to collect and export to this country the parasites of the Fluted Scale (Icerya purchasi). Your petition is timely, and I abundantly realize the importance of the action which you suggest. In reply let me recite briefly the steps which have been taken during the past three years by this Department in regard to this great pest of the California fruit-growers, in order to place clearly before you the present condition of affairs.

As a result of numerous petitions from your State, in the spring of 1836.a competent | agent of the Division of Eutomology was appointed and was located at Los Angeles with instructions to carry out a certain line of experimentation which was mapped out for him by the Entomologist, Professor Riley. Later in the season another agent was sent to the same spot and the results of their combined work were published in the Annual Report of this Department for 1886, in an extended article by Professor Riley, which detailed thoroughly the life history of the pest and contained authori- tative recommendations concerning remedies. Some of the washes recommended in this report were proven by careful experimentation to be perfectly efficacious and quite within the means of the most indigent fruit-grower. |

Early in the spring of 1887 Professor Riley visited California in person and investi- gated the sections of the State in which the Jeerya occurs, and in an address before your State Board at Riverside summarized his conclusions. Among other points brought out in this address was the suggestion that it would be very desirable to introdnce its natural enemies aud parasites from Australia. He expressed his regret that he would be unable to send one of his agents for the reason that Congress had limited the field of his investigation to the United States, but said that California, or even Los Angeles County, could well afford to appropriate the funds for the send- ing of an expert to Australia to devote some months to the study of the parasites there and to their artificial introduction into California.

During the summer of 1887 the two agents previously mentioned—Messrs. D. W. Coquillett and Albert Koebele—were continued in their work upon Jcerya, and the Division at Washington was engaged in an industrious correspondence with ento- mologists in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, with a view of ascertaining facts bearing upon the natural habitat of this species and upon its natural enemies in these countries. The results of the additional experiments by the agents were published in the Annual Report of the Department for 1887. Those reached by Mr, Coquillett concerned chiefly the matter of treating trees with gases, while those attained by Mr. Koebele related entirely to washes. Meantime it had been found by correspondence that at least one important parasite existed in Australia, and strong efforts were made by the Department and also by the California delegation in Congress to secure a specific appropriation for the purpose of studying and importing this parasite. These efforts, as you well know, failed, as did also the equally strong effort on the part of this Department to have the clause in the appropriation bill, restricting the payment of traveling expenses to expenses within the United States, removed from the bill. The Department was thus rendered by Congress apparently powerless in the matter, but, fortunately, by a happy chance, which however will not occur again, we were able to send an agent after all through the courtesy of the Department of State. Congress had appropriated a large sum to enable this Govy- ernment to exhibit at the Melbourne exposition, and the Secretary of State and the chief of the commission, Mr. McCoppin, of California, were kind enough to set aside a sufficient sum for this purpose, and Mr. Koebele went to Australia in August and accomplished the results with which you are already familiar.

During the winter of 1888~89 strong efforts were again made by this Diparewalt ; to secure the removal of the restricting clause concerning foreign travel with the | idea that, should Mr. Koebele’s results warrant further importation of parasites, we would desire to send him or another ageut again during 1889; in fact, to take just the action which you have petitioned us to undertake. This effort was apparently sue- cessful, aud, as the Entomologist understood, the appropriation clause passed Con-

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gress in this modified form. On my assumption of my present office, in discussing this matter with the acting entomologist, [ was put in possession of these facts, but was surprised to find, upon examination of the appropriation bill, that, in some way which I can not at this time explain, the restricting clause had been again inserted after it had been considered certain that it would be removed. ‘The result is that the Department now finds itself in the same condition in which it was last year, and the only hope of Government help in this matter will rest in securing independent legislation the coming winter. The Department will urge strongly either the passage of an independent resolution or the addition of a clause to the appropriation bill which will set aside enough funds for this purpose, and we hope for your earnest co- operation in this direction.

Your Board should pass further resolutions and place them in the possession of the Senators and members of Congress from your State, urging such legislation, and in this way some action may possibly be brought about.

I have entered into this matter at some length in order to place strongly before you the fact that the Department has in no way been blind to the importance of the sub- ject and that the interests of California have not suffered at its hands, as well as to show you definitely the impossibility of taking such action as you suggest at the present time, and to indicate, moreover, that efforts to obviate this state of affairs have been by no means wanting.

Meantime, however, I may express myself as strongly of the opinion that it will not do for California fruit-growers to tamely await Government aid in the way of the importation of parasites. I have seen myself that the Icerya can be overcome by persistent toil, and am quite incliued to indorse the sentiments expressed by Pro- fessor Riley upon page 164 of the December number of INsucr Lire, a copy of which is sent you by accompanying mail. I would also call your attention to Professor Riley’s latest article upon this insect, which you will find in the Annual Report for 1888, a copy of which has doubtless already reached your office.

Yours, respectfully, EDWIN WILLITS, Assistant Secretary.

EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE.

American Insecticides in India.

A copy of your valuable periodical INsecr Lirs, Vol. I, No. 9, has to-day been sent tome. On page 293 you remark as follows:

“Tt has for some time seemed to us that the scale insects of the coffee plant which do so much damage in Ceylon and other parts of India could be successfully treated with the remedies which we have found in this country so valuable against the scale insects of the orange, namely, the kerosene soap emulsions, and we hope soon to bring this before the attention of the British Government.”

You are probably not aware that kerosene emulsion has already been tried on Green Coffee-scale (Lecanium viride) in South India, and that so far as the experiments went it was found to besuccessful. Arrangements are being made for further experi- meuts, and it is confidently hoped that this insecticide, with which Dr. Riley’s name is so honorably associated in America, will prove of equal service in India. An ac- count of what has been done in the matter of the introduction of kerosene emulsion and other American insecticides into India will appear in my forthcoming report, which has been in type for some months, and which will probably be published before this reaches you. A copy of the complete report, which deals with the whole investi- gation of Indian economic entomology, undertaken by the trustees of this museum, will be forwarded to you as soon as if appears.—[ E. C. Cotes, Indian Museum, Cal- cutta, India, May 22, 1889,

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Sciapteron robiniz in Cottonwood in Washington Territory.

By to-day’s mail we send you what appears to be the borer that destroys the Cot- tonwood and Balm trees of the West. While holding the creature on the blade of a saw, the pretty winged bug that you will find in the box shed off the dry skin, which you will also find with it. I took the creature directly from a hole in a Cot- tonwood tree which had apparently been bored by a borer. Please give us all the information about it that you can, its habits and the way to kill it, for publication in our paper.—[ Legh R. Freeman, editor Washington Farmer, North Yakima, Wash. Ty., March 10, 18:9.

Repty.—Your letter of the 10th with specimen just received. The insect which you send is one of the Western Clear-winged Moths and is known as Sciapteron robinie. It breeds in Locust and White Poplar in Nevada and has been found in Cottonwood in California, It is a near relative to the common Peach-tree Borer of the East and belongs to a group of moths the larvee of which all bore into the stems of treesand plants. Itis probably neither sufficiently abundant nor destructive with you to occasion a demand for a remedy.—[ May 18, 1859.]

A Fodder Worm in the South.

Mr. W. H. Peel, of this place, has called my attention to a worm which during the winter for three years has infested the stacks of dry corn blades, here universally called ‘‘fodder” and the main representative of hay in this country. The grown worm (I have seen but one) is over an inch long, a uniform brown, without hair, almost translucent, has full complement of feet for crawling rapidly, something like the Tortricidie, but does not roll the dry leaves nor make a web till the chrysalid condition. Very abundant it seems and destructive—a new pest to the farmers of this region; yet as the fly has been coming out some two weeks I could get only a few, which are sent in asmall box to-day. They come to light, but with others, and I refrain from catching them for fear of getting them mixed. According to Mr, Peel the worms are active for months, webbing up about the lst of March and coming out the last of the same month, three to four weeks.—[ Lawrence C. Johnson, Waterford, Miss., May 4, .1839.

Repiy.—Your letter of the 4th instant, inclosing specimens of an insect which at- tacks the stalks of dry corn, from the place of Mr. W. H. Peel, of Waterford, Miss., has been received. The specimens are very interesting, and belong to a species of Pyralid known as Helia wmula. The larva of this species has previously been found feeding upon the dry leaves of various plants in the woods, and also upon a number of fodder plants during the winter. The remedy will depend altogether upon the particular method in which the fodder corn is stored. Will you kindly request Mr. Peel to write usa full account of the way in which this insect works, and the manner | in which he stores his fodder during the winter, and we will then advise him as to remedies. If he can send other specimens we shall be glad to get them.—[ May 15, 18389. ]

SECOND LETTER.—Your favor of the 15th instant received. Much obliged for yout | prompt information about Helia emula, I found some dry clover hay once in process of destruction by a worm similar to this one, but on that occasion failed to get a fly, and had no one to watch them. I can tell you now all that is known of this speci- | men in Mississippi. As I wrote before, no one seems ever to have noticed its ravages until three years ago. The fodder in question consists of the blades stripped from | standing corn (maize) as the fashion is at the South, and dried in the field in the | sun. When dry or nearly so it is taken up and tied by a withe of its own leaves into | bundles of about two pounds’ weight. These when considered cured are carted up | to points selected and stacked, with the butts within next the stack-pole, the ends | without. A little of the ends take the weather as in any fodder that is stacked, and | becomes worthless. This item is mentioned because it is the only part of the bundle |

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not attacked by the insect. Externally, therefore, the stack seems perfectly sound ang safe, when within if may be a mass of fragments and dung. The manner of eating the blades you may see in the bits put in the box sent you. They eat it pretty much ‘allexcept the central vein; especially at the binds, where most compact, they eat all, running from that towards the ends. But a moldy or spoiled spot they never touch. The stack of fodder I saw had been put up about the last of August, 1888, and as remarked appeared perfectly sound till opened about the Ist of April. Tam told the larvie were then numerous, but they had already begun to web up. This is about all I ean tell you; I never saw the egg.—[ Lawrence C. Johnson, Bolivar, Tenn., May 19, 1889. ;

Rep.y.—Your letter of the 19th, from Bolivar, Tenn., has just come. Thank you very much for the additional information relative to the habits of Helia wmula. I should imagine from what you write that the value of the fodder stacks is so slight that altogether the most satisfactory remedy will be to burn those which are infested with this insect. It strikes me that in this way and at siight expense the numbers of this pest can be greatly reduced.

The worm which you found in dry clover was probably a different thing, and I have no doubt that it was the common Clover-hay Worm (Asopia costalis), which you will find figured and described on pages 102 to 107 of Professor Riley’s Sixth Report on the Insects of Missouri.—[ May 23, 1889.]

Colonel Pearson’s Method of fighting Rose Beetles.

T kill Rose-bugs by smashing them. I know of no insecticide which is also an in- secticide for the Rose-bug—that is, which will kill the bugs and yet not injure the plant. Pyrethrum will intoxicate or stupefy them. They will fall from their perch and after a time recover and fly again. J have been experimenting for the past two weeks with all the poisons procurable in the drug shops, and withont desired results. In dealing with Rose-bugs in my vineyards Isend my men along the trellis carly, from6tol0a.m. They strike the vines with paddles; the bugs fall on the ground, and then they smash them with the paddles. The vines are trained upon a single wire, and the ground is made smooth and clean beneath, so that when the bugs fall they are at our mercy. This job must be done every morning until the bugs leave the vines for other foods. They are now on my strawberries and roses by myriads. Even if we could find something medicinal to kill the bugs, it would be of no use during such an invasion as we have had for the past three years in Vineland. Kill one and four more come to attend the corpse. They migrate and travel onward like the Army- worm. They must be fought by killing them as fast as they come. I have by this constant work for two or three weeks saved most of my vines, and I am now search- ing for something which will be offensive to them and drive them away from the plants they infest. Carbolated lime is the best I have found thus far.—[ Alex. W. Pearson, Vineland, N. J., June 15, 1859.

Lyctus sp. in Bamboo.

I send you by mail to-day three bugs that are eating up a bamboo work-basket from Japan that I bought in Chinatown, San Francisco, Cal., a year ago last April. I have given it a thorough heating with flat-irons, which did not kill the pests, and then I gave the basket as thorough a bath of benzine, and that las not destroyed them. * * * The basket is being perforated with round holes, under which f find

dittle dust piles. The dust I send with the bugs.—[ Mrs. N. W. C. Holt, Winchester, _ Mass., June 20, 1889.

Repiy.—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your ites of June 20. The insect | found in your bamboo work-basket is not unknown as an enemy to bamboo imported from China and Japan. It is a species of a gennsof wood-boring beetles called by entomologists Lyctus. You need not fear the spread of this insect, as they feed on

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nothing but bamboo. Keep up your benzine treatment and you will kill the insects. * * *—_T[June 25, 1889. ]

The Texas Cattle-tick. :

Will you please give me the history of the Texas Cattle-tick (Ixodes bovis) or refer me to the literature on the subject ?. They are a terrible pest here.—[M. Francis, D. V.M., College Station, Texas, June 17, 1889.

Repiy.—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant, request- ing information concerning the Texas Cattle-tick (Jxodes bovis). This species was de- scribed by Professor Riley in a special report of this Department (Report of Commis- sioner of Agriculture on Diseases of Cattle in the United States, 1871, p. 118, foot-note). It is a reddish, coriaceous, flattened species, body oblong oval, contracted just behind the middle, and the whole insect is from one-quarter to one-half an inch in length. It occurs from the Northern States to Nicaragua, and lives not only on cattle but even on the rattlesnake, theiguana, and onsmallmammals. It no doubt attaches itself to almost any animal that brushes against it in going through the grass. The species is mentioned in a treatise on the external parasites of domestic animals, by A. E. Verrill, in the report of the Connecticut Board of Agriculture for 1870, page 46. Itis found in our Northern States, but is, however, most abundant in the Southwest, Mis- souri to Texas, and has been taken in large numbers by Mr. J. McNeil on horned cattle on the west coast of Nicaragua.

As to remedies, the kerosene emulsion has been recommended for lice on cattle in Bulletin 5 of the Iowa Agricultural Experimental Station, May, 1889, page 185. This would no doubt be the best and most practical remedy for the Cattle-tick also, and is indorsed by Dr. Cooper Curtice, of the Bureau of Animal Industry of this Department, who recommends that the emulsion be made with soap according to the formula originally proposed by this Division. The emulsion should be applied in an 8 per cent. solution with a force pump, using the Riley or Cyclone nozzle and a few feet of hose. It thus easily penetrates the hair of the animal, and at that strength can not injure stock.—[June 24, 1889. ]

The Boll Worm in Texas.

T take the liberty to report to you the condition of affairs in regard to the Boll Worm (Heliothis armigera) and its yearly destruction of cotton, with the view of asking your opinion and advice for my own and the public benefit. I live in one of the northern counties, where cotton is the principal crop. We raise what is known as the Moon cotton, one inch and a quarter staple. This county loses yearly from the ravages of Boll Worms and moth from $300,000 to $400,000 on cotton alone, the moth, in my opinion, doing nine-tenths of the damage. The first crop of the caterpillars appeared in the corn near the 20th of May. On examination the 1st of June four-fifths had left the corn to transform to pup, but I found caterpillars up to the 10th of June, though scarce. In order to destroy them the planters generally put lamps in the field in the month of May, and expect to continue their use until October. The lamps are similar to those described in the Agricultural Report for 1°80, page 239. The field crop of corn is now in silk and tassel.

Usually from the Ist to the 10th of August the Boll Worm moth leaves the corn and adopts the cotton as its home. This brood does immense damage, the moth lay- ing her eggs in the squares in the blooms and in young bolls from the size of a gar- den pea to a partridge egg in preference to any other place. She pierces them as it done by a needle or pin, and in a few days they drop from tbe plant. Some farmers, not knowing what insect does this, have given them the name of sharpshooters, and it is yet a mooted question with us. By the time the cotton puts on a new erop of squares and blooms the moth is ready for it again, and if the weather is moist and warm it thus keeps on until frost; but should a drought prevail, with hot, drying |

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winds, the eges will not hatch, and this pats an end to them for that year, with the exception of a few scattering ones. Thus a dry and hot July and August is always a heavy crop year on the heavy, black, waxy prairie lands. Now I wish to know whether we have adopted the best course for the destruction of the Boll Worm. Is there any other course that has been successful in destroying them? Any advice or suggestions that you may choose to give us will be thankfully received. * * * —[ William Somerville, Bagwell, Red River County, Tex., June 17, 1889.

Repiy.—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours of June 17 in reference to the damage done by the Boll Worm in your State. I can best answer your question by sending you a copy of the Fourth Report of the U.S. Entomological Commission, published in 1885, and which you do not seem to have seen. You will find the Boll Worm treated on pages 355 to 384. The destruction of the moths by trapping is not a satisfactory remedy, for experiments have proven with other species that the great majority of the insects so captured are either males, or females which have already laid their eggs. The first business of the female moth after issuing seems to be to lay her eggs, so that very few of them are caught in this way. The result is that other remedies are of much greater avail. The suggestion regarding the worming of corn while the first brood of worms is at work is a most excellent one, and the use of the arsenical poisons as indicated upon page 381 also affords a good remedy. The sugges- tion upon page 380, that in localities where no corn is grown over a considerable space it will pay to grow small patches here and there as traps for the early worms, is also a good one. It will be unnecessary to elaborate further, as the information is all contained in condensed form in this report.—[ June 22, 1889. ]

A cosmopolitan Flour Pest.

We send you herewith specimens of insects which are breeding in our flour mill. They seem to breed under basement floors and come up and fly away on warm days. There seems to bea difference of opinion as to what they are, and as there are no en- tomologists in this section we would be pleased to have your opinion and whether or not they will be likely to become a pest. They do noi seem to work in wheat bins, but rather in flour dust in dark places. They breed all winter and spring and are now very numerous. We have tried several remedies, but Persian insect powder is the only thing that killed them.—[ McPherson & Stevens, Sprague, Wash. Ty., May 1s, 1889.

Repity.—Your letter of May 18 with accompanying specimens has been received. The beetle which occurs in your flour mill is Philetus bifasciatus, a cosmopolitan species which feeds everywhere in flour and farinaceous products. Inasmuch as you find that Persian insect powder kills them readily we would advise you to use it very thoroughly and to hold them in complete subjection, for otherwise they will doubt- less become quite a pest with you.—[ May 27, 1889. j

Mites on a Neck-tie.

