230 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [November, 



should be dealt with as such. Too much legislation is not an unmitgated 

 blessing, but some means of redress against ignorant carelessness is 

 imperative. 



Caterpillars Injurious to Sugar Beets. Bulletin No. 24 of the Agricultu- 

 ral Experiment Station of Nebraska contains "Notes on certain Cater- 

 pillars Attacking Sugar Beets," by Lawrence Bruner. Mr. Bruner, in this 

 Bulletin, mentions two species of Eurycpeon as having appeared in inju 

 rious numbers. One of them is the well-known E. similalis, the other is 

 well, Mr. Bruner has, somehow, omitted giving a name to the other. 

 This omission is supplied in a note by the editors of " Insect Life," vol. 

 v > P- 55. where it is stated that it will probably prove to be E. (Loxostege] 

 sticticalis Linn. A curious fact is, that the form heretofore unknown, has 

 now appeared in the greatest abundance, and is the more injurious. Mr. 

 Bruner gives a general resume" of the life-history of the species, a list of 

 -the more common food-plants, cultivated and wild, and suggestions as to 

 remedial measures. Of these, among others, he says: "Other natural 

 remedies can be brought to work against these insects' increase. The 

 chief one of these is the keeping down of certain weeds upon which the 

 caterpillars naturally feed." He then enumerates a number of these 

 weeds, which enumeration need not be repeated here. The main point 

 is in the recommendation to keep down weeds, and it is another proof of 

 the importance of Farm practice to control insect injury, an example of 

 which was also given in the last number of the NEWS. Especially the 

 Cruciferae are noxious, because they nourish some of our most injurious 

 species during the time the field crop is not available. Clean culture in 

 the largest sense of that term is one of the most valuable measures at 

 hand for the control of insect injury. 



The Corn Bill Bug, etc. Bulletin No. 18 of the Iowa Agricultural Col- 

 lege Experiment Station, contains, among other things, " Reports on In- 

 jurious Insects," by Prof. Herbert Osborn and Mr. H. A. Gossard. The 

 chief article is on the " Corn Bill Bugs," species of Sphenophorus, which 

 have been injurious in Iowa during the past season. ^. ochreus and .5". 

 parviitus were the troublesome species, while there is no mention of ^". 

 sculptilis, which has been the troublesome species in New Jersey for two 

 or three years last past. Nothing new is added to either our knowledge 

 of the life-history or of remedies. 



Strawberry slugs were somewhat troublesome, and a short record of 

 :some experiments made against the larva of Monostegia ignota is given. 

 The application of arsenites is recommended, even where the fruit is ap- 

 proaching maturity. From a sprayed plot "Within a week after the 

 application was made the assistant entomologist and other employe's of 

 the Department ate very heartily of the ripened fruit, with the intent of 

 proving whether or not any ill effects would follow the freest use of the 

 same. No injury, whatever, was experienced." All this premises a careful 

 and intelligent use of the poison, and under such circumstances it can be 

 .used up to within a very few days of marketing fruit. Early in the season 



