i6 4 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Moth Borers affecting Sugar-cane in Mauritius. By D. D'Emmerez de 

 Charmoy. Department of Agriculture, Mauritius, Bulletin, No. 5, 

 Scientific Series. [Pp. 27, with 6 plates and 1 chart.] (Mauritius : The 

 Government Press, Port Louis, 1917.) 



The publications of the Department of Agriculture, Mauritius, are issued in three 

 series — General, Scientific, and Statistical— as occasion demands. The present 

 bulletin is the second of an entomological nature, its precursor, " Insects Injurious 

 to Stored Grains," being No. 2. of the Scientific Series. In it the author gives the 

 results of three years' investigation of the borers affecting sugar-cane in Mauritius. 

 Four species of Lepidoptera are inculpated — the Pink Borer (Sesamia vuteria, 

 Stoll.), the Spotted Borer {Diatrea sacchariphaga, Boyer), the White Borer 

 (Grapholita schistaceana), and the Brown Borer (Alucita sacchari, Bojer). With 

 the exception of the last-named species, which sometimes causes damage to 

 cuttings, these insects are of considerable economic importance and are re- 

 sponsible for serious annual losses to the sugar-cane crop. A. sacchari also is 

 the only indigenous species ; D. sacchariphaga was introduced from Ceylon in 

 1848 and for a few years proved a regular scourge to the sugar industry. It has 

 become less destructive of late years, however, and, although the damage it does 

 to the mature canes is still substantial, it has now restricted itself within limits 

 which cause no alarm. S. vuteria is at present the most harmful species and, 

 like G. schistaceana, was introduced unnoticed subsequent to D. sacchariphaga, 

 M. Charmoy has carefully worked out the life histories of these moths and has 

 conducted trials, in the experimental fields of the Department, with several 

 methods for the establishment of control measures. Maize was found to be a 

 highly efficient plant trap for the Pink Borer, and has been adopted extensively 

 with good results. The author has also made a close study of the natural 

 parasites of these pests, and large numbers of two species of Chalcids ( Tricho- 

 gramma anstralicum, Gir., and an unidentified species of Telenomus, which is 

 considered one of the most valuable natural enemies of S. vuteria), parasitic 

 in the eggs of the borers, have been bred in the laboratory and distributed 



throughout the island. 



H. F. C. 



The Objects and Work of the Royal Italian Oceanographic Committee. 



By Giovanni Magrini. [Pp. 118, with 15 plates and maps.] (Published 

 by the Royal Italian Oceanographic Committee, Venezia. Prem. Officine 

 Grafiche di C. Ferrari. 1916.) This publication in the English language 

 constitutes the twenty-first memorial of the Committee. 



This work contains an account of the institution and aims of the Royal 

 Italian Oceanographic Committee, founded in 1910 for the exploration of the 

 Adriatic and other waters within what may be called the Italian sphere of 

 influence. The Central Institute for Marine Biology is situated at Messina, 

 overlooking the Strait. This building, of handsome appearance and sound design, 

 is fully described with plans and illustrations. A number of quarterly cruises 

 were undertaken between August 1909 and April 1914, all in the Adriatic, and in 

 addition there were six special biological cruises in the Libyan, Tyrrhenian, 

 Ionian, and Albanian seas. A good deal of the material collected on these cruises 

 has already been investigated and a long list of publications is given. The 

 physico-chemical researches were carried on at the Chemical Institute of the 

 University of Padua under the direction of Prof. Bruni, and tide researches were 