I send you in a tin box a neck-tie covered with Acari which a gentleman sends me from San Francisco. He says the tie has lain in a drawer aud has been worn at in- tervals. He first noticed the ‘‘ foreign substance” two weeks ago and thought it sand until he detected motion in the particles. What mite isit? How can garments be best treated to get rid of it?—[E. J. Wickson, Berkeley, Cal., May 25, 1539.

Repty.—Yours of the 25th ultimo and mites duly received. We can not distinguish between the specimens found on the neck-tie and the common Cheese Mite ( Tyroglyphus siro), and there must have been something very peculiar about those neck-ties or etse the gentleman who sent the specimens must have been a bachelor and have kept his crackers and cheese in the same drawer with his clothes. The same mite, as you know, is found in flour of all kinds and milk. Sulphuris the best remedy. Hither fumigate with burning sulphur or sprinkle with flowers of sulphur mixed in water,— [June 1, 1889, ]

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The Potato Beetle in the South.

The Potato Beetles herewith should have been sent you some weeks ago. They are from Madison Station, Madison County, Miss., the beetles occurring in several potato fields at and within a mile of the station, This is the first year I have seen them in Mississippi. If they have been here at an earlier date you may, perhaps, know it. Isend them as a note of the spread of the beetle so far south.—[ Dr. D. L. Phares, Agricultural College, Mississippi, May 11, 1589.

Repity.—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 11th instant, with accompanying specimens of the Colorado Potato Beetle (Doryphora 10-lineata). I believe that this is the first time they have been noticed so far south in your longi- tude. I will make a note of this matter for INSEcT Lirr.—[May 18, 1889. ]

Swarming of Urania boisduvalii in South America.

T take the liberty of mailing to you two specimens of butterfly captured at Colon, Republic of Colombia, March 18 and 25, 1839. When within a few hours of that port these insects were seen flying from the mainland in a northerly direction across the bay. This migration coutinued daily from the date of arrival, March 18, for nearly aweek. When the flight began I could not ascertain. Its duration daily was from just before sunrise until sunset; it was protracted, however, until late at night on three evenings near and at full of the moon. The point which attracted my atten- tion was the vast number of the insects. The air was actually full of them. It resembled an unremitting shower of forest leaves in autumn. I could learn nothing of its family history from the residents, but it is doubtless familiar to you. The excavations in each specimen were beautifully done by the Red Ant (Zormica rufa?) in spite of the suspension of the tray in which the butterflies were placed from the ceiling by one string, and the saturation of said string with turpentine and castor oil.—[Dr. 8. A. Davis, 107 West 47th street, New York City, May 9, 1889.

Rep.y.—Your letter of May 9 transmitting specimens of a “butterfly” captured at Colon, United States of Colombia, has been received. The insect sent is not a but- terfly but a moth, and is known as Urania boisduvalii. It bears, however, a striking resemblance to some of the large swallow-tailed butterflies of the genus Papilio, Your note concerning the abundance of this insect is very interesting. —[ May 20, 1§89.]

Letter on the proposed “American Entomologists’ Union.”

* » *

Isee in the March (1889) number of INsEcT Lirr you ask for ideas eon- cerning the proposed Society of Economic Entomologists. I do not think my views on the subject are worth much, but such as they are, they are as follows: I should like to see an organization founded, with members in every State in the Union (and I do not see why not also in Canada and Mexico), with the headquarters at the De- partment of Agriculture at Washington. Such a society to be called, perhaps, the “American Entomologists’ Union,” and to appoint a secretary in every State at least, and in the case of big States, like Texas and California, two or more; these to collect all the information they can relative to insects, especially from an economic point of view, and forward each one a report, at stated intervals, to Washington. These re- ports to be preserved and examined by a committee appointed, and the essence of them printed in INsect Lire or as a special bulletin. This I think would (1) bring economic entomologists in touch with one another; (2) enable them to benefit from one another’s discoveries ; (3) and especially the facts thus collected might be seen often to have a significance which would be totally lost were they to remain isolated amoung their discoverers; (4) although apparently adding to the work of the Depart- ment of Agriculture it would really diminish it, as you would have only the seere- taries’ reports to deal with, and it would be their duty to receive and collate reports of others within the boundaries of their own States.—[Theo. D. A. Cockerell, West Clit, Custer County, Colo., May 12, 1329.

STEPS TOWARDS A REVISION GF CHAMBERS’ INDEX,* WITH NOTES 7 AND J\ESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES.

By Lorp WALSINGHAM. [ Continued from page 291 of Vol. I.]

LITHOCOLLETIS Z.

In revising the index to the genus Lithocolletis, one group of six supposed species has given me more trouble than the others. These are: ulmella Chamb., modesta F. & B., conglomeratella Z., bicolorella Chamb., quercivorella Chamb., and oblusiloba F. & B.

The first two are described as mining the upper side of elm leaves. The food-plant of the third is not known; and the three last are upper-side miners on the leaves of species of oak.

Zeller, in describing his conglomeratella, mentions two varieties of that species, differing chiefly in the extension of the white line along the dorsal margin of the fore-wings, and Chambers uses this character to distinguish his bicolorella from ulmella, with which he had at first placed it. He further says that bicolorella has tivo costal streaks, while u/mella has three; but in describing quercivorella, also with three costal streaks, he says the third streak is a mere spot before the cilia. In short, it is doubtful whether there are sufficient differences between the six descriptions to jus- tify the separation of any one of these species from the others on the ground of color or - markings. The evidence I have to rely upon in forming a conjecture (for if can scarcely be more than a conjecture) as to their distinctness is as follows:

(1) An authenticated specimen of modesta F. & B. from Bolls collection.

(2) A specimen received from Miss Martfeldt, regarded by her as u/mella Chamb.

(a) A figure of a specimen in the collection of the American Entomological Society at Philadelphia, probably received from Chambers.

(b) A figure of a second specimen in the collection of the Peabody Academy of Sci- ences at Salem, Mass., received from Chambers under the above name, and presumably equal to his type.

(3) A specimen of conglomeratella referred to by Zeller in his description of that species as the second of the varieties from which his description was taken.

(4) Two specimens, unnamed, received from Miss Murtfeldt, bred from mines on the upper side of the leaves of white oak. _

(5) An authenticated specimen of obtusilobe F. & B. from Boll’s collection.

It is most improbable that the elm and oak feeders should be the same, althongh Miss Murtfeldt’s specimen of the supposed ulmella is scarcely distinguishable froia those bred from oak, and Boll’s specimen of modesta actually bred from elin is still less so. We may at once admit that there are at least two distinct but very closely allied species, one on elin, the other on oak, but I think there can be no doubt what- ever that ulmella and modesta are the same. The name ulmella takes precedence for the elm-feeder. I fear that some years ago in naming specimens for some of my Aimerican correspondents I may have been guilty of some confusion as to this species, having been misled by seeing specimens of bicolorella distributed by Chambers under the above name. We now come to the far more difficult identification of the oak- feeding species.

Zeller’s specimen of conglomeratella is labelled ‘‘ Dallas, Tex., Boll.” This differs from the other specimens here referred to only in its somewhat duller c lor, but it is not in good condition, aithough the markings are easily visible. It agrees pre-

. Index to the described Tineina of the United States and Canada. V. T. Cham- bers. Bull. U.S. Geol. and Geog. Surv., IV (1), 1878.

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cisely with the figure of the specimen in the collection of the American Entomolog. ical Society, but Chambers admits having mixed his specimens of bicolorella with ulmella, and this figure probably represents the oak-feeder. Zeller’s descriptions of the three forms, which he regarded (probably with good reason) as varieties of one species, are extremely clear and precise. The first is an admirable description of my specimen of obtusilobe F. & B., and the third is an equaily good one of the speci- mens received from Miss Murtfeldt. I have no doubt whatever that these are varie- ties of one species feeding on various oaks. There are no sufficient differences to dis- tinguish conglomeratella Z. from these, or from bicolorella Chamb., which would cer- tainly be inclnded under Zeller’s descriptions. I think it will be safe to regard three of the four names as applying to one and the same variable insect, for which the name conglomeratella takes precedence. The specimens mentioned as received from Miss Murtfelat were bred from the upper side of leaves of white oak, but this would cer- tainly not distinguish them from quercivorella or bicolorella, both upper-side mines, the one bred from Q. bicolor, the other from Q. obtusiloba. The main differences upon which Chambers seems to rely in separating these two species are as follows:

Bicolorella. Quercivorella. Fore wings yellowish saffron, dorsal Fore wings reddish orange, dorsal stripe

stripe extending to cilia. Oblique dor- | extending beyond middle of dorsal mar-

sal streak absent. Two costal streaks, fol- | gin. Oblique dorsal streak present ; three

lowed by small dots. Hind tarsi white. costal streaks, the third a mere spot. Hind tarsi annulate with black.

In all other respects the two descriptions are approximately the same. The darker ground-color and spotted hind tarsi of quercivorella may perh ips be relied upon to distinguish this species from its allies. The synonymy of these species should there- fore stand thus:

(1) Ulmella Chamb. = modesta TF. & B.

(2) Conglomeratella Z.—=bicolerella Chamb, = obtusiloba F. & B.

(3) Quercivorella Chamb.

Notre.—Chambers, in distributing specimens to his various correspondents, fre- quently appears to have attached a wrong name tothem. This he admits in more than one instance in his writings. The utmost caution is required before accepting a specimen in any collection as a co-type of any one of his species. Dr. Hagen’s notes of Frey’s examination of spec imens in the Cambridge Museum (Papilio, IV, 151-3) show that in some cases the professor failed to recognize specimens that he must cer- tainly have seen before. This may be partially accounted for by the condition of the specimens, but where Clemens’ species are referred to it must be remembered that these were determined by Chambers, who had not seen Clemens’ types at Phil- adelphia and who may have wrongly identified them in some cases.

Lithocolletis tubiferella Clem.

It may be worth while to mention that when I saw Dr. Clemens’ type of this spe- cies in the collection of the American Entomological Society, Philadelphia, in 1871, I made a note, ‘Hind wings gone; very unlike a Lithocolletis.” It is perhaps doubtful whether Chambers was rightly acquainted with the species. The larva supposed by him to belong to it (Can. Ent., III, 165-6) was proved to be Coleopterous (Can. Ent., IV, 123-4), and he does not mention the true larva, so far as I am aware, in any of his writings. He compares the perfect insect with his bifasciella (unknown to me), and says of the former that the tuft is white, and it has no costal and no dorsal streaks behind the fascia, and the apex is not dusted. Chambers described his bifasciella from a single bred female, and if the subapical markings were not conspicuous it is possible that Clemens may have omitted to mention them. In Dr. Hagen’s paper (Papilio, IV, 152) mention is made of specimens (one good) of tubiferella Chamb. from Kentucky in

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the Cambridge Museum, and a comparison of these with the remains of Clemens’ type at Philadelphia would decide the point; but for the present I should not be jus- tified in attempting to correct their synonymy, and scarcely in suggesting that either of them may be identical with lebertella F. & B., which must be at least a nearly allied species.

Lithocolletis basistrigella Clem. —intermedia F. & B.

I have authenticated specimens of basistrigella Clem., compared with the type in the collection of the American Entomological Society of Philadelphia, and also of intermedia F. & B., from the Zeller collection, received from Frey, and I am able to say positively that these two species are the same. I have met with it aiso in Men- docino and Siskiyou Counties, Cal., Rouge River, in Oregon, and have received it from Miss Murtfeldt from Missouri.

Lithocolletis rileyella Chamb. = tenuistrigata F. & B.

I received from Miss Murtfeldt, in December, 1878, a Lithocolletis labeled ‘‘Tenti- form mine ou under side leaf of red oak.” This specimen agrees precisely with Cham- bers’ description of ZL. rileyella, and is obviously that species. It is undistinguishable from tenuistrigata F. & B., of which I have specimens and mines.

Lithocolletis quercibella Chamb.= subaureola F. & B.

I was at first disposed to think that quercibella could only be regarded as & syno- nym of argentifimbriella. Chambers writes that it resembles closely his fuscocostella, which I have shown to belong to that species; but after a careful study of his de- scription by the side of a specimen of subaureola F. & B. I find that this is applicable in all particulars to that species, although the first, quercibella, is described as glisten- ing snowy-white, with the apical third pale golden, and the other as pale golden- brown, with white markings. Chambers describes the subcostal streaks as pale golden. Frey and Boll regard this as corresponding with the ground color of the wing, and mention the straight, rather broad basal streak as being white, whereas Cham- bers regards white as the real ground color. With a specimen before one it is easy to see that the two descriptions are both accurate and precise in every detail.

Lithocolletis clemensella Chamb.

Another species that must be nearly allied to these is clemensella. I am induced to regard this species as distinct, owing to its feeding on Acer saccharinum, and by Chambers’ remark that “the hinder marginal line at the base of the dorsal cilia reaches to, but does not pass around, the apical spot.” I find this peculiarity well marked in a figure of the species taken from a specimen in Professor Fernald’s collection, and I know of no allied species in which the same thing occurs. This insect is omitted from the Index, although it is given in the List of Food-plants of Tineina (Bull. U. S. G. G. Surv., TV, 109,'1878).

Lithocolletis argentifimbriella Clem.

= Argyromiges quercialbella Fitch. = Lithocolletis longestriata F. & B. = Lithocolletis fuscocostella Chamb.

In the Canadian Entomologist (Vol. III, 57) Chambers suggests that argentifimbri- ella Clem. may be the same species as quercialbella Fitch, but he appears to have never fully satisfied himself that this was the case owing t» the differences between the descriptions of the larvee. On page 132 0f the same volume he points out that

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whereas Fitch describes the larva of quercialbella as being ‘‘flat,” no known flat larva of this genus makes a tentiform mine, or an oval cocoon, sue as Fitch de- scribes. The larva of Clemens’ species is cylindrical, and as Fitch’s description is Mot comparative it is presumable that the word “flat” was not used in the sense in which Clemens and Chambers use it for larve of this genus, as distinguishing them from the cylindrical form.

Frey and Boll (Stett. Ent. Zeit., XXXIV, 209) themselves suggest the possibility that their longestriata may be the same as argentifimbriella Clem., and their deserip- tion is so clear that, taking into consideration the similar larval habits, I think there can be no doubt that this is so.

In the Cincinnati Quarterly Journal of Science (IT, 229), Chambers professes an acquaintance with argentifimbriella Clem. and confirms its identity with longestriata F. & B. (although he subsequently treats them as separate species in his index), but he fails to recognize his own fuscocostella, described shortly before that date, as falling under the same description. Chambers does not mention ever having taken or bred argentifimbriella, but there is a single specimen from Kentucky in his collection, now in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., about which Dr. Hagen writes (Papilio, IV, 151): ‘“‘Argentifimbriella Chb., I, Ky. (very bad condition; perhaps, ? longestriata Frey).” It was probably owing to the condition of his specimen that Chambers failed to see that his description of fuscocostella corresponded withit. I have a specimen of the latter species from Dr. Riley, from Washington, D. C., anda specimen of argentifimbriella compared with Clemens’ type in the collection of the American Entomological Society at Philadelphia. They are evidently the same.

It is somewhat doubtful whether this insect was first publicly named by Clemens or Fitch. Fitch’s d seription was publish d in the annual report of the New York State Agricultural Seciety, issued as Vol. XVIIT of the Transactions of that society, professedly for the year 1858. The title-page is dated ‘Albany, 18 9.” The letter of presentation from Mr. B. P. Johnson to the Hon. D. W. C. Littlejohn, headed ‘‘In assembly, April 7, 1859,” evidently antedates the real publication, foron page 585 is a letter from his excellency Jos»ph A. Wright, American minister at Berlin, dated ‘Berlin, May 11, 1859.” In my copy is pasted the following letter:

“STATE OF NEW YorK, AGRICULTURAL ROOMs, “Albany, May 19, 1860. ‘Str: Will your lordship be pleased to accept for your library the eighteenth volume of the Transactions of the New York State Agricultural Society for the year. “Tam, most respectfully, your very obedient servant, ““B. BP. JOHNSON, “ Corresponding Secretary. “Lord WALSINGHAM, * President Royal Agricultural Society of England.”

The wording of this letter seems to show that this volume of the Transactions was not actually distributed until the year 1860, especially as the first three figures of the date “¢1850” are printed (not written) on the paper. Now, the date of Clemens’ paper in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, is November, 1859, and if Vol. XI, in which it ap peared, was issued before the agricultural volume, Clemens’ name must take precedence.

Leaving my American friends who have access to the required information to ecor- rect me if IT am wrong, I propose in the revised Index to give precedence to argen- tifimbriella Clem. over quercialbella Fitch.

GENERAL NOTES. TWO LOCAL OUTBREAKS OF LOCUSTS.

Two locust occurrences worthy of note have come to our notice this season, one in Utah and another in Louisiana.

Under date of April 29, Mr. James B. Darton, of Nephi City, Utah, wrote the Secretary of Agriculture that millions of grasshoppers were at that time hatching out on the borders of the grain fields in the vicinity of Nephi City. At our request and to save time Mr. Bruner, our agent at Lincoln, Nebr., took up the correspondence and wrote us May 17 that he had received from Mr. Darton eight or ten speci- mens of the locust. These, however, from having been treated like botanical specimens, and evidently put through a press, could not be specifically determined. They were the young of Melanoplus, but might belong to any one of five species. A second lot, which was re- quested to be forwarded alive in a tin box, was reported on June 5 by Mr. Bruner, but still left us much in the dark as to the exact species doing the injury. The first lot seemed to be composed of at ]east three species, MI. bivittatus, M. spretus, and M. femur-rubrum or M. devastator ; but the other sending, consisting of a quarter pint of decaying pup, were nearly all Camnula pellucida, and just what other species were with them can not be said. In this outbreak several species were evi- dently united in the work of devastation. For several years back yarious Causes have been working together to produce the injurious numbers appearing this year, but no great damage is to be looked for at the present in this region.

In Louisiana the species which occurred was Melanoplus cinereus, re- garding which the Hon. T. J. Bird, Commissioner of the State Bureau of Agriculture, at Baton Rouge, wrote us June 8, mailing specimens. The damage done was slight and consisted in the leaves of young cotton plants being eaten. This is a local non-migratory species, all of which, though liable to multiply to such an extent as to cause some little alarm, seldom really do auy appreciable damage. Probably the best method of treatment is by the use of the bran-arsenie mash, concerning which several paragraphs will be found in the Annual Report of the Depart- ment for 1885, pages 300 and 301.

