OF WASHINGTON. 103 



the mandibles, and reaches quite to the tip of the mandibles 

 when closed, capping them, in fact. 



An examination of the collection of the National Museum shows 

 that this galear asymmetry is abnormal. The normal galea is 

 apparently midway between the two which I have described. It 

 lacks the piercing black tip of the right one, and is rounder and 

 solider than the left one. 



Prof. Fernow called the attention of the Society to a new 

 insecticide which has appeared within the last year and is being 

 extensively advertised under the name Antinonnin. He gave a 

 brief description of the composition of the substance and men 

 tioned the range of its use as an insecticide agent, as claimed by 

 its manufacturers. He stated that as diluted for application it 

 would cost about one cent per gallon, and that it was held to be 

 a specific for practically all forms of insect life, subterranean in 

 sects included, as well as vermin, field mice, etc. 



Mr. Marlatt said that the Division of Entomology of the 

 Department had been familiar with this substance for upwards of 

 a year, and that samples of it had been placed on exhibition with 

 the other patented insecticides at the recent exposition at Chicago. 

 In answer to a question by Prof. Riley, Prof. Fernow Stated that 

 the only insects against which experiment had actually proved it 

 to be effective were Lophyrus pini and Liparis monacha, and 

 that for extensive forest use it was in the case of these and other 

 species impracticable on account of the impossibility of obtain 

 ing sufficient water to dilute it with ; but that for more limited 

 operations, as for garden or orchard work, this objection would 

 not apply. 



Prof. Riley thought that some of our insecticides, of which 

 practical use had demonstrated the usefulness and general avail 

 ability, such as kerosene emulsion, would be found preferable to, 

 and much less expensive than, the substance mentioned by Prof. 

 Fernow, and he stated as a further argument for the use of kero 

 sene emulsion the fact of its very stimulating effect on the root- 

 growth of plants, in the case of subterranean applications. He 

 said that similar stimulating action seemed also to follow the 

 application of the Bordeaux mixture, which fact he had particu 

 larly noticed in the treatment of the grape and the potato. Mr. 



