718 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



various methods adopted for the control of crop pests are conveniently arranged 

 under four headings— agricultural, mechanical, insecticidal, and special; under that 

 relating to insecticides a well-illustrated account of the several types of spraying 

 machines and their usage is included. Chapters containing matter of a general 

 character on the more important groups of insects attacking crops (caterpillars, 

 grass-hoppers, crickets, termites, bugs, beetles, and flies) follow and provide 

 information regarding the habits of these pests, their varied modes of attack, and 

 the means of controlling their ravages. Those on insects damaging stored 

 products, on household pests and on insects in relation to disease are treated on 

 somewhat similar lines. Beneficial and useful insects now receive attenton and 

 are succeeded by an account of certain other animals of economic importance 

 occurring in Southern India. All kinds of animals other than insects, from 

 elephants to the minute eelworms, are considered in the latter and are treated 

 from the point of view of their economic status. The second part of the volume 

 opens with two useful lists of Indian plants. One of these contains the names 

 of the commonly-grown crops, arranged alphabetically, and under each, with page 

 references, those of the various insects known to attack it ; the other is a list of 

 allied plants and shows the commoner plants and trees grouped under their 

 natural orders. Over 350 species of insects of economic importance and two species 

 of mites, considered in a systematic and detailed manner, occupy the remainder 

 of the text. These are ascribed to fourteen natural orders and each species 

 is treated under six headings — references, distribution in S. India, life-history, 

 food-plants, status from an economic point of view, and control. The references, 

 including synonyms, are limited 10 the original description and to those of a more 

 important or accessible nature, and the control methods given are such as usually 

 are found to be efficacious. Every species considered is depicted, either by means 

 of a text-figure or coloured plate, and frequently other stages than the adult are 

 shown — often in such a way as to demonstrate their economic importance. 

 Descriptions of the various insects are thus dispensed with, and the method 

 adopted should not only prove more agreeable to the reader, but should also enable 

 him to identify at least the more obvious species. The index is well arranged, 

 but does not include plants, since they are already shown in order in the body of 

 the book. 



While the illustrations are, on the whole, good, the coloured plates deserve 

 especial commendation. These latter have all been reproduced from original 

 drawings made at the Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, and many have 

 already appeared in various departmental publications ; the majority of the text 

 figures have been prepared, under the author's supervision, by artists inexperienced 

 in this work, and although a few are somewhat crudely executed, they are, in the 

 main, highly creditable. 



This volume should prove of considerable value to those residents of Southern 

 India who are closely affected by the economic aspect of the subject, and indeed 

 to all who are interested in this branch of entomology. H. F. C. 



The House-Fly {Musca domestica, Linn.) : Its Structure, Habits, Development, 

 Relation to Disease, and Control. By C. Gordon Hewitt, D.Sc, 

 F.R.C.S. [Pp. xv + 382, with 104 illustrations and 1 map.] Cambridge 

 Zoological Series. (Cambridge : at the University Press, 1914- Price 

 15*. net.) 



Dr. Gordon Hewitt's work on the house-fly is so well known that a further 

 contribution from his pen relating to this obnoxious insect is most acceptable. 