TENT CATERPILLAR IN ARKANSAS.

Mr. J. W. Bland, of War Eagle Mills, Benton County, Ark., has sent us aspecimen of the moth of the American Tent-caterpillar (Clisiocampa americana, with its eggs, which be found the moth in the act of de- positing on a peach limb on the 8th of June. We place this on record as giving an idea of the time of egg-laying of this species in that part of the country, These eggs were for the second brood, which it is not

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unlikely may be followed by a third in Arkansas. Our correspondent writes us that this insect is very destructive to fruit trees in his county.

THE THISTLE CATERPILLAR IN WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

Mr. E. O. Schwiigerl, of Naomi, Kitsap County, Wash. Ty., sent to us the middle of June spscimeus of the larvee of the common Thistle Butterfly (Pyrameis cardui) infesting thistles and nettles there and which he has not been able to fiud on any other plants. This is a com- mon butterfly, which is known to feed on the thistle the world over, and helps much in keeping this noxious plant in check in thistle in- fested localities. Our correspondent writes us that 90 per cent. of the thistles around Seattle are infested. The larve attack first the head or young shoots, eating out the flower buds, and then work down inside the stems, thus effectually destroying the seed crop. Birds do not eat these larvie on account of their short, sharp spines.

THE CECROPIA SILK-WORM AGAIN.

In Insect Lire, for November (page 155), was mentioned the great abundance of the Cecropia near Calaway, Nebr. As we wished to ob- tain some of these covoons, Miss Brown was written to and at the same time cautioned not to take any old cocoons, as the abundance which she referred to might be due to the accumulations of many years. In her reply she says:

A little boy collected me about half a bushel, but when I assorted them I found that about half of them were poor. A good many were stung and filled up with small grubs of some other insect, and others were last year’s cocoons. I suppose you know that there is not much timber here, excepting where it has been set out and planted; and it is only on the cultivated box-elders, and then only in certain locali- ties, that the cecropia silk-worm is found in namerous quantities.

Under date of December 16, 1888, M. Natalis Rondot writes us:

You notice, in No. 5 of INsuct Lire, the remarkable abundance of Cecropia in one of the counties of the State of Nebraska, Miss Clara E. Brown having asked if the cocoons had any commercial value. To this question you replied that on the account of the difficulty in reeling the filament of the cocoon it could hardly be used indus- trially. This is true; but we may well ask if these cocoons may not be used for spinning into schappe (spun silk) or for articles of fantaisie. I do not know whether these cocoons have been studied from this point of view; in France at least no serious trial has been made of them, though I have had some samples of them combed as a matter of pure curiosity. The first question to study is that of the quantity of these cocoons. Miss Brown has, perhaps, personal reasons for complaining of the damage

done by these wild worms; but it is possible that in reality the product in cocoons

would be very light. It would be important to know how many of these cocoons could be obtained ; for, in order to make a proper test, it would he necessary to have several pounds. This Cecropia is little known to us, and I find in fact that we even have no specimens of it. It would be interesting to have some, at least some of the cocoons, such as are found attached to trees, aud some of the moths. In examining my notes I find that I saw, some years ago, cocoons and moths of certain species, one of which was very probably the Platysamia cecropia, while the others were cf one or two species very similar to it. Were they hybrids of tiie Cecropia? I do not know. As the Cecropia is abundant in the United States you ought to know whether it is of @ unique species or whether there are others allied to it,

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arly in January we were able to send M. RKondot a few live cocoons of the Cecropia, and in transmitting them gave the following reply to his questions :

The species which is the most common in the United States is the Atlacus cecropia of Linné. There are two species in this country very closely allied to it and by some held to be simple varieties of the Cecropia; they are the Columbia and the Gloveri. It is possible that it is to one or both of these that you refer as being mentioned in your notes.

It is hoped, from the live specimens sent M. Rondot, and a similar quantity sent to M. Quajat, at Padua, that these scientists may raise a sufficient crop of Cecropia cocoons to satisfy themselves of their value for the production of schappe. In this connection it may be added that Mr. i. G. Wilson, of Parsons, Dak. (statistical correspondent of the De- partment), informs us, under date of December 18, that wild cocoons are found in large quantities in his neighborhood, and that he wishes to send specimens of them to the Paris Exhibition. He has been requested to forward specimens to this Department.—[ Philip Walker. ]

SPRAYING FOR THE ELM LEAF-BEETLE.

Prof. John B. Smith, in Garden and Forest for June 19, gives an ae- count of his experiments in spraying large elm trees on the Rutgers College campus. He used a Seneca Falls force-pump, mounted on a tank holding 40 gallons and provided with a 50-foot hose. The end of the hose is attached to a 10-foot pole, and by means of a light ladder 20 feet in length the foliage of the largest trees, some of which are over 50 feet in height, can be reached. Professor Smith finds that the ad- dition of a small quantity of kerosene emulsion to the mixture of Lon- don purple and water is of use in enabling the spray to penetrate the pubescence on the under side of the leaves and to spread wherever it touches instead of collecting in drops and falling. He recommends the addition of a pint of kerosene emulsion to 20 gallons water containing one-fifth of a pound of London purple, and states that this amount of the mixture is sufficient for one of the largest trees.

THE DINGY CUT-WORM (AGROTIS SUBGOTHICA Haw.).

Late in May, 1886, Mr. Henry Nobes, a fruit-grower in the vicinity of La Fayette, Ind., called our attention to the fact that some insect, unknown to him, was destroying the ripening fruit in his strawberry field, large berries being wholly or for the most part devoured. A visit to the field soon revealed the depredator to be this cut-worm, which occurred in great numbers under the straw mulch. Worms were not only caught in the act of eating the berries, but many were found gorged with the fruit, the red color distinctly showing through the skin of the culprits. In places where the mulch had been removed they did not appear to trouble the fruit, except to a very limited extent.—I*. M. WEBSTER,

30 THE EUROPEAN WHITE GRUB.

We do not know which to wond3r at the most, the industry of the woman or the numbers in which the White Grub (larva of the Euro- pean Melolontha vulgaris) must have occurred in the soil, in the state- ment made by M. Reiset and quoted in “La Nature” for the 18th of May, where it is stated that in a field of about one hectare (2.471 acres) a single woman collected 759 pounds (344 kilograms) of these White Grubs or Cock Chafer larvee in 15 days. The actual! number of grubs was estimated at 150,000.

A WHEAT PEST IN CYPRUS.

Mr. A. E. Shipley, of Cambridge, England, has just published a pre. liminary report on the species of Tineina which injures wheat crops in Cyprus (Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Royal Gardens, Kew, No. 30, June, 1889, pages 133-135). This insect is C’cophora tempera- tella, a species which occurs at Beyrout and Libya, and is widely distrib- uted throughout Palestine. The damage is done by the larva in min- ing the leaves and stems of the wheat. Many thousands of bushels of grain are lost through its work. The information which Mr. Shipley has received has so far been very fragmentary.

THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON.

June 27, 1859.—Mr. G. W. J. Angell, of New York City, was elected a corresponding member of the society.

Dr. Marx read a note giving the record of the numbers (216,000,000) of May beetles collected and destroyed in Tuchel, Pomerania. Mr. W. H. Ashmead read a descrip- tive paper entitled ‘An Anomalous Chalcid,” in which he erected a new genus anil species (Hoplocrepis albiclavis), for a Chalcid collected by the late Dr. R. S. Turner, at Fort George, Fla. The paper was discussed by Messrs. Howard and Schwarz.

Mr. L. O. Howard called the attention of the society to some enlarged figures of the mouth parts of Periplaneta orientalis in Miall and Denny’s work on the Cockroach, in which no indication is given of a digitus proceeding from near the tip of the lacinia corresponding to the one occurring in P. americana described by him at a recent meet- ing of the society. Mr. Howard then briefly reviewed Miss Ormerod’s recent book on South African Insects, and concluded his contributions by reading Hy. Edwards’s paper, prepared for INsecr LirE and published in the present number, on Noises made by Lepidoptera. ‘This very interesting paper called forth a considerable discus- sion by various members relative to the noises of Lepidoptera and other insects.

Mr. E. A. Schwarz presented a paper entitled Myrmecophilous Insects and a cata- logue of Myrmecophilous Coleoptera, exhibiting specimens of the Coleoptera treated. The paper was a very valuable contribution to our knowledge of the insect parasites aud messmates of ants, aud was discussed by Dr. Marx, Mr. Ashmead, and others,

C. L. MARLATT, Acting Recording Secretary.

feo OE PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY.

PERIODICAL BULLETIN. AUGUST, 1889. Mrol. "LT. IN oie

INSECT LIFE.

DEVOTED TO THE ECONOMY AND LIFE-HABITS OF INSECTS, ESPECIALLY IN THEIR RELATIONS TO AGRICULTURE, AND EDITED BY THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND HIS ASSISTANTS.

(PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. ]

WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1889.

CONTENT Ss

SRE GAME N ODES te a slee, oe eile, e craleaine wele sect cnc este itis <a ee eeGreins sathacisjeecreneeee AGGREGATE DAMAGE FROM COTTON WORMS IN TEXAS, CROP OF 1887. B. W. Snow. A NEWLY-IMPORTED ELM INSECT (illustrated) .--....----.------ L. O. Howard. SoME MICHIGAN NOTES RECORDED ..-------- At OPTS Tyler Townsend. PRELIMINARY NOTE UPON CHIONOBAS (CENEIS) MACOUNI, Edw. (illus-

PLAOCO! hess ciseee pra se estan seoee Seas bebe, seek Rebs etree James Fletcher -

HEXTRACTS KROM CORRESPONDENCE goscec -cjoejce 1s Joe ee ie = ee eee eer Pieris rape in California.—Poisonous Spiders.—A Spider-bite Contribu- tion.—Blackbirds vs. Boll-worms.—Further on American Insecticides in India.—A new Quince Enemy.—New Food-plant and Enemy of icerya.—The Red- legged Flea-beetle again.—The Tarnished Plant-bug on Pear and Apple.— Walshia amorphella and the Loco Weed. STEPS TOWARDS A REVISION OF CHAMBERS’ INDEX, ETC..-.-Lord Walsingham. (CRON FoIRAU PMO SHOR DA REE poeta Bentean meds AAS eoes Hesse ecec Aseeae ob ead suctsodea Honors to American Entomology.—A new East Indian Genus of Coccidee.— Cannibalism with Lady-birds.\—Damage by the-Pear Midge.—Icerya purchasi not in Florida.—A new State Board of Horticulture.—The Army Worm in Indiana.—Doings of Agrotis cupidissima.—The Disap- pearance of Icerya in New Zealand.—A Peculiarity of certain Caddis- flies. —Caterpillars stopping Trains, —Locusts in Algeria, —The New Cat- tle-fly or Horn Fly.

II

51 54

Vol. II, No. 2. |

SNSECT LIFE. [August, 1889.

SPECIAL NOTES.

The Grain Louse.—The common Grain Aphis (Siphonophora avene) has quite outdone itself this season. Appearing in enormous numbers in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio, it re- mained in the fields much later than usual, and it was not until nearly time for wheat harvest that its natural enemies had sufficiently in- creased to destroy it. Toward the end the parasites and predaceous insects were present in startling numbers and we have been able to rear Many new ones, as well as to recognize at least two of Fitch’s spe- cies. The insect enemies which we have so far found comprise eight species of hymenopterous parasites, one dipterous parasite, three spe- cies of Syrphid flies, two Chrysopas, and a number of Coccinellids.

The Grain Louse itself is a difficult insect to fight, and it is must fort- unate that it is usually killed off by its enemies before appreciable damage is done. Its operations this year have doubtless caused some shrinkage of the crops, the amount of which can not be estimated at the present time.

The proposed Economic Entomologists’ Union.—At about the time when this number of INSECT LIFE is being mailed an earnest discussion as to the advisability of such an association as we proposed in our Janu- ary number will be going on at Toronto. Mr. James Fletcher, Domin- ion Entomologist of Canada and president of the Entomological Club of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, im- pressed with the great desirability for such an association and encour- aged by favorable comments from a number of prominent workers, has issued a call for a preliminary meeting at the Toronto meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

We earnestly hope that an organization will be effected, for we feel sure that it would result in great benefit to the members and to the country at large.

Statistics of Loss from Insects——As a contribution to the interesting study of the damage done by insects, computed in dollars and cents, we publish in this number a careful summary of the damage done by

31

32

Cotton Worms in Texas during 1837, compiled from the first annual report of the commissioner of agriculture of Texas, by Mr. B. W. Snow, assistant statistician to this department. This summary had been promised us by Mr. Dodge, but as he was called away Mr. Snow has kindly prepared it for our use.

Professor Cook’s Bulletin on the Grain Louse.—Prof. A. J. Cook has just published, as Bulletin No. 50 of the Michigan Experiment Station, a short account of the Grain Plant-louse, giving a brief summary of the known facts concerning this insect. The bulletin is preliminary in its character and no remedies are suggested.

East Indian Rhynchota.— We have just received from Mr. E. T. Atkin- son a continuation of his valuable papers upon this subject. The present installment comprises some nine y pages and includes descriptions of species numbered 295 to 443.

AGGREGATE DAMAGE FROM COTTON WORMS IN TEXAS, CROP OF 1887.

By B. W. SNow, Assistant Statistician.

The commissioner of agriculture of Texas, in his first annual report, presents a statement of the aggregate cotton crop of that State for 1887 by counties. In many parts of the State the season was an un- favorable one for this crop, drought and worms very much reducing the yield per acre. Anestimate of the damage done by worms is presented for each county, ranging from nothing in many counties to a loss of 50 per cent. of the crop in others of large production, and an even heavier loss in some counties where the crop is of little importance and insecti- cides are not made use of. For the whole State the amount of damage done averaged about 21 per cent. of the crop.

According to this return the total number of bales gathered was 1,125,499, while had there been total exemption from insect damage the farmers of Texas, according to this authority, would have gathered a crop of 1,422,948 bales. This would make the aggregate loss from worms equal to 297,449 bales. Tie value per bale of the crop which was made at the place of production averaged slightly over $40. Pre- suming that an increase of less than half a million bales in the aggre- gate crop would have made but little difference in price, the actual money loss to the farmers of Texas in one year from the Cotton Worm alone was $11,897,960. 5

It is not claimed that these figures are absolutely accurate, but they are undoubtedly approximately correct, and will give some idea of the enormous tribute levied upon American agriculture by injurious in- sects. In that year Texas produced but 21 per cent. of the cotton crop

wo eed

33

of the country, and the Cotton Caterpillar and Boll Worm were active in all sections of the cotton belt. been so heavy, but it would swell the aggregate loss in one crop to startling proportions.

The following statement has been prepared from the data presented in the report quo‘ed from, and shows by counties the actual crop gath- ered, with the aggregate product which would have been picked had

there been no loss from worms.

The injury elsewhere may not have

In a number of counties damage from

worms is not mentioned, and it is presumed that no loss occurred.

Loss Product Loss Product Counties, Bales. | fromin- | without | Counties. Bales. | from in- | without sects. loss. || sects. loss. x Percent.| Bales. | Percent.| Bales. Anderson.....----- 11, 818 20 1450S) || eLardiniees aa saee 94 333 | 141 Angelina .......-.. NOLO Sree taocas 2629) || Earns eee nies <i <= 2, 78i 23 3, 612 Atascosa .....---.- Bye poe coppaee 348 || Harrison.......--. 15, 556 10 17, 284 PAIS ULI als .= os aisicla is 17, 378 12 19, 748 || Haskell........... 16 29 23 Bandera ...-......- DAS esa se te TEINS ESSE) ep aceam6ee 3, 253 Ly 3, 406 BASSLOP es cine + =< 18, 274 18 16,187 || Henderson........ 8, 778 aly 10, 570 BAVlOLSseseeeeisicsli) Hose | Di lesSecee tee 9 || Hidalgo..--....... 146 89,5 1, 446 BGG mcen 2s soeees ==: UA bl eds See HEA bil) Webi) ee oe eases 13, 188 58 31, 400 Belles eiceercs scien 21, 481 20 26: Sob)! PH OO sais oesste see 1, 082 87 8, 323 [BOR AE a aicteiocrs cis 1, 268 34 1920) Hopkins\.--c2sce. 14, 230 20 17, 788 PTA CO gee eer n= 890 25 DSeES Te | ELOUSLON = at55-8 <5 -1 10, 716 10 11, 907 TOSCO ij sacicsmcsie(so 3, 615 36 AMR E Z| |S e label ous ate Bonne 29, 701 12 33, 751 OWI ee venice te toe 6, 679 25 Or GUGM Dac Keven scicce« 1, 088 5 1,145 IBTAZOLID sap eiscea ns 6, 344 25 8,459 | Jackson ..-...-..- 741 25 988 IEA B aneseeceeere 14, 229 15 LG; 740 SaSPOLe ace i= cele 1, 099 20 1, 874 IBTOWMEe aa cec\oce ae 2, 374 39 3, 892 || Jefferson..-.....-. 87 25 116 iBurlesony ses 0. = 108400 Enc astec 10, 489 || Johnson ..-..--.-.- 11, 489 33 17, 148 BM Cte arate sis ores, « 1, 849 15 AH LTOS||NPONOS!s ¢ 5a fein 366 32 538 Oaldiwellre2 ces. -2- 8, 669 8 95423" || WKarnes,-c- acc ee <5 967 44 1, 727 Galhouniees2 2.322. 2 50 4 || Kaufman -.....-... 21 236s cecccese 21, 236 @allahane 2 i2ses oc: 745 25 Gos rliiendalleeeseeeceee 419 Too 421 Cameron ..-.....--- 390 25 S20 Kerr 122.26 actenitat 256 40 427 Campes castes 5c-% 4, 356 20 Deaa br KNOX skeen s Sek 1 eg es at 1 CWasBitee esos anno TS R546) |e rote nas 13,546" uamarricctec sae 29, 252 38 47,181 Chambers ..--..-.-. 29 25 39 || Lampasas..-...---. 783 20 979 Cherokee!<-.<s/2- 13, 137 10 145597 ||| avec 2.2 -s-- 15, 246 20 19, 058 @mildresssco.sseee Dl eee seiecrs 2 WheG@racecctecc=se o- 8, 126 11 9, 130 (EN poscc Bee eee 533 10 592i leReon stone sates 9, 443 10 10, 492 Coleman...-.-.....; 469 48 902) |miaiberty; 22224600 1, 693 20 2,116 Gollivtieese=se weds 33, 112 17 39, 894 || Limestone .....--. 13, 020 25 17, 360 20, 526 15 24,148 || Live Oak ......--. 33 5 35 2, 315 20 28045 Milanod-tn =e sees Tlic |S seeve ee 76L 4, 894 44 8, 739 || Madison ..-....... 4, 252 8 4, 622 19 45 30) ||) Marion 2-e--22--1- 6, 165 5 6, 489 11, 109 45 205198) |i Mason'-2- 5. cesoce 725 11 815 6, 161 5 6,485 |; Matagorda . ...... 8, 123 26 4, 220 PCa as See 27, 796 || McCulloch . ...-.. 167 25 223 8, 514 24 11, 203 || McLennan .....--. 16, 823 40 28, 038 18, 288 30 18, 983 || McMullen .... -. Ais asseeeee 4 7, 565 25 10, 087 || Medina ..--...--.. | 178 5 187 52 50 OS) | |CMGilams crc cee - aetee | 14,773 23 19, 186 Hastland’..-2-.-<:. 2, 456 32 SHOU ZAMMIT a: kee meee se | 369 63 997 WATS. 2-cse.c cc 13 20 17 || Montague .-...-... | 7, 548 14 8,777 SMUNShee sone fe ea tees 40, 735 19 50, 290 || Montgomery ..-.. Op alo 10 5, 906 AAS 8 5 oes tors win = 5, 375 44 95598) ||' Morris:).-=-..ccs- | BP BASE icse | 3, 702 IV ANIS Weosevs se ass Y's 9, 750 15 11,471 || Nacogdoches..-.... 9, 468 5 9, 966 SUE aps 6 eee eee 38, 296 10 42,551 || Navarro......-<--- UM SO8 eecece sac 11, 730 Fayette .-.--..--... 39, 187 13 40, 445 || Newton ...... .-. 1, 036 13 1,191 PEAR NOD Soe ola .a Sefeeine' 62 1 633 |PNolanpes2e2 scene. 3) ceafatoes 3 Fort Bend......... 10, 139 25 LBFOLOM || ENmecespasc>.c2o- Bo lfote crete 3: Ih a hh ere 3, 897 21 4,933 || Orange ..--.-----. 142 34 215. Freestone .-......: 6, 202 34 9,397 || Palo Pinto........ 803 34 1, 217 EOIN OWCE oye cote eS aie sale 215 5 22 Panola nce sees 12, 658 5 18, 324 Galveston ......... Btoillaceacoeace BON ||P aPKeRe son sc css oe 4, 786 31 6, 936 Gillespie .......... 1, £54 25 O30 RL Ole nce sslyacie fais 3, 214 8 3, 493 Goliadessencaceccee 2, 806 32 45 26))||\ REINS see acl aesose 3, 795 20 4, 744 Gonzales - . 10, 382 15 125214 || Red Rivers 2222. =. 22,512 25 30, 016 Graysons + hee. 24, 904 29 35, 076 || Refugio .......... 62 44 UL GDOCL re en Asc 311 48 598 || Robertson ....... 18, 963 OF en al 25, 284 Gregg so. i.sccse<'- 4, 854 10 5,393 || Rockwall ...-..... 6, 665 | 502". | 13, 330 Grimes, 5. .-e sce 16, 563 12 18, 822 || Runnels .......... 52 | 90 520 Guadalupe.......-. 9, 376 20 TAG PAU Leah) eee 15, 967 | 20 19, 959 Hamilton .......... 1, 940 55 4,311 || Sabine...... sees 2, 917 | 12 3, 315 Hardeman ......... 10 50 20 | San Augustine -.. 4, 156 11 4, 670

34

ee. .00— Te

| sects. loss. sects. loss.

| |]

Per cent.| Bales. | | Per cent.| Bales. San Jacinto...-.-.-- 5, 342 15 6, 285 || Val Verde ....-.--- (| Ares SoBe | 5 San Patricio ..-..-.. 160 50). }} 320 || Van Zandt.....-..- 10, 482 20 | 13, 103 Hither ae aereras 708 | 8 THOMWIN RCLOLIA coasters cera 3, 710 33 5, 537 Shackelford ....--. 10: yal ein aerso 145 31) Wiallker-reacic oocec 6, 726 19 8, 304 Seliy case 2: S26. sel Op es hea 11,415 || Waller............ 7, 823 15 9, 203 Sri iS eee eno 16, 589 | 20 20,736 | Washington ...... 30, 644 13 | 35, 223 Somervell .......-. 498 | 95 9,960 ||} Wharton ... ...-. 8, 875 18:5} 10, 823 Stephens =o). 52 1, 044 | 10 1,160 || Wichita .......-.- 39 55 | 87 PRAT G ee os -s ae 9, 781 26 13,217 || Wilbarger ..--.--. 32 17 : 39 RavlOnees =s-isccess 2u9 5 220 || Williamson ..-....- 11, 391 15 13, 401 Throckmorton... -.| final fester tree ae OM) Walson®. 2.cecscci22 3, 793 | 32 5, 578 IS UTC Se See emsac 5, 844 | 15 6875) Wis@s<os<c-nssecee 5, 495 38 8, 863 Tom Green ....--.-. Dlejed tem eee | PANG) Vi@Wtle es s866 ss585 8, 881 30 12, 687 raise oe ae 18, 664 8 | 20,287 || Young......--.--- 391 | 1685, 469 Within Aemaeeaeeees | 3, 759 2 3,836 | Miscellaneous .-.. OF 150Gb. cetera 27, 150 eRvlenre Giay oo | - 2.788 | 26 4, 356 a5 = $/sc tee Upshur. ...-...:-.. | 8,212 | 22 10, 528 Total )~ 2-2-2 |1 125 4001 mey ee 1, 422, 948 ivaldey. Sesaecee e. 22 | Fasosee est 22 || |

A NEWLY-IMPORTED ELM INSECT. By L. O. Howarp.

Our first knowledge of this insect in this country was gained in 1884, when Mr. Charles Fremd, of Rye, Westchester County, N. Y., wrote Professor Riley, under date of June 22, as follows:

My elm trees in the nursery are troubled this year with a red-looking mealy bug. Thousands of them are be- tween the cracks of the bark, and are destroying the vitality of the trees. Ihave made oue applica- tion of kerosene emulsion, but I presume not strong

them again with astrong- er emulsion.) 9% 0 Professor Riley was in Europe at the time, and we_ there‘ore wrote Mr. Fremd for specimens, which he promptly sent, June 30. All of them had been saturated with kerosene emulsion, however, and were not in fit condition

Fig. 1.—GOssYPARIA ULMI: a, young larva trom above; b, young larva from side—greatly enlarged (original). for study. It was

plainly to be seen that they were new to the Coccid fauna of the United

States, and our impression then was that they belonged near the genus Hriococcus.

enough. I will go over-

—

35

The following month Mr. Fremd sent other specimens, all old females, and offered as a surmise as to the cause of their occurrence on his place the suggestion that they were very similar to bark-lice which he had noticed four or five years previously on some Chinese azaleas which he had procured from a New Jersey nursery, and which ultimately died, perhaps from the effects of the remedies applied for the Coccids.

This information unfortunately put us on the wrong track, and, sup- posing that it might be a new Chinese insect, we allowed otiuer more important matters to intervene.

In June, 1887, this insect was sent to the Department again by Mr. John G. Jack, who found it at Cambridge, Mass., on the bark of Ulmus

fulva (Slippery Elm). In Professor Riley’s absence we wrote Mr. Jack the facts which had come to our notice, and that the species was unde- termined in the collection of the National Museum and the Department of Agriculture, and advised him to send specimens to Professor Com- stock, who was studying the group critically. A month later Mr. Jack wrote that he had followed our advice and that Professor Comstock reported that the species was undetermined, that it had been in his col- lection for some time, and that the previous winter he had found that it occurred abundantly on some elm trees in New York City.

In the summer of 1888 Mr. Jack sent other full-grown specimens, and the same summer it was found upon several elms in the grounds of the Department of Agriculture, at Washington, by Mr. W. B. Alwood. In the fall of 18858 we found it also upon Ulmus americana in two local- ities in the streets of Washington. Up to this date only old females had been found, and these presented much the appearance of Hriococcus azalece Comst.,* except that the white, somewhat ribbed excretion is not continuous over the back, but is abundant around the sides, curling up over the back and leaving the central portion brown and bare.

April 29, 1889, Mr. Jack sent to the Department some bits of bark and small limbs carrying non-impregnated females, male cocoons, and just-issued males, and, as Professor Riley was again unfortunately ab- sent, this time as representative of the Department to the Paris Expo- sition, we undertook some further study of the species from Mr. Jack’s material, and from that found in Washington had careful drawings made, and had little difficulty in determining that the insect was iden- tical with the European Gossyparia ulmi Geoffroy, described by Sig- noret in the Annales de la Société Entomologique de France for 1875, page 21, and which occurs commonly upon Ulmus campestris in Europe. According to Signoret, alni Modier, farinosus De Geer, spurius Modier, and lanigera Gmélin are synonyms of this species. The specific name of the first-mentioned synonym would indicate that the species also occurs upon Alnus, and indeed Signoret states that he has collected it in the Bois de Boulogne on Alder.

*This was probably the scale which Mr. Fremd noticed upon his Chinese Azaleas and which he confounded with his Elm Coccids.

36

Signoret describes the newly hatched larva, the adult female before and after impregnation, and the immature male. Concerning the latter stage he writes :

We have collected a large number of active male nymphs, but no complete males. As with the preceding genus [ Nidularia], when one disturbs these insects during their state of metamorphosis, they are apt torunaway. This is what M. Lichtenstein has noticed with Dactylopius vitis, which he has pointed out as having an active nymph; but, according to us, it is to avoid danger, and under natural conditions the nymphs do not leave the sort of sac which serves them as a cradle [ berceaw].

In this conclusion Signoret has been at fault. The true pupa is not active, and from the nature of its sheathed limbs can not be active.

The form which Signoret describes and calls the ** nymph” casts off the:

pupa skin while yet in the cocoon and issues with its wings as yet un- folded and represented simply by pads, as shown in Fig. 3. It remains in this condition for some time (several days ?), runs freely about, with great activity, as we have seen, and, according to Mr. Jack’s observations, even copulates with the female before its wings expand. It was in this condition that Signoret always found it. Others issue later with ex- panded wings and of the appearance shown in Fig. 5¢, possessing long anal filaments. No casting of the skin has been observed between the two stages, but one may have taken place, and the form with the wing pads should be considered a pseudimago comparable with the form so- called in the Ephemerids.

Signoret’s descriptions of the different stages are sufficiently accurate, and we may simply give a brief résumé of the appearance, adding a fuller description of the adult male.

The newly hatched larva is of an elongated oval form, narrower be- hind, of a clear yellow color, each segment with a strong lateral spine and the front border of the body with six spines. The genito-anal ring has six hairs, around which is later formed a secretion which renders them invisible. There is a double row of spines down the middle of the back; the antenne are six-jointed, the first three joints longest, the fourth and fifth shortest. (See Fig. 1.)

The adult female before impregnation is of a similar shape, but the terminal lobes of the abdomen are. more developed. Each segment is covered with spiny spinnerets secreting wax. The antenne are six jointed, second and third longest, fourth and fifth shortest. There is an elongated protuberance each side of the autenne. The legs are short and slender, with the tibia shorter than the tarsus. The genito-anal ring has 8 hairs. (See Fig. 5a.)

The full-grown male larva has seven-jointed antenne, joint 7 long- est, the rest equal. After impregnation the female becomes more round, fixes herself, the secretion becomes much more abundant on the sides, making at first lammelle, which afterwards unite into a continuous cushion. The back becomes smooth and the segmentation is plainly visible. The dorsum is plane transversely, but curved longitudinally.

Particularly after the birth of the young, the female becomes well

37

separated from the waxy cushion and is easily removed from it (even jarring will accomplish the removal), leaving the noticeable empty white cup with its fringed edges. (See Fig. 2.)

Fig. 2.—GOssyPARIA ULMI: a, adult female from below; b, adult female from side; ec, adult female

from above—all greatly enlarged; d, empty waxy cushion; e, females in natural position—enlarged; J, shrivelled females—natural size (original).

The male presents a puzzle, and neither Mr. Jack’s observations nor our own have solved it. The active form with wing pads issued some days before fully-fledged males were noticed. Speci- mens under observation in Washington were observed to copulate in this condi- tion. The antenne are ten-jointed, the joints well separated; the wings are repre- sented by pads of varying length. The poisers appear rather thick and fleshy, but lack the terminal hook. The abdo- men is very stout, suboval, considerably broader than the thorax, and when seen from above covers cox, trochanters, and bases of the femora. Its segments are not well marked. (See Fig. 3.) pet. As ;

A few days after this form makes its se eae eolaneal (aLaa eae appearance the cocoons begin to give out the perfect males, which issue with wings fully expanded. (See Fig.

38

5c.) There really seems to have been a molt between this pseudi- mago and the perfect male, for in no other way can we account for the difference in form. The antennz possess the same number of joints (ten) of about the same relative proportion, although joints 3 and 4 are longer, but the incisures are rather better marked. The poisers are lighter in color and less fieshy in appearance, and the curved hook is plainly visi- ble at tip. The abdomen is rather longer, much more slender, and tapers gradually from base to tip. Its segments are well incised and plainly separable from above. It does not cover the hind cox and trochanters. The tibiz are longer in proportion to their tarsi. The anal segment gives off two waxy filaments as long as the entire body. These filaments were not noticed in the pseudimago.

The cocoon itself is rather close though thin, flattened oval, and pure white, about 2™™ long by 1™™ wide, and is composed of rather coarse wax fibers. (See Fig. 4.)

According to one season’s observations, therefore, this peculiar pseudimaginai form issues under perfect- ly natural conditions several days before the true im- ago; itis active and copulates. We have not observed it develop into a true imago. We have seen the true imago, however, issue from the cocoon, fully fledged, several days later. Why it ever issues as a pseudi- mago we do not know. That this is common is shown by the observations of Signoret, who never saw the fully-fledged male. We are not certain whether the copulation of the pseudimago with the female is a per- feet one or is abortive and prompted by premature in- stinct, although the intromittent organ of this forin is apparently complete and unsheathed.

From Mr. Jack’s notes and our own observations at Washington we are able to give the round of the in- secc’s life in general terms. The young lice are appar- ently born viviparously as with the Mealy Bugs, and pe fos issue from their living mothers in late June and early male, showing anal July and scatter actively over the tree, the majority of

filaments and edges fi

ea paudrecd them with Ulmus fulva in which the twigs are pube- (original). scent or bristly, settling temporarily upon the leaves, mainly upon the upper surface in the angles of the midrib and princi- pal veins, but also upon the undersurface. With Ulmus racemosa, how- ever, the twigs being smooth, large numbers settle about the buds and on the surface of the twig, many others also occurring on the leaves. With Ulmus montana, which is the species upon which we have princi- pally studied them, they settle very abundantly upon the under sides of the leaves along the midrib and preferably just at the forkings of the

veins. We have never found them settled upon the upper surface of the-

leaves, nor, in this stage, upon the twigs.

39

In August the lice desert the leaves and new twigs and return to the larger branches and trunk where they soon settle themselves in crevices of the bark. At this time they secrete a great deal of honey-dew which attracts ants and other insects, and gives off curiously enough a pun- gent odor which Mr. Jack states is noticeable where large numbers of the coecids are at work, but which we have not noticed at Washington, probably on account of the comparative scarcity of the lice.

This settling into the crevices of the trunk and limbs is purely for hibernation and is not a permanent fixture, as when Mr. Jack took some branches into the house in December they became quite active, moved about the limbs and escaped to different parts of the room.

As warm weather comes in the spring they begin moving once more, the females cast their last skin and the males form their cocoons. The adult males issue about May 1, and while still in the pseudimago state, were observed both in Cambridge and at Washington in many cases to copulate with the females. The fully developed males are seen in abun- dance a few days later; the great majority of the late ones issuing from their cocoons with the wings fully expanded and the anal filaments complete. Indeed the long filaments protrude from the cocoon and by laying hold of them the insect can be pulled out. It issues neturally backwards as do the males of other Coccide.

Soon after copulation the females fix themselves permanently and the males disappear. This occurs the latter part of May. The females at this time are attached mainly to the trunk and larger limbs. From this stage (the impregnated female) the secretion of honey dew is more pro- nounced than from the young females described in an earlier paragraph. It is given off in minute drops, which, according to Mr. Jack, are plainly visible while falling in the bright sunlight. The trunk, branches, and lower leaves are blackened, and many ants, wasps, and flies, as well as some beetles, are attracted.

The young lice begin to hatch in from three to four weeks after 1m- pregnation, and thus the life round is completed.

Mr. Jack’s original specimens were found upon Ulmus fulva in the Arnold Arboretum near Boston, and he afterwards found the species quite widely distributed in the vicinity of Boston, occurring upon U. americana and U. racemosa as well as upon the European species, U. montana and U. campestris. He found it more common on the American species than upon the European, and more abundantly upon U. fulva than upon U. americana. Upon the latter species he found that the Coccids preferably left the coarse bark of the trunk and ascended to the higher parts of the tree.

in Washington specimens have been found upon the Department grounds in considerable numbers only upon one of the varieties of the European Ulmus montana (probably var. rubra), only occasional speci- mens being found upon U. campestris and the American species grow- ing side by side with U. montana. U. fiélva, which is so badly infested

40

at Boston, is apparently untouched in Washington. In other parts of the eity the Coecids have been found in several instances upon the trunks of the large U. americana, but these trees are too tall to mount readily to ascertain the numbers on the limbs. On the infested U. montana at the Department the old females cluster thickly along the under sides of the lower limbs, and through July the young are scat- tered over the leaves feeding vigorously and growing rapidly. Were we considering this question of the varieties attacked from the Wash-

ington trees only we could very plausibly account for the occurrence -

of the species so abundantly upon montana and not on campestris for the reason that the leaves of campestris are completely skeletonized every summer by the larve of the imported Elm-leaf Beetle, while the leaves of montana are only partly eaten, thus giving the young Coccids abundant opportunity to develop on the latter and none at all on the former species; but unfortunately the facts from Cambridge obviate this simple conclusion.

AN.

DearS Jig GO

}

Fig. 5.—GossyPaRIA ULMI: a, female before impregnation—greatly enlarged; 0, male cocoons in natural position on limb—natural size; c, perfect male—greatly enlarged (original).

Upon ascertaining definitely during May the identity of the species with the European Gossyparia ulmi it immediately oceurred to us as a matter of course that it was quite natural that the insect should be abundantly found in the two localities of Boston and Washington in

41

the arboretums in which European elms were largely growing; but there was still their earlier occurrence at Rye, N. Y., to be explained. We therefore wrote to Mr. Fremd, June 26, to ascertain whether there were any European elms in his vicinity and whether the insects had increased, and received promptly the following very satisfactory reply:

I am just in receipt of yours, and will answer at once. At the time I wrote to you, in 1884, regarding the elm louse, I had several hundred of European elms in the nursery, and there are also quite a number of large trees, etc., in a number of lawns about Rye. The louse has disappeared from our trees altogether, how I don’t snow: "0.

The probable reason for the disappearance of the insects with Mr. Fremd was his use of the kerosene emulsion in 1884, as he wrote us under date of June 22, 1884, that he had used a weak emulsion and was about to try astronger one. This leads us to Mr. Jack’s statement that whale-oil soap with kerosene was successfully tried against the old scales on the trunks and larger limbs in the Arnold arboretum, but those upon the smaller limbs escaped. He did not know the strength of the solution.

This finding of Gossyparia ulmi upon American elms and upon Euro- pean elms in this country was quite to be expected, and the only won- der is that it has not been found and recognized before. The species of Coccide have already extremely wide ranges, and every season still further extends them. Of our admitted North American Coccid fauna twenty-three species are of European origin (one more doubtfully so), three are from Australiaand New Zealand, while sixty-nine are either truly North American or their original home is unknown. As several of these are found only on hot-house plants, they are certainly not North Amer- ican. Several others are found on both native and imported plants and there are no data upon which to decide upon their proper faunal posi- tion. The fact that the Gossyparia prefers American elms at Cambridge is by no means without precedent in the group, and as another instance it may be mentioned that the beautiful oak-scale A sterodiaspis quercicola (Bouché), recognized by Comstock in 1880 upon foreign oaks on the De- partment of Agriculture grounds, is at the present time to be found al- most solely upon American oaks in the same grove.

Since the completion of this article Professor Comstock has written us that he had himself recently decided that this insect is the European Gossyparia ulmi, and states that last winter he found it abundant upon elms in Saxony. Healso states that it has been sent him by Mr. Henry Edwards from New York City, and by Dr. Lintner from Marlborough, N.Y. Mr. Edwards informs us by letter that his New York specimens were obtained from English elms of three years’ growth.

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SOME MICHIGAN NOTES RECORDED. By TyLerR TOWNSEND.

The few notes here incorporated are selected and rewritten from an account of injurious insect appearances in the vicinity of Constantine, St. Joseph County, Mich., prepared by the writer three years ago (1886), and which it is not now thought advisable to publish in its original condition. The majority is omitted, only a few points being brought out which are considered of sufficient interest to be worthy of record.

Passing the Hymenoptera with the remark that the Raspberry Saw- fly (Selandria rubi) did some yearly injury from 1881 to 1886, we find in the Lepidoptera a number of species to be noticed. Of the two Cab- bage Butterflies (Pieris oleracea and rape), it is worthy of note that the native species was (up to 1886) usually the more abundant, both species, however, being quite injurious every year. Scudder records P. rape as reaching this part of Michigan in 1877, on the authority of A. J. Cook and KE. W. Allis. Thus for ten years at least the native butterfly has held its own against the foreign one, as it seems to have done for a shorter period of time in Colorado (see INSECT LIFE, I, p. 382).

The Peach-tree and Currant Borers (dgeria exitiosa and tipuliformis) are prominent, the first, aided perhaps by the bard winters, having ex- terminated the peach crop in this neighborhood. For several years up to 1881 a fine crop of this fruit was realized, and that year there was a splendid yield. In 1882 the yield was very small, many trees having died. Since then the trees were especially infested with this borer, which had previously been gaining steadily in its injuries for several years, and many trees had died every year, while none yielded fruit, until in 1886, in this immediate vicinity at least, hardly a live peach tree was to be found.

The Orange-striped Oak-worm (Anisota senatoria) was very abundant trom 1879 as far back as 1874, stripping red oaks especially of their foliage to an alarming extent. It gradually became less injurious each year until it almost disappeared. With the exception of a few iso- lated larvie seen in 1836 and some a year or two before, there had been none noticed for several vears back. Accounts this year (1889) indi- cate that it has again made its appearance.

The Boll Worm (Heliothis armigera) came under notice only once dur- ing a period of twelve years. This was in 1881, when the worms were frequently met within ears of green corn. The Army Worm (Leucania unipuncta) also appeared here in 1881, being in good force and entirely destroying many fields of grain, especially oats.

In 18386 the moths of a species of Agrotis (probably subgothica) were found in great numbers about houses, being especially numerous and

—

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active every evening during the latter part of May, the whole of June, and the first part of July, swarming on the upper-story windows of houses.

In the Diptera several species never known to be injurious occurred at times in some abundance. <A very sleek-looking, black, pubescent fly (Laphria canis Will., determined for me by Dr. Williston) appeared in very large numbers in May, 1886. They covered the grass as well as raspberry and currant bushes, and were to be seen on almost every- thing, yet it could not be ascertained that they did any injury. The species passes its larval state in the ground, probably feeding on the roots of plants or other vegetable substances, while in the perfect state, together with other members of its genus, it is rapacious. Some mem- bers of the family are even predaceous in their larval state, devour- ing the larve of beetles found in grassy places (Williston). In two local lists of Diptera, one of Montreal and the other of Philadelphia, this species is not included, but it was described by Dr. Williston from two specimens, ¢ and 2, taken in Connecticut, June 25. Three other Diptera were observed in considerable numbers on currant bushes in 1882, on May 9 and later in the same month. They are Bibio femoratus Wied., 6 and 2, asmaller undetermined species of Bibio, and Scatophaga stercoraria Linn. The first of these is given the locality ‘Atlantic States,” in Osten-Sacken’s list, and in the local lists just mentioned is recorded from Philadelphia, but not from Montreal; the last species occurs in both local lists. These three species appeared in more moder- ate numbers at the time than did Laphria canis in 1886, but were still quite numerous. They doubtless occur in smaller numbers every year, but were not noticed as particularly abundant after 1882.

Of the Coleoptera, one of the May beetles, Lachnosterna prunina, rather rare in collections, though locally abundant as wiil be seen, oc- curred in good numbers in 1886 on raspberry, blackberry, oak, and apple, in the evening, and there is good reason to believe that it has been nu- merous in previous years. It first appeared May 2. On May 22, at 11 o’clock in the evening, 82 specimens were beaten from raspberry bushes in the course of ahalfhour. It would seem that where there were so many of the beetles on the leaves they would be apt to cause sonre damage, vet the leaves had not been eaten. The beetles were abundant only on bushes in grass or sod, those kept clean of grass and weeds yielding very few specimens in proportion. In the larval state this species is, as are its congeners, destructive to the roots of grass. Numbers of the beetles were found every fine evening buzzing aboutin the grass in va- rious places and finally flying away, these being no doubt individuals which had but recently emerged from the pupa state. This is inexplana- tion of their being found in abundance only on the bushes that were in grassy places.

In the flemiptera, Brood XXII of the Periodical Cicada may be re-

+4

corded for this locality in 1885. Several other insects in this order may be noticed. Prominent among them is the Grape-vine Leaf-hop- per (Erythroneura vitis) which was very abundant in all its stages dur- ing the first part of September, 1886, on the leaves of the grape. It caused considerable injury by puncturing, and thus disfiguring the leaves. The perfect insects that were noticed here did not have the transverse reddish bands nearly so broad as generally represented in the figures of them, but very narrow, while all the rest of the insect is of a pale yellow.

The Grain Plant-louse (Siphonophora avene) occurs some years on wheat and oats, but has never done particular damage. However, this year (1889), reports from the vicinity of Constantine, and the local papers, state that it has appeared in large numbers.

The Maple Scale (Pulvinaria innumerabilis) was very abundant on the maples in 1884, being conspicuous and causing some alarm. It how- ever disappeared without particular injury.

A greenish-yellow or grayish plant-bug (Huschistus variolarius) was found in some numbers in July, 1886, on red raspberries. Quite a number of the berries were noticed on the bushes, each one having a specimen of this bug upon it, which from appearances seemed to have been engaged in the nefarious practice of piercing the berry and suck- ing its juices. One of these individuals was a nymph. This species is very common at present, and it would not take much increase to make it abundant, in which case some of our small fruits might sustain a slight amount of injury, though nothing probably that would be ap- preciable.

In the Orthoptera, many species of Acridide are common. The Red-legged Locust (Caloptenus femur-rubrum) was very abundant in August and September, 1886, in clover-stubble, meadows and pastures, and along roadsides everywhere; yet they were not particularly injuri- ous. Specimens were taken in coitu from September 3 to October 12 on fences along the roads in the country. The first winged specimens were noticed this year on August 9. The Lesser Locust (Caloptenus atlanis) occurs occasionally with the preceding. This species was taken in coitu from September 13 to October 13. Other species occurring with these are Caloptenus bivittatus and C. differentialis, which are usually numerous. These two species were taken with C. atlanis, August 9, early in the morning, on hollyhock seed-cups beginning to turn yellow, which they had evidently been eating, as holes were found iu their outer coverings.

PRELIMINARY NOTE UPON CHIONOBAS (GNEIS) MACOUNII, Edw. By JAMES FLETCHER, OTTAWA, CAN.

In the Canadian Entomologist (X VII, p. 74, 1885) Mr. W. H. Edwards describes the male of Chionobas macounii from about a dozen specimens discovered June 28, 1884, by Prof. John Macoun, the Canadian Govern- ment Botanist, at Nepigon on the Canadian Pacific Railway at the north- ern extremity of Lake Superior. In the last week of June, 1885, the same collector took a male and two females -

‘at a far distant locality, Morley, in the district of Alberta, N. W. T., lying at the eastern base of the Rocky Mount- ains. Up tothe present time these are the only known stations for this handsome species, which, in some respects, is the most remarkable and distinct species of the whcle genus. In size and general appearance it ap- proaches nearest to CO. californica, but the sexual bar of androconia, such 4,4 ¢ — qeypis macoun: iaikeroa eee a conspicuous feature in the males of from above; B, trom side, beginning of cut; Chionobas, is entirely wanting in the C, from side, end of cut—natural size (original). present species. The average expanse of the wing is, ¢ 55-65™™, 2 65-70"", In the Annual Report of the Entomological Society of On- tario, 1888, page 85, is an account of an expedition I had the pleasure of making with Mr. S. H. Scudder to Nepigon in the beginning of July, 1888, for the purpose of getting eggs so as to obtain a knowledge of the earlier stages. Although local, the species was found to be compara- tively abundant and about 250 eggs were secured. To reduce as much as possible the chance of failure in breeding these were distributed to about twenty different entomologists in various parts of America and Europe. The eggs hatched in three weeks, and notwithstanding that the larve ate readily of all grasses and sedges offered them there was great mortality amongst the growing caterpillars, and the only speci- mens I know of which were carried safely through the winter were those sent to Mr. C. E. Holmgren, in Sweden, and three which I had myself at Ottawa. These hatched July 27, 1888, passed first molt August 17, grew very little before winter, and hibernated in the second stage. They were left out-of-doors upon a living plant of Carex pedunculata and rested exposed upon the leaves, where they finished feeding with- out any protection and without spinning any silk.

3377—No. 2 2

46

The cold during the first part of the winter was very severe, the mer- cury frequently dropping to 20° below zero (Fahr.), and this, too, with- out any snow upon the ground. During February, 1889, however, much snow fell, and they were covered by 4 feet of snow until the middle of March. When the spring opened three larve revived, but only one would feed; this passed its second molt on April 15, the third on June 13, and the fourth on July 6. In Mr. Scudder’s Butterflies of New England (pp. 1775-1777), appear descriptions of the male, the female, and the first three stages of the larva. What I take to be the mature jarva is figured life size above* (eighteen days after fourth molt). The general colour is grayish-brown, striped with black and pale lines. As with many other grass-feeders, this caterpillar furnishes a good instance of protective mimicry. It is extremely sluggish in its habits, generally feeding very early in the morning, and then resting for several hours, head downwards, at the base of the tuft of sedge, when the colour, shape, and longitudinal stripes give an exact resemblance to the dead leaves and scales always found at the base of these plants. The dis- tinct dorsal and lateral stripes divide the body into widths equal to the leaves, and the faint subdorsal and stigmatal lines indicate the midribs, whilst many small black dots around these lines not a little resemble the minute parasitic fungi which so often discolour the leaves of grasses.

EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE.

Pieris rape in California.

In Insect LIFE, just received, I notice a note upon Pieris rape. In May, 1883, 1 captured in this place one male of that species (identified by George D. Hulst), since when I have never seen another specimen, although collecting butterflies every year, and usually extensively. That sample I have yet in my cabinet,

P. protodice is abundant here, but no great damage is done by it.—[W. G. Wright, San Bernardino, Cal., July 13, 1829.

Poisonous Spiders.

I send to-day in glass tube a specimen of Latrodectus verecundus, or “poison spi- der.” It is believed to occasionally bite people, with serious effect. I have myself known two people (one of them a lady) who were bitten, presumably by this species of spider, while in privies, and both persons were seriously ill for weeks. I presume that the interest in this subject is about over; if not, I can interview the doctor who attended the lady and the gentleman bitten and send you the results of the inquiry. Personally I know that this spider frequents such places as old buildings and privies, and it is my custom always to brush out with leafy twig all dark places before run- ning any risk.—[W. G. Wright, San Bernardino, Cal., July 13, 1889.

* This figure was drawn by Miss Sullivan from photographs and notes brought by Mr. Fletcher to Washington on a recent visit.—L. O. H.

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A Spider-bite Contribution.

As my brother receives INSECT LirE, in which I have found very many interest- ing things, Isee that you are taking up the question of the bite of spiders and that observations are desired. Here is one which unfortunately does not accord in its re- sults with those which have already been published on this subject.

In 1858, if I recollect rigbtly, being in Silao de la Victoria, near Guanajuato, they brought to me a little girl who had been bitten by one of those enormous spiders, quite common there, and which Mr. Leon Becker has named Metriopelma breyeri. The oblong tumified border was about 3 lines high, of a livid, violaceous color, filled with a serosity which I was not able to examine, not wishing to puncture the very thin epidermis. The center of the tumor was concave, and filled with hard pus. Eight days after the accident there was a little pain but there were no general symptoms. Unfortunately I was unable to follow the case, so that the observation remains in- complete, but I think that they would have brought the child back to me if there had been any serious consequences. It is impossible for me to recall the treatment which lemployed. Since that time I have never had occasion to see any one bitten by Me- triopelma, Theridion, or Scolopendra.—[ Dr. Alfred Dugés, Guanajuato, Mexico, May 28, 1889.

Blackbirds vs. Boll-worms.

On page 351, INsEcT LIFE, after comments on Blackbirds and the Boll-worm, it is remarked, ‘‘ This is an interesting experience, but was the evidence sufficient,” etc. To my mind it was, to encourage me that I had a friend in the blackbird, and that he was destroying boll-worms by the thousand. The facts are these:

My field of corn w. s in full roasting-ear, and the blackbirds were swarming in it. My hired man came to my library and told me we must get some boys with guns to shoot blackbirds, or they would ruin our corn. Ue added, ‘‘ The neighbors are all in their corn-fields shooting to drive away the blackbirds.” I told him to wait until I had time to see what the blackbirds were doing. On entering the field there were enough blackbirds in sight to have ruined the field of corn in a short time. I spent an hour or more in the field of 24 acres, and did not find an ear that showed the birds were eating the corn. The birds would light on the ears, and spend but a short time there, and pass to another ear. I noted ear after ear that I had seen a bird on, and I always waited until the bird had finished his work on it. I found on every such ear the marks of the boll-worm. They were developed enough to have commenced eating the grains. There were the evideuces that the worm had been there, and I saw the blackbirds there, and making passes as if picking out the worms, and after the bird had left the ear I could find no worm. The birds seemed to be busy hunting and eating this destructive and disgusting pest. I left the field pleased and grateful to the blackbirds. I told my hired man he need not waste any time or powder on the birds. They were welcome to hunt worms, and could take what corn they wanted to make a variety. Now, this is not sufficient to show that blackbirds are in the habit of feeding on the boll-worms, I know, but it satisfied me that the birds were destroying thousands of them for me. The season was dry, the meadows were short, and the grass dried on the hillsides overlooking my bottom fields. The conditions were these corn in full roasting-ear, the earth dry, and the weather hot. The corn at husking time was not injured by birds more than usual, which is so light as to be almost inappreciabie. I hope I may have opportunity this season to make further observations, and that the good work of the blackbirds may be established by many witnesses.—[L. N. Bonham, Columbus, Ohio, June 7, 1889.

Further on American Insecticides in India.

I have to thank you for No. 9 of your valuable publication, INsEcT LIFE, contain- ing my remarks upon insect pests and your foot-note to thesame. With reference to my note about the Lecanium found upon Mango trees, I have since heard from Mr.

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Douglas, who originally identified it as L. acuminatum of Signoret, that upon closer examination he considers it to be a distinct species. At his request I have accord- ingly described it as a new species 1a the April (No. 299) Entomologists’ Monthly Magazine under the name of Lecanium mangifere. Mr. Douglas appends a note to this article in which he mentions that the specimens received from Demerara should also be referred to this species.

From small experiments with kerosene soap emulsions I feel sure that your pro- poséd remedy would successfully exterminate the scale-bug so destructive to our coffee plants. But there are many serious difficulties in the way of its application on a sufficiently large scale. Some of these difficulties I note below for your considera- tion. The large size of plantations, varying from 200 to 1,000 acres, which, at the average rate of 1,500 trees per acre, gives from 30,000 to 1,500,000 individual trees to be treated on a single plantation. These plantations are situated on steep hill-sides, intersected only by narrow and rough foot-paths; consequently the liquid and appa- ratus would have to be transported entirely by hand labor. Unless this treatment were simultaneously undertaken by every planter, the infection would be continually re-imported. And even if united action could be made compulsory it would still be impossible to disinfect the indigenous trees and plants which at present act as reser- voirs of the pest. I fear that the expenditure necessary to meet all these difficulties would be quite prohibitive. But if you still consider otherwise, and would kindly give me an ideaof the probable cost of apparatus (or refer me to a manufacturer of the special nozzles and force-pumps used tn this work), I would estimate the cost of the treatment and lay the plan before our Planters’ Association.—[E. Ernest Green, Eton, Punduloya, Ceylon, June 1, 1889.

Repity.—* * * The fact that the crop is grown upon hill-sides and that the field is only intersected by narrow foot-paths would render one of the knapsack pumps the only one which could be used for this purpose. European manufacturers have placed upon the market a number of desirable knapsack pumps, some of them hold- ing several gallons, and all of them fitted with some modification of the Riley nozzle, which insures a fine spray and an economical distribution of the liquid. Knowing so little about the value of the crop and the amount of damage which the scale insects really cause, I can not pass judgment upon the advisability of the introduction of this remedy extensively, but I should surely say that it would pay to import one of the Vermorel pumps complete and make some careful experiments by its use with a good emulsion. * * * [July 3, 1889.]

A new Quince Enemy.

Tinclose herewith a match-box containing Quince leaves infested with insects. The Quince tree is in a garden among pears, peaches, plums, pomegranates, figs, grapes, apples, etc. This is the second year that the Quince has been infested, and to such an extent as to check its growth and render it un.ruitful, but I can discern the in- sects on no other tree. I should be glad to know the name of the pest and how to destroy it.—[W. Jennings, Thomasville, Ga., June 24, 1889.

Rep_Ly.—Your letter of June 24 and the accompanying specimens of the insects found upon the leaves of your Quince tree have been received. The insect is one which has nodistinctivecommonname. It feeds upon a variety of plants and is usually called, when found upon any particular one, by the name of the plant; as, when found upon hawthorn, it is called the ‘‘ Hawthorn Tingis,” when found upon butternut it is called the ‘‘ Butternut Tingis.” Its scientific name is Corythuca arcuata. It has not previ- ously been recorded upon quince so far as I know, and this habit will enable it to do considerable damage when occurring in great numbers. If you will spray your trees with a dilute emulsion of kerosene and soap you will be able to destroy the msects which are now present, and if you will burn the rubbish under the tree in the fall instead of making a mulch around the base you will probably lessen the appearance mext season. * * *—[June 28, 1889.]

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New Food-plant and Enemy of Icerya.

* * * For the first time I have found the Icerya infesting a Conifer—the Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani). The tree is growing in a yard in this city, and is infested with large numbers of the Icerya in allstages. In Professor Riley’s report for 1886 no mention is made of this insect having been found infesting any Conifer in California, although Mr. Maskell records having found it on pines, firs, and cypress in New Zealand.

I have also to record a new insect enemy of the Icerya. Mr. J. W. Wolfskill and Mr. Alexander Craw, of this city, both of whom are close observers of the habits of insects, inform me that they saw a long, slender, pale brownish beetle—the Telephorus consors of Le Conte—feeding upon the eggs of the Icerya, having first torn open the cottony covering of the eggs. Ihave bred this beetle from a larva found under a stone near the margin of a small stream of water, but have not been able as yet to ascertain what the larva feeds upon. I confined one of them in a box with a cut- worm, the larva of Teniocampa rufula Grote, but the Telephorid larva did not attack it, and finally died. Isit possible that this beetle has learned to feed upon the eggs of the Icerya from having seen the larve of the Australian Lady-bird do so?—[D. W. Coquillett, Los Angeles, Cal., May 29, 1889.

The Red-legged Fliea-beetle Again.

In regard to the Red-legged Flea-beetle, of which we wrote you last spring, stating that they were doing considerable wamage (a reply having been received from you), will say from one year’s experience that they are not so damaging as was at first sup- posed. The beetle does not migrate, as was first supposed, but remains on or near the ground that has been recently cleared of timber. We used a solution of Paris green on our infested trees last spring, and later in the season, finding that they did not disturb the trees of any account outside of their original haunts, we did nothing further, but waited for later developments. Early in the season the trees presented a dead appearance, but later they threw out a number of side branches, and by cutting out this spring the main branches, which are dead, and otherwise trimming the trees, they look about as well as ever, but have been thrown back one year and will be later in bearing in consequence. These same insects are noticeable where they were found last year, but not in such large numbers. They are damaging trees now, but principally on ground just cleared up.—[Stover and Stover, Edgemont, Md., April 23, 1889.

The Tarnished Plant-bug on Pear and Apple.

I inclose you in package and send by to-day’s mail sample of pear-tree foliage in- jured by what I take to be the Tarnished Plant-bug, also samples of bug. These in- sects have been working on the pear and apple trees ever since foliage started, and over more than half of this (McPherson) county have destroyed from one-fourth to one-third of the pear bloom and a smaller proportion of the apple. They appear to do the most damage to the tender terminal buds toward the top of the tree. The bugs are in larger quantities the present season, and, while I have observed them almost every year, this is the first time they have created such marked damage. IfI am wrong in the determination of the insects let me know.—[W. Knaus, McPherson, Kans., April 20, 1889.

REpLy.—I beg toacknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th instant, together with specimens of an insect which is damaging the foliage of pears and apples in your vicinity. This insect is, as you suppose, the Tarnished Plant-bug, which, as you may know, has been ascertained to be synonymous with the European Lygus praten- sis Linn., the names lineolaris and oblinitus falling before the old Linnean title. You

50

are of course familiar with the habits of this bug as published in Riley’s Second Missouri Report, pages 113 and 114, and in Forbes’ report as State entomologist of Illinois for 1883, and in Professor Riley’s report as Entomologist to this Department for 1884, pages 312 to 315. Kerosene emulsion will be the most effective remedy against it. * * * —[April 24, 1889.}

Walshia amorphelia and the Loco Weed.

By to-day’s mail I send you a small tin box containing a piece of the Loco Weed or Crazy Plant. You will observe that there are worms or grubs in the roots and stems. From observations made by myself and a fellow stock-grower we are led to believe it possible that the worms, eaten by stock, produce the craziness and some- times death, instead of the plant, as is generally supposed. Upon opening animals we alwaysfind many worms. An insect laysthe egg upon the plant, and the worm, when hatched, descends into the root. The insect is longish and bronze winged. We desire information as to whether our theory be a plausible one or no. If we are right in our conclusions, we hope to find some remedy. Anything you may be able to suggest or knowledge you may be pleased to impart will be very gratifying to us.—[ Thomas J. Quillian, Birmingham, Huerfano County, Colo., April 9, 1589.

RepLy.—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 9th instant, together with the box containing a piece of the Loco Weed, supposed to be infested by grubs in the roots and stems. On arrival at Washington the work done by the grubs was evident, but not a specimen of the grub itself was to be found. However, we have received what is probably the same thing on several occasions from your State, and the sender has always been under the same impression, that the worms were the cause ot the peculiar effect upon live stock. The maggots are harmless larve of a little moth known as Walshia amorphella, which occurs also in other allied plants, boring into the roots and stems. It has long since been decided that the peculiar effect of Loco Weed upon stock is due to some peculiar virtue of the plant itself, which I believe can not be ascertained by chemical analysis. Post-mortem examinations of diseased cattle and chemical examinations of the plant itself have been made by Dr. L. E. Sayer, dean of the department of pharmacy of the Kansas State University, from whom you might be able to ascertain something of value regarding treatment. In an article published in 1887 in the Drug Record concerning a post-mortem, he shows that the disease was one of the mucous and serous membranes, and recommends the following treatment:

Sellers Wall knnitthee eee Sade Gopoon dosecmos seencoceeses prs. cx. Corrosiversublimale: = sae = sae ae ene Sool aia aralaialeaeia gr. j. to gr. jss. IDT@U NO) Ae caeS 6oee Sede Sos sae cconad SSsces ces gecseacase 2].

IV COLING feats ea ase ae Saas nae eae ieee ete aa eel q. 8.

‘““Mix. Make a thin paste and giveatablespoonful. The belladonna and mercury may be increased according to the severity of the symptoms. Opium, combined with belladonna, might be advantageous at the beginning of the disease. Mild and non- irritating articles of food only should be given, such as oil-cake, ete.”—[ April 19, 1889. ]

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STEPS TOWARDS A REVISION OF CHAMBERS’ INDEX,* WITH NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES.

By Lorp WALSINGHAM. [ Continued from page 26 of Vol. II.) Lithocolletis fragilella F. & B.

The introduction of the name trifasciella Hw. into the North American lists rests first on the authority of Frey and Boll, who regarded specimens bred by them from Lonicera sempervirens as a form of this species. This was subsequently confirmed by Chambers, who, however, confused the species with his marieella bred from a nearly allied plant—Symphoricarpa. I subsequently pointed out that mariwella was quite distinct from trifasciella, but confirmed the occurrence of trifasciella in America on the authority of a specimen, received from Dr. Riley, bred ‘* from leaves of honey- suckle.” Iam now ina position to makefurther corrections. Frey and Boll in their last paper (Stett. Ent. Zeit., XX XIX, 270-271), described fragilella from larvie feeding on leaves of Lonicera albida, and specimens.of this are now before me, together with a leaf mined by the larvie. Notwithstanding the remarks of these authors that this species is not nearly allied to any European form, I find it is so close to trifasciella Hw. as to be almost undistinguishable from it. It differs from that species precisely in the same peculiarity as Frey and Boll pointed out to distinguish their supposed variety from the European form, viz, in the different markings towards the apex of the wing including one extra small, white, costal streak. I have little doubt that this species is the one originally regarded by them as a variety of trifasciella. On again referring to the specimen received from Dr. Riley I find it to be the same as fragilella F. & B.; the close affinity of this species with trifasciella may be sufficient excuse for my previous error, as at that time I was unacquainted with Frey & Boll’s species. Under these circumstances trifasciella must be erased from the American lists. The most noticeable characters by which fragilella may be distinguished from it are, first, the presence of an extra small, whitish, costal streak, beyond the interrupted third fascia, and secondly the absence of a subcostal shade of dark fuscous scaling, which in trifasciella commences at the base of the wing and reaches to the first fascia. In fragilella this fascia is densely dark-margined on the inner-side but in no one of the five specimens now before me does the dark dusting reach to the base of the wing.

Lithocolletis consimilella F. & B. and affinis F. & B.

Frey and Boll described Consimilella in 1873, bred from mixed mines, and in 1876 afinis from a red-fruited Lonicera. I have authentic specimens of both these from Boll’s collection ; consimilella from Zeller’s cabinet, and affinis from Monsr. Ragonot, named by Boll, and although there is a slight difference in their size, they are scarcely distinguishable from each other. In affinis, the smaller of the two species, the frontal tuft is of a darker and more reddish-saffron, and the whole costal portion of the third fascia is decidedly more triangular and more conspicuous than in consi- milella, in which it is confined to a very narrow line, scarcely wider than the black marginal dusting which precedes it. Moreover, at the base of the cilia, below the apex, there is no trace in affinis of the dusting of dark scales which is to be seen in consimilella, and the whole insect is also distinguished by a somewhat brighter and more glistening appearance, both of the ground-color and also of the silvery mark- ings. The larva of consimilella being at present unknown, I hope to promote its dis- covery by pointing out these distinguishing differences.

* Index to the described Tineina of the United States and Canada. V. T. Cham- bers. Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geog. Surv., IV (1), 1878.

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Lithoccolletis lucetiella Clem. == wenigmatella F. & B.

I find in Zeller’s collection a specimen of enigmatella F. & B., received from Boll, which agrees with a specimen compared with Clemens’ type of lucetiella in the col- lection of the Entomological Society at Philadelphia. Iam therefore able to say that these two names are synonyms for one species, so distinct in appearance from any other known Lithocolletis that confusion is rendered impossible.

Lithocolletis celtifoliella Chamb.

= nonfasciella Chamb. = celtisella Chamb.. = pusillifoliella F. & B.

From actual date of publication nonfasciella would take precedence, but both the name and the description being founded on peculiarities which only exist in worn specimens, it falls under Strickland’s Rule XI: ‘‘A name whose meaning is glaringly false may be changed.” Chambers himself (Bull. U.S. G. G. Surv., IV., 155) says of nonfasciella, ‘‘This must be dropped from the list; there is no such species. It was described from varieties and old specimens of L. celtisella Chamb.” The name non- fasciella must consequently be treated as asynonym. Chambers’s description of celti- foliella differs from that of celtisella especially in having a third fascia, but this ap- pears to be very near the apex of the wing, and frequently somewhat obliterated by the dark dusting. Since Chambers has admitted that he was somewhat confused in the first instance by the apparently different habits of the larve, I think we may con- clude that his two species, celtifoliella and celtisella, come fairly within the range of varieties noticed by Frey and Boll. In the Stett. Ent. Zeit., XX XIX, 274-5, Frey and Boll admit that their pusillifoliella is the same as celtisella Chamb., although in the notes by Professor Frey, published by Dr. Hagan (Papilio IV, 152) we find “ celtisella Chb. 15 Ky. (new to me).” They confirm Chambers’ observations as to the peculiarity of the larva mining both sides of the leaf, and remark upon the extreme variability of the perfect insect, some specimens of which might easily be regarded as belonging to a distinct form.

In the absence of further proof to the contrary I should regard celtisella Chamb. aud pusillifoliella F. & B. as synonyms of celtifoliella Chamb.

Lithocolletis morrisella Fitch. = teranella Z.

Fitch, in describing his Argyromiges morrisella, remarks that it differs from 4. pseudacaciella Fitch (= robiniella Clem.), in that ‘‘ the inner half of the fore wings is black, slightly tinged posteriorly with golden yellow, and interrupted at equal dis- tances by three white spots or short bands narrowing towards their inner ends, and between each of these is a less distinct white spot or cloud. Forward of the anterior white spot the color is more pure and coal-black, forming an oblong square spot oc- cupying the inner half of the base of the wing, which spot is bordered along its inner side by a slender white stripe placed upon the middle of the wing at its base, its hind end uniting with the inner end of the anterior white spot.”

Now. with the exception of the intermediate white spots or clouds, which are not recognizable in Zeller’s figure, the differences described are precisely those which sep-

" arate texanella Z. from robiniella Clem. The dark dorsal margin is particularly notice- able in Zeller’s figure and specimens (his type is now before me), and the slightest abrasion of scales between the white dorsal streaks produces the effect of an indis- tinct intermediate cloud. Iam unable to resist the conclusion that Dr. Fitch had be- fore him the three closely allied species which have since been found to feed respect-

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ively upon Robinia, Amorpha, and Amphicarpea, and are best known under the names of robiniella Clem., amorphwella Chamb., and teranella Z, There can be no doubt as to the precedence in nomenclature as between morrisella and texanella, if my theory is correct, the name morrisella having been published many years before Zeller’s paper.

Lithocolletis uhlerella, Fitch. = amorpheella, Chamb. = amorphe, F. & B.

Fitch’s description of Argyromiges uhlerella, although brief, applies with sufficient precision to the Amorpha-mining Lithocolletis, described by Chambers as amorphwella, and by Frey and Boll as amorphe. Fitch states that ‘it resembles pseudacaciella

= robiniella Clem.), but it is throughout of paler colors, its forewings being golden- grey” (rather than “ uniform brilliant golden”) and ‘the black dut on the tip of the wings is replaced by a short black stripe thrice as long as wide.” | This precisely de- scribes the differences that separate amorpheella from robiniella, and we may at once give precedence to Fitch’s name whlerella for this species.

Lithocolletis ostensackenella, Fitch. = ornatella, Chamb.

Another species of which the description is clear and absolutely unmistakable is Argyromiges ostensackenella, Fitch. Specimens of ornatella, Chamb., are now before me, and I can see no reason to doubt that this was the species from which Dr. Fitch wrote his description, although I have not had an opportunity of seeing his type.

Lithocolletis gemmea, F. & B.

When describing this species Frey and Boll were doubtful whether it were distinct from Parectopa robiniella Clem., not having properly recognized the latter species at that time, and Chambers asserts positively (Cin. Qr. Jr. Se. I, 209-10) that LZ. gemmea F. & B. = Parectopa robiniella Clem. Iam at a loss to understand how he could have made such a mistake. I have a specimen of the insect from the Zeller collection col- jected by Boll which agrees precisely with the description of gemmea and is so labeled. It would be utterly impossible to apply toit the description of Parectopa robiniella, which does not possess a transverse fascia and is of a totally different color. I ob- serve that Chambers subsequently discovered his mistake and recanted (Can. Ent. XI, of 144-5).

L. gemmea is a true Lithocolletis and apparently a good and distinct species.

Lithocolletis ostryzfoliella, Clem. = mirifica, F. & B.

Chambers suggests (Cin. Qr. Jr. Sce., I, 202) that mirifica may be the same as ostry- efoliella. Iam inclined to agree with him. Lithocolletis tritzeniella, Chamb. = consimilella, F. & B.

On the same page Chambers expresses his opinion that Frey and Boll have rede- scribed triteniella under the name consimilella. Ihave a figure of a specimen of tri- teniella, named by Chambers himself, and presented by him to the Peabody Academy of Sciences, Salem, Mass., and an authenticated specimen of consimilella from the Zeller collection. There is, I think, no doubt that these two names apply to the sale species.

Lithocolletis guttifinitella, Clem.

Chambers (Can. Ent., III, 111) describes esculisella as a variety of guttifinitella, but notices that the larva differs decidedly from that of the type. It seems impossible to

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believe that the same species mines leaves of Rhus toxicodendron, one of the Anacar- dacew, and also those of Asculus glabra belonging to the Sapindacee. He then pro- ceeds to describe another species, coryliella, also very nearly allied to guttifinitella but feeding on Corylus americana, and his variety ostrywella mining Ostrya virginica is said to bear the same relationship to coryliella as esculisella bears to guttifinitella, Itis more possible to conceive that this is only a variety, since the two food plants belong to the same family. He gives a table showing the differences between the larve of these four species, or varieties, which he finds to be constant and striking. It would seem perhaps to be a somewhat arbitrary proceeding to raise to specific value an in- sect described as an undistinguishable variety. I shall content myself with drawing special attention to these two descriptions of supposed varieties in the hope that at some future time those who have the opportunity of breeding the species will clear up the doubts that certainly exist in my mind about them.

Lithocolletis atomariella, Z.

Zeller placed atomariella in his cabinet between pastorella Z. and populifoliella Tr., and the differences, although slight, are sufficient to separate it from both.

Lithocolletis salicifoliella Chamb.

This species is also very closely allied to, but distinct from, pasiorella Z. and popu- lifoliclla Tr. It isin all probability identical with the larva described under the same name by Clemens.

Lithocolletis ambrosiella Chamb.

A group of species allied to this typical form has been described by Chambers and Frey and Boll. These include ignota F. & B., heleanthivorella Chamb., bostonica F. & B., elephantopodella F. & B., amwna F. & B., actinomeridis F. & B., and nobilissima F. & B. (the latter can only be treated as an MS. name, no detailed description having been published), all feeding upon various Composite. The name ambrosiwella was corrected to ambrosiella by F. & B. (Stett. Ent. Zeit., XX XIX, 267). L. ignota F. & B. seems to be the same as heleanthivorella Chamb., as suggested by Chambers—ignoia takes precedence.

I have not sufficient material at hand to determine whether the other species should, or should not, be retained as distinct. For the purpose of the revised index and until more evidence is forthcoming to identify them, they must certainly be re-

spected. (To be continued.)

GENERAL NOTES.

HONORS TO AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGY.

Professor Riley, chief of this Divisiou, has just been elected an hon- orary fellow of the Entomological Society of London. Dr. Riley is the third American who has received this honor, the others being Dr. H. A. Hagen of Cambridge, who was elected in 1863, and Dr. A. 8. Pack- ard, elected in 1884. The Transactions for 1888 show that there are only ten living honorary fellows.

Professor Riley has also been created chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French Government. This action had no reference to

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his official connection with the Exposition, but was taken on account of his researches in applied Entomology, particularly with reference to their value to French agriculture. This latter honor has been offered to Professor Riley before, but he has previously declined it on the sup- position that an officer of this Government is not allowed to accept such decorations. His acceptance at the present time is conditional, of course, on the permission of this Government.—lL. O. H.

A NEW EAST INDIAN GENUS OF COCCID.

Mr. EH. T. Atkinsen, of Calcutta, has just published, in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (VOL. lviii, Part ii, No. 1, 1889), descriptions and figures of anew genus of Bark-lice found at Mung- pha, in Sikkim, on Quercus incarna, Castania india, and C. tribuloides. The insect resembles Pulvinaria except that its larve have distinct anal tubercles. It is a Hemicoccid resembling the Lecanids in general “appearance. The secretion is abundant and close during the larval state. In the second stage it becomes more waxy so as to approach, in appearance, the genus Orthesia, and the mass of wax on the leaves is more like detached or attached plates than threads.

CANNIBALISM WITH LADY-BIRDS.

Mr. J. W. Slater, in Science Gossip for July, 1889, states that he has seen the larve of Coccinella dispar attack the pupe of its own species and destroy them. He has witnessed such instances of cannibalism not merely in a glass box in which he had placed some larvee and pupe, but-on a row of currant bushes where Aphids were swarming. He fears that the Coccinellids are deliberate and habitual cannibals, and that this practice seriously interferes with the multiplication of the species and limits their usefulness as plant-louse destroyers. He has never observed the adults engaged in this reprehensible habit.

DAMAGE BY THE PEAR MIDGE.

Rey. E. N. Bloomfield, of Hastings, England, reports in the July number of the Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine that considerable dam- age was done to Pears this spring in his vicinity by this insect (Diplosis pyrivora, Riley).

ICERYA PURCHASI NOT IN FLORIDA.

The several recent scares concerning the supposed appearance of the Fluted Scale of California in Florida appear, upon the best information which we have been able to secure, to have been founded upon errors in determination. In two instances the common Mealy Bug (Dactylo- ptus citri) was the insect mistaken for Icerya, and in one case the insect causing the scare was the Florida Wax-scale (Ceroplastes floridensis).

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A NEW STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE.

The legislative assembly of the State of Oregon passed last February an act to create a State board of horticulture and to appropriate money therefor. The board has been appointed and consists of one commis- sioner from each of five districts and one from the State at large. It has published two bulletins in circular form—No. 1, dated April 10, and No. 2, dated June 1—which deal with entomological matters. We no- tice from these circulars that the arsenical mixtures must be used in greater dilution than in the East. This point had already been brought out by California experiments. The Oregon people have found that one pound of London purple to 150 gallons of water will burn the foliage of

apple. THE ARMY WORM IN INDIANA. ;

The Army Worm has appeared this spring in several localities in the State of Indiana, and an account recently received, the latter part of June, from Mr. A. E. Mogle, of Kewanna, indicated that so much damage was being done in Fulton and other counties that our Mr. Webster was directed to visit the spot. He reached Kewanna July 3 and found that the worms had entirely disappeared. He visited the principal field infested, which was a 25-acre rye field, and found the crop a tota] loss. The field was on boggy land and was growing very rank, and there seemed no doubt but that this was where the insect originated. No at- tempt was made to save this field, but all energy was spent to prevent the worm from migrating to others by ditching and flooding the ditches. Cattle were also driven back and forth to trample upon the worms. Very few healthy pup were found, but many Tachinid puparia.

DOINGS OF AGROTIS CUPIDISSIMA.

In the early spring of this year and just as the buds upon grape-vines had expanded there appeared numerous examples of half grown larve of what afterwards yielded the Noctua (Agrotis) cupidissima Grote. These larve were in immensenumbers, causing the loss of the first vint- age in some vines, while in others the vines were kept alive only by the breaking forth of latent buds. This condition of things occurred over wide-spread areas in different parts of the State as far apart as Napa Valley and Tulare.

Visitations of this kind of caterpillar had not been observed before and it was chronicled as a new pest of the grape-vine. I visited the afflicted district of Napa County and found some few larvee of Plusia californica and also some Mamestra-like larvze likewise feeding upon the vines. I received many letters and consignments of worms; the per- sons sending always asked for remedies. As Agrotis, Plusia, and Mamestra larv do not ordinarily select the grape-vine as food, I con- cluded there must be an unusual cause. I think the cause to be this: The rain fall of this season was much prolonged; the weeds grew rank,

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feeding and harboring an unusual number of Noctuid larvee, and when plowing became practicable the worms were already of large size; the plowing destroyed their food plants so that the larvee had no choice but to fall upon the grape-vines or perish, but they proved themselves equal to the change of pabulum.

The remedy under like conditions should be earlier plowing, but if cultivation is retarded by late rains then plowing should be deferred still later to allow the broods of caterpillars to pupate.—J. J. Rivers.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ICERYA IN NEW ZEALAND.

Mr. R. Allan Wight, who seems to have kept track of the Icerya in New Zealand better than any one else, in a recent letter gives the fol- lowing interesting facts concerning the disappearance of this pest, apropos to a recently published statement of Mr. Maskell’s to the effect that Icerya was present in Grafton Road Valley six years ago:

The Icery, were not only in miliions in Grafton Road Valley, as he describes six years ago, but such was the case fourteen months ago. Yes, and also at Takapuna, Ponsonby, New Market, Waikomiti, Wairoa South, and several other places, where Mr, Maskell never saw them atall. These beetles have sprung up suddenly, and the work they have done is positively incredible. In March, 1858, I passed through Auckland to go to Whangarei, in the north, to advise people on the Icerya question (it had broken out there), and I found the pest white on everything in and around the city and for 20 miles in several districts. In February, 1889, I was againin Auckland and lo, it was gone! I found some, of course, but only ‘“‘here and there a one.” Did I not do well, then, to advise Mr. Koebele to go to Napier, where there was still a re- treating host of theenemy ? Yes; and, believe me, if you can only succeed in keeping these beetles from your birds they will clear the Icerya as the sun melts the snow from the mountain. Last March I visited the Wairoa South, where I saw the last of Icerya hanging to the Acacia undulata twigs, with ova sacs torn and empty, and I saw thousands upon thousands of the little C. Nova Zealandia in imago pupa and larva form, but mostly in the two first stages. My daughter, who lives there and whe inherits her father’s love of nature, undertook to watch them for me, and she now reports that the Coleoptera are all gone out of sight, and no more Icery are as yet to be seen.

A PECULIARITY OF CERTAIN CADDIS-FLIES.

Mr. K. Flach, in the Wiener Entomologische Zeitung for June 25, men- tions the fact that among the species of the genera Aderces, Asta- topteryx and especially Neuglenes, specimens occur provided with wings and large black eyes, while others are found in which these organs are rudimentary or entirely wanting. Several explanations of this peculiar- ity have been advanced. Gillmeister and Erichson considered the forms as distinct species. Matthews considered those provided with eyes as females and the blind ones as males. Reitter insisted that, in conform- _ ity with all known analogous cases, the blind ones are the females and those with eyes the males. Flach’s investigations have, however, proven without a doubt the rather surprising fact that sexes occur in both forms indicating the existence of alternating generations, the blind form being stationary while those provided with eyes and wings are

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migratory. He found Neuglenes apterus at different times in decaying poplars, without being able to explain how it was possible for them to get to such situations on account of their feebleness and awkwardness and the dryness of the air. The distribution of the species, however, over the whole of Europe points with certainty to a greater agility than the blind and wingless form could possibly have. In the same way Flach had not been able to explain the wide distribution in the East of the blind Pteliolum oedipus until the mystery was solved by the discov- ery of a female with well-developed eyes and wings among seventy specimens of the degraded form from the Caucasus. He concludes that as forms with eyes as arule appear to be much scarcer than the blind ones it would be a very interesting investigation to endeavor to decide to what particular conditions of their mode of life the change is due (light or dryness), or, have such changes taken place at cyclic intervals?

CATERPILLARS STOPPING TRAINS.

Under this caption we printed in No. 1, Vol. I, page 30, an occurrence in South Carolina, which turned out on investigation to be a great ex- aggeration.

On June 29 of the present year we received a letter from Mr. Stark Webster, of Mattawamkeag, Me., inclosing a clipping from the Upper River News of May 28, detailing a very similar circumstance. Mr. Web- ster also stated that in the Northern Penobscot region the same worm de- foliated most of the orchards and all of the poplars, leaving them as bare as in mid-winter. Healso noted that many of the cocoons spun in the latter part of June contained a large white maggot. A subsequent let- ter, dated July 6, was accompanied by specimens in which it was seen that the insect they contained was the Tent Caterpillar of the Forest (Clisiocampa sylvatica), aud Mr. Webster wrote further that they seemed to prefer Poplar, and also fed upon Oak and Cherry, and after all these are stripped they attack the Elm, Gray Birch, Willow, Rock Maple, and some other trees.

In the first volume of the American Entomoiogist, page 210, the oc- currence of this Same species upon a railroad track in great numbers was recorded.

The newspaper clipping which Mr. Webster sent is here reprinted with its head-lines, although for the sake of brevity we do not use the same display.

The grand march of the caterpillars.—They blockade a train on the Canadian Pa-

cific.—Freight locomotives and railroad men powerless.—Mosquitoes join in the raid and do bloody work.—Additional motive power and sand effect their release.

The first freight train run in connection with the Bangor and Piscataquis over the Canadian Pacific met with a novel and what at one time threatened to be a serious as well as a laughable mishap Sunday. Our managing editor was in it. At a point a few miles from Sebois, on the Canadian road, the Messrs. Pierce Brothers, of Milo, had collected 1,500 ship knees, and Superintendent Van Zile sent down a big engine and eleven flats to draw them up to Brownville crossing.

They were loaded, and the return trip of 15 miles was begun, which occupied ten

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hours. When the train had proceeded a few miles, and when it was on ashort grade, it was brought to a standstill by an army of small, gray caterpillars, greasing the track and driving-wheels to such an extent as to almost entirely suspend friction between the rails and the driving-wheels. In some places they were half an inch thick, and the army stretched out 11 miles.

The night previous, as the time-keeper, who had about 20 miles to cover, was work- ing homeward on his jigger, or railroad velocipede, he encountered the advance guard, and for half a mile pushed his machine along the rail by hand

Section men undertook to sweep them off with alder bushes, but the slight touch of the twigs would crush them and lubricate the rails, and the mass formed like dough upon the driving-wheels.

The train in going down passed throug? these and others, but the big collection came during the forenoon and while the knees were being loaded. Of course, sand was used, but it did not avail much, and Superintendent Van Zile was wired, and he ordered out another locomotive from Sebois.

On her arrival there began a series of charges at that grade, which now had been liberally sprinkled with sand, but the animal life was so thick that various attempts were unsuccessful, and it was not until late at night and the sun had gone down that the creeping things desisted in their march.

With these there had come clouds of mosquitoes, and they very materially aided the other insects by pitching most vigorously into the men, seemingly drawing blood from all nationalities alike, and the sight of a sweating, swearing railroad laborer, frantically brandishing alder bonghs over his head with one hand, while with the other he scraped caterpillars, was laughable in the extreme.

The matter has at once engaged the attention of Superintendent Van Zile, who is trying to find out from the encyclopedia how long the march of these Maine hosts continues, and it is quite likely that the road alongside this section will be ditched and flooded with running water. Nothing like it was ever known hereabouts be- fore, but then sunlight was never before let into the wilds of Maine as the Cana- dian road has let it in, and there may be unknown difficulties to come consequent upon it.

LOCUSTS IN ALGERIA.

The French Government has lately been seriously occupied with the question of Locust ravages in Algeria, while the Algerians have been doing the best they know how to defend themselves against the plague. That they are yet unfamiliar with some of our American methods is shown by the following abstract of a communication from Constantine, Algeria, dated June 14, to the Paris Petit Journal of June 19.

The Algerians levied a tax of 4,000,000 francs to carry on the war against these Locusts, but unfortunately this subsidy was only avail- able at the time when the Locusts, having passed their last stage of de- velopment, die after laying their eggs and stocking the country for an- other year.

* The Algerians had offered pay for the collecting of Locust eggs. The price given was small (75 centimes per decaliter), but the 14,000,000 de- caliters which were collected and destroyed were but a fraction of what remained.

The hatching of the remaining eggs, being retarded by violent rains, did not take place before the end of April last. As soon as the first batching occurred vigorous measures of defense were taken by beating the ground with branches of trees in leaf.

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When the Locusts have hatched in such large quantities thatthe force of men at hand is not sufficient to destroy them immediately after hatch- ing, this beating is no longer employed. The Melhafa must then be used. This consists of a cloth 5 by 2 meters, which is set on end per- pendicularly upon the ground, and folded at an obtuse angle; the Lo- custs are then driven into this cloth, which is then folded over them, when they are crushed, thrown into pits, and covered with quick-lime.

A last means of defense, the Cypriote machine (of which we have no ‘description) is employed when the two former methods fail. Locusts which escape from this machine have been flying in such compact masses as to obscure the sunlight, generally flying before the wind.

All able-bodied men of any nationality, from the ages of 18 to 55, have been pressed into service. Even the army of Algeria, including the troops in Alger and Oran, were sent to the hatching points. The Algerians submit to this requisition willingly and without complaint.— ery, BR.

THE NEW CATTLE-FLY OR HORN FLY.

Many notes have appeared in the papers during the last summer and the present summer concerning a new pest which is worrying cattle in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and northern Vir- ginia. It is a small fly half the size of a house fly, which settles in great numbers around the base of the horns and on other portions of the body where it can not be reached by either the tail or the head of the animal. It sucks a moderate amount of blood, reduces the condi- tion of the cattle, and lessens the yield of milk by from one-third to one-half. It has been named by Dr. Williston Heematobia cornicola. We are investigating its Virginia and Maryland occurrences, and have succeeded in tracing its life history. We find that the fly lays its eggs, usually at night, in freshly dropped cow dung, and that for the devel- opment from the egg through the maggot stage to the perfect fly a space of only twelve days is necessary. This rapidity of reproduction accounts for the wonderful numbers in which these flies appear, and it follows with reasonable certainty that thoroughly liming the dung in places where the cattle preferably stand at night will kill off many larvee and greatly lessen the numbers of the flies.

On large stock farms little else can be done, but applications may be | made to milch cows and valuable animals which will keep the flies | away. The applications may be (1) fish-oil and pine tar with a little | sulphur added; (2) tobacco dust, when the skin is not broken; (3) tal- | low and a small amount of carbolic acid. The latter application will | also have a healing effect where sores have formed.

We expect to publish a full and illustrated account of this insect at — the close of the season.

con ww

ee DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY.

PERIODICAL BULLETIN. SEPTEMBER, 1889. re) eee INGGaiee

INSECT LIFE.

DEVOTED TO THE ECONOMY AND LIFE-HABITS OF INSECTS, ESPECIALLY IN THEIR RELATIONS TO AGRICULTURE, AND EDITED BY THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND HIS ASSISTANTS.

(PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. J

WASEBING TON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1889.

CONTENTS:

SPE CUMEMIN ODES) sacs sstie cio se ioe Dio See oon S ele elek Sale wie /atoleim eaSeiciae lucia ieieiesicte are eietetere DERMESTES VULPINUS IN GOAT-SKINS (illustrated) -........ Frank M. Jones-. MIKE APANKSH RACH EH RUITSWORM .c.ces coccee .ccices sceceeles ceoula-eeeereer A REPORT ON THE LESSER MIGRATORY LOCUST.....-.---..--- C. LL. Martati-- THE IMPORTED AUSTRALIAN LADY-BIRD (illustrated)....-... D. W. Coquillett.. BP XVHACTSEHROM CORRESPONDENCE). oc coc coc cco ae ee aie siclee see sce neers ee

Enemies of Diabrotica.—The New Zealand Latrodectus.—Chinch-bug Rem- edies.—Cut- worms.—An Army-worm from Indiana. STEPS TOWARDS A REVISION OF CHAMBERS’ INDEX, ETC....Lord Walsing‘am. .- CENMORAT: NOUES 522-3500. owls ksatsere sa cnep nga aecshece ame teeee ls ea es See The amended California horticultural Law.—New Codling Moth and Peach Borer Enemies.—Some Pacific Coast Habits of the Codling Moth.—The Effect of arsenical Lasecticides upon the Houey Bee.—Nematode Injury to Cane-fields in Java.—The Importation of Ocneria dispar.—Another Leaf-hopper Remedy.—A Cabbage Maggot Experiment.—How often has this been noticed ?—Does the Wheat-stem Maggot, Meromyza amer- icana, discriminate between different Varieties of Wheat ?—The Asso- ciation of Official Economic Entomologists.—The Entomological Club of the A. A. A. S.—Dynastes tityus in Indiana.—The Field Cricket de- stroying Strawberries.—The Plum Curculio Scare in California.— Lachnus longistigma on the Linden in Washington.

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Vol. II, No. 3.] JONES OMe 3 Gia Be {[September, 1889.

SPECIAL NOTES.

Insect Pests in East India—We have just received through the kind- ness of Mr. E. C. Cotes, of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, a very inter- esting paper, entitled ‘‘ Notes on Indian Insect Pests,” which forms No. L of Vol. Lof the “ Indian Museum Notes,” published by the trustees of the museum and by the authority of the revenue and agricultural department of the Government of India. This publication is to take the place of ‘“* Notes on Economic Entomology,” of which two numbers have appeared. The present number is divided into three parts; the first part contains ‘“‘ Notes on Rhynchota,” by Mr. E. T. Atkinson, and includes short articles upon the Rice Sapper (Leptocorisa acuta), an insect which considerably injures the autumn rice by settling upon it when it is milky and sucking out the juice, leaving the husk dry; as many as 6 to 10 of the insects have been seen upon a Single ear; the Chora-poka (probably Carbula biguttata), an insect which appears in vast numbers when the sesamum crop is gathered and stacked on the threshing floor and eats out the kernel of the seed, leaving only the husk; the Green Bug (Nezara viridula), which occurs upon potato halms; also several species of Capside, Jasside, Aphide, and Coccide. A new species of Cerataphis and a new species of Pemphigus are men- tioned as feeding upon Cinchona. The second part is by Mr. L. de Nicéville, and treats of a Butterfly injurious to Rice and the Ceylon cardamom pest. The butterfly is Saustus gremius, and the larve feed upon the leaves of rice. The cardamom pest is Lamphides elpis, the larva of which bores circular holes into the capsules and destroys the contents. The damage done by this latter pest is sometimes as great as 80 to 90 per cent. to young plantations. Between from 5 to 10 per cent. of the fruit capsules are perforated.

In the third part Mr. BE. C. Cotes gives us further notes on the Wheat and Rice Weevil, on the Sugar-cane Borer-moth (Chilo saccha- ralis), the Sorghum borer (species not determined), a caterpillar in- jurioug to tea, cut-worms, a moth injuring a cultivated timber tree known as Cedrela toona, Clothes moths, Hispa enescens injuring rice, a

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species of Tomicus which bores in the Makai tree (Shorea assamica), a bamboo borer, the Leather Beetle (Dermestes vulpinus), which is men- . tioned as damaging silk-worm cocoons, further notes on insecticides, short notes on miscellaneous insect pests, and extracts from corre- spondence.

Among the short notes on miscellaneous insects we may mention as of especial interest the damage done by Heliothis armigera to the poppy crop in Patna and Arrah, the occurrence of a bag worm upon tea bushes, the damage done to the castor-oil plant by the larva of a noctuid moth known as Achwa melicerte, the damage done to jute crops by caterpillars, the Spilarctia suffusa, the injury by Tinea lucidella to the horns of hollow horned ruminants, damage to the leaf covering of opium balls by Lasioderma testaceum, a species which also injures manilla and Indian cheroots. Many other insect notes of considerable interest occur and many of them are accompanied by both their Indian names and particulars of the plants which they infest. The paper is illustrated by four very good plates reproduced by a photo-etching process.

The Lesser Migratory Locust.—Since the destructive year 1883, this in- sect has not done much damage in the interesting region of southern New Hampshire, which we wrote up at some length in the Annual Re- port of this Department for that year, but the present season has brought another outbreak, and in July we sent Mr. Marlatt, of this Division, into the field to look into the condition of affairs, to advise with the farmers concerning remedies, and to collect facts relating to the years intervening between the present date and 1883. We publish in this number his report of his short investigation, and this account will bring the history of locust damage in that locality down to the present time.

New Injury by the Leather Beetle—Mr. I’. M. Jones, of Wilmington, has called our attention to the damage done by this insect in many of the large establishments of that city to goat-skins used in the prepara- tion of morocco leather. Mr. Jones has prepared a short article at our request, which we publish in this number.

——__—

The Official Association of Economic Entomologists.—We print under the head of general notes the constitution of this new organization, to- gether with the lists of officers and charter members. The next meet- ing will soon be held, and we would urge all economic entomologists to read the constitution carefully, and, if they feel themselves in sym- pathy with the Association, to send their credentials and names to the secretary, Prof. J. B. Smith, at New Brunswick, N. J. That this asso-

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ciation will have a successful future and that it will accomplish the results anticipated can hardly be doubted. The greatest enthusiasm was exhibited at the meeting, and every letter received carried with it the expression of warm approval.

DERMESTES VULPINUS IN GOAT-.SKINS.

By Frank M. Jones, Wilmington, Del.

Fic. 7.—Dermestes vulpinus: a, egg; b, ¢, larva, lateral and dorsal view; h, pupa, ventral view; k, beetle—enlarged; d, dorsal view of one of the middle joints of larva denuded to show spines and tubercles; i, ventral view of tip of abdomen in ¢ beetle; e, head of larva; /, left maxilla of same, with palpus; g, labium of same, with palpi—enlarged. (After Riley.)

Mr. James Fletcher, in his address before the Entomological Society of Ontario, in October last, divided injurious insects into three classes— first, second, and third class pests—‘ according to the amount of injury they are answerable for”; and the insect under consideration, the leather beetle, Dermestes vulpinus, belongs to the second of these classes ; for, while it is always to be found, throughout the summer months, in the baled goat-skins stored in the ware-rooms of the importers and morocco manufacturers in various parts of the country, it is only ocea- sionally that it occurs in sufficient numbers to do any great amount of injury. The larve are usually most abundant upon the hair side of the skins, but an examination of skins which have been damaged by them proves that they often commence their attack on the flesh side. When they occur in large numbers, and when no attempt is made to check their ravages, the skins are quickly eaten into holes, rendering them almost worthless. The pupa is not inclosed in any cocoon, but lies loosely in the hair or in a fold inthe skin; and it is a common sight to see larve of various ages, pup, and the perfect insects inhabiting the same skin.

Skins which are naturally of a greasy nature, such as the Kassan (from Russia) and the Angora skins, appear to be most liable to attack; and heavily-salted skins, such as the Mochas (Arabian), are compara-

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tively free from the pest; but even the poison-cured skins are not en- tirely exempt. Tampico (Mexi- can) skins are sometimes very badly damaged by this insect, which must now be very widely distributed; for whether the skins come from Russia or Cape Town, Turkey or Mexico, Arabia or South America, the same species of insects is found in them all.

It is said that fifteen or twenty years ago this insect was much more injurious than now; but this is probably due to the fact that, the demand being much greater, the skins are used up much faster, and the insects do not have time to multiply to any great extent. The only method employed to destroy them is to beat or shake each skin sepa- rately and crush the insects which fall to the floor; but where there are thousands of skins this is a tedious process, and is probably only a temporary check, as many insects are undoubtedly left in the skins. Placing the bales in a close compartment and killing the insects by means of vapor of bisulphide of carbon, or by Fic. 8.—Goat-skin aceed by leather-beetle— burning sulphur, has been pro-

nat. size. (Original.) posed; but the practical value of these methods has not been tested.

eae

THE JAPANESE PEACH FRUIT-WORM.

In the August (1888) number of Insect Life we published some cor- respondence between the Rev. W. J. Holland, who was then serving as naturalist to the U.S. Eclipse expedition, and the United States minis- ter to Japan and the Commissioner of Agriculture, relative to the rav- ages of a worm which damages the peach crop of Japan. Those who read this correspondence will recollect that we suggested through Com- missioner Colman that the matter be referred to Prof. C. Sasaki, of the Agricultural and Dendrological College at Tokio, and that Professor

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Sasaki be directed to make a full report concerning this insect. It seems that this suggestion was adopted, and that Professor Sasaki was instructed by Count Okuma, the Japanese minister for foreign affairs, to prepare the report, which he did with his customary care. The re- port was submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture through the United States minister to Japan and the Secretary of State during July. Mean- time we sent to Professor Sasaki for specimens of the insect, which have not yet arrived, but upon their receipt we shall reproduce some of his figures and give the insect a definite name, and shall publish his some- what elaborate account in full, Meantime, however, the matter is of so much interest to the fruit-growers of the Pacific coast that we sub- mit a short abstract.

The moth, according to Professor Sasaki (and judging from his fig- ures he is correct) is aspecies of Carpocapsa very closely allied to our Codling Moth, and hence it is called by Professor Sasaki ‘‘a new Cod- ling Moth injurious to the Peach.” The peach crop is very large in Japan, and during some seasons more than 90 per cent. of the fruit is injured by this insect. Not infrequently more than one larva are found in asingle peach. No means have been heretofore suggested for the protection of the crop. Professor Sasaki’s studies were begun in April 1, 1888, and concluded in May, 1889. The moth appears twice in the year, viz, in June and in August, although certain individuals of the first brood are delayed until July and others of the second brood until September. They hide in the day-time and at twilight fly about the trees. The eggs are deposited singly on the apex of the fruit or along the suture passing from the apex toward the base. Usually one or two, but sometimes more, eggs are deposited in a single fruit. The eggs are spherical in form, measuring one-half millimeter in diameter. They are yellow in color. They hatch in a few days, and the larva molts four times. Upon first hatching it crawls actively about in search of a suitable spot at which to enter the fruit; it then gnaws its way in, turns its head towards the opening and closes it with silk, some- times pushing its excrement outside. It then burrows to the stone and makes a large excavation around it. Occasionally a larva will leave one peach and enter another.

The fruit is continuously infested from June until September, those containing larve ripening early and dropping off. Infested fruit may be recognized in the following ways:

(1) It becomes soft and may be crushed by a len pressure on ac- count of the central excavation.

(2) It has usually a small cluster of yellowish-brown excrement on its surface.

(3) It bears irregular patches of a greyish-yellow or reddish-blue color.

The larva attains its full growth in from three to four weeks after hatching; it then leaves the fruit and falls to the ground, if the fruit has not already fallen.

The larva enters the ground to a depth of 1 or 2 inches, where it

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makes an oval cocoon of light gray silk. The cocoon is very strong and elastic. The larva of the first brood remains within this cocoon about a week and then changes to pupa, while the larva of the second brood remains within the cocoon in the larval state through the winter and changes to pupa in the mouth of May.

Professor Sasaki makes but one suggestion as to remedies, and that is to gather the fallen fruit every day and to dispose of it in such a way as to destroy the larva. We have already written him that he will un- questionably find a good remedy in the application of arsenical poisons for the first brood.

A REPORT ON THE LESSER MIGRATORY LOCUST.

By C. L. MARuLatT, dssistant.

The following account of the recurrence in injurious numbers of the Lesser Locust (Melanopus atlanis) the present season in the Merrimae Valley near Franklin, N. H., may be considered as supplementary to the extended article in the report of the United States Entomologist for 1883, in which a full record of the earlier occurrence of this species in northern New England (1743-1883) is given; its life-history and habits, natural enemies, and means against it.

As stated in the article cited, Professor Riley visited the infested region in person in 1882 and 1883, and with the aid of some of his assist- ants introduced and explained to the farmers some of the machines for collecting and destroying the locusts successfully used against the closely allied but more destructive Rocky Mountain species.

The value of these appliances was immediately recognized by the in telligent farmers of the Merrimac Valley. and numbers of them were constructed after the pattern of the one described on p. 176 of the re- port for 1883 and figured Pl. vu, 1; and with the incentive of a bounty of $1 per bushel, granted by the State, they were used with such effect against the locusts in the two years following (1884 and 1885) that no serious injury has, previous to the present season, been occasioned by them since 1880.

To illustrate the success which attended their use, the statement of Mr. George B. Mathews may be given, viz, that no less than 500 bush- els were caught at the Webster place in 1884, a much less number in 1885, since which time they have occurred in but small numbers.

A letter to the entomologist from Mr. E. A. Fellows, July 3, 1889, quoted below, again called attention to a serious outbreak of locusts in the Merrimac Valley, near Franklin, N. H., and but a few miles above the region unusually infested in 1882 and 1883, and seemed to warrant the investigation recorded in this article.

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To the ENTOMOLOGIST :

Dear Sirk: My farm this season is infested with grasshoppers, the hay, oat, and rye, and part of vegetable crop. being nearly a complete failure. I find on many of the grasshoppers a small parasite or egg of a deep orange-red color, clinging to dif- ferent parts of the locust’s body, being mostly on and under the wings. What I would like to know is, whether this parasite is likely to check the increase of the locusts another season, as it don’t pay for me to plant crops to be devoured by these ravenous locusts. I have caught some sixty bushels from one piece of oats, contain- ing 34 acres, but am satisfied I can never exterminate them that way. They were quite bad last season, but not to be compared to this.

Respectfully,

K. A. FELLOWS.

FRANKLIN, N. H., July 3, 1889.

Mr. Fellows’s communication is interesting not only because it records the abundance of the Locust Mite (Trombidium), previously tound here in but limited numbers, but as still further emphasizing the peculiar local habit of Atlanis in this region, noted in the report already cited.

Mr. Fellows’s farm, which was visited July 11, is situated in an “ in- tervale” or small valley of about 300 acres, shut in by high hills, and thus separated from similar intervales above and below.

In these small intervales the locusts find a permanent home, only occa- sionally assuming the migratory tendency; and under favorable circum stances, especially if left unchecked, they after a year or two become suddenly numerous enough to do great injury, while at the same time in the similar valleys above and below their numbers may be signifi- cant only of future increase.

This state of things is well illustrated on the Fellows farm the present year. These locusts, always present in small numbers, had last year become quite abundant, and as no measures were taken against them, they this spring appeared in destructive hordes. The grasses suffered most. Timothy, red-top, chess, and clover were reduced to mere innu- tritive stalks; both blades and the heads of the oats were eaten; all garden vegetables were attacked. Squashes, melons, and corn were only eaten when very young. The tassel of the latter, however, is also eaten by the locusts.

At the time of examination the locusts were generally winged, and while still quite thick in the oats had scattered somewhat over adjoin- ing meadow-land, and were especially abundant near the river, which had perhaps, by forming a barrier to their half-migratory movements going on at this time, caused them to collect there. A small percentage (5 to 10) were in coitu; but none were found ovipositing, although in the dissection of a large number of females one or two were found with empty ovaries, indicating that oviposition had elready begun.

Examination of the ground, and, as observed by Mr. Fellows, the first appearance of the young locusts in the spring agree in indicating that the eggs are deposited more particularly in certain sandy knolls in the interval, and perhaps to a certain extent on the lower portion of the bordering hill-sides.

If this be the case, the destruction of the eggs by harrowing or plow-

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ing in the fall, or of the young locusts in the spring either by plowing them under or by the use of trapping or kerosene machines, should be comparatively easy.

The parasite mentioned by Mr. Fellows, the young of the locust mite (Trombidium locustarum Riley), was very common, but on the authority of Mr. Fellows was becoming rapidly less abundant. He stated that during the active operations with the hopper-doser the “catch” was markedly colored by them, and that he had observed this spring on his land unusual numbers of a red spider-like mite, which, from his descrip- tion, was undoubtedly the adult of the locust mite.

A considerable variation in the percentage of infested locusts in dif- ferent parts of the intervale was noted, and this holds also for the parasites mentioned below.

On the oat-field, fully 95 per cent. of the locusts bere from one to fifty mites, while of those near the river less than 50 per cent. were infested, a fact easily explained perhaps by the greater activity of the non- infested locusts.

Large numbers of dead locusts, mostly hollowed out and reduced to mere shells, were observed over the infested tract on the ground or clinging to grass or oat stems. Some of the fresher specimens con- tained Dipterous larve (Tachina and Sarcophoga), and examinations of living locusts taken from the oat field showed that about 5 per cent. were thus parasitized, each parasitized locust containing from one to four maggots.

A slightly larger percentage proved to be infested with hair worms (Mermis). The abundance of these parasitic enemies the present year would indicate a very considerable reduction in the next year’s crop of locusts; but this should not form an excuse for neglecting any direct measures that can be employed against the eggs this fall, or early work against the young should they appear in numbers next spring.

Mr. Fellows’s operations against the locusts, which were confined to the use of the collecting pan mentioned above after the locusts had become mostly winged and the damage largely accomplished, while unsatisfactory to himself would have doubtless been much more effect- ive if undertaken earlier, or if measures had been taken against the early stages.

In all seventy-two bushels were caught and buried in a trench during a period of about two weeks in the latter part of June and the first of July. Of these, sixty bushels were taken from the three and a half acres ot oats into which the locusts migrated from adjacent fields during this time.

In place of the kerosene and water or kerosene emulsion ordinarily used in these pans, Mr. Fellows employed a strong soap-suds, which assisted in retaining the locusts in the pans.

Locusts were reported to be moderately abundant above Franklin, at Hill, and also below, near North Boscawen, at the Webster place. On the farm of Mr.Wright, near Hill, they had practically destroyed several

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acres of grass and were at the time of examination working in the oats. Mr. Wright stated that the locust had not been previously very abun- dant there since 1884 and 1885, when a number of bushels had been caught.

A number of farms in the neighborhood of the Webster place were also examined, and the farms of Mr. Gordon Burleigh and Mr. Benjamin Hancock were found to be somewhat thickly stocked with locusts, and the grass had been considerably injured.

Mr. Geo. B. Mathews, of the same place, a very intelligent farmer, assured me that the locusts could be easily controlled, and that he was not troubled at all except as they drifted onto his land from the farms adjoining. He had used the ‘“‘hopperdoser” with good success in