114 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Mar., '18 



New York Entomological Society Fund. 



Through the generosity of Mr. Wm. T. Davis, a permanent fund for 

 the general purposes of the New York Entomological Society has been 

 established by an initial contribution of $500. 



Gracilaria zachrysa Meyrick in New Jersey (Lep.). 



This species, which has already been recorded on azaleas in New 

 Jersey greenhouses, was at first thought to be rather rare and limited 

 in distribution, but is now known to occur in many private greenhouses 

 in various parts of the state and considered somewhat of a pest. In 

 commercial houses it is not so common, as such firms hold over as 

 little azalea stock as possible from year to year. The larvae, which 

 are about one-fourth of an inch in length, mine the leaves and also 

 fold over the tips and in some cases have been suspected of eating 

 through the buds. 



Felt, in his I3th Report as State Entomologist of New York, records 

 it from that State and under the name Gracilaria azaleac Busck 

 (Insec. Inscit. Menstr. 2; 1-2), which was later reduced to a synonym 

 of Gracilaria zachrysa Meyrick. He also gives brief life-history notes 

 and states that tobacco extract, either used as a spray or fumigant, 

 appears to be effective in controlling it. In "Ziekten en Beschadigin- 

 gen der Tuinbouwgewassen," by Brock en Schenk, it is stated that the 

 species was introduced into Holland from Japan and infests all Jap- 

 anese and Indira varieties of azaleas; that greenhouse azaleas are 

 injured during the winter and that the life-history is unknown in 

 Holland. Stomach poisons are recommended and nicotine extract is 

 suggested as a fumigant. 



It undoubtedly occurs in Belgium, as it is frequently found in the 

 larval and pupal stages on azaleas imported from that country and 

 was evidently introduced into New Jersey largely in that way. To a 

 less extent, it has been found on azaleas imported from Japan. Tn 

 private greenhouses in New Jersey it is usually eotten rid of by hand- 

 picking of infested leaves. In one large commercial establishment 

 arsenate of lead paste at the rate of eight pounds to 100 gallons of 

 water gave good results. HARRY B. WETSS, New Brunswick, N. J. 



An Unusual Bumblebees' Nest (Hym.). 



Early in September, 1917, I received specimens of Botnbns /v;w- 

 s\h'anicus DeGeer from Mr. Court W. Ranslow, of Garrison, Mis- 

 souri, with the statement that the colony from which these bees came 

 built its nest in an abandoned nest of an English sparrow, in a tall 

 elm tree in his front yard. He wrote. "The nest was a large, bulky 

 one, with a roof, as the sparrows sometimes build them, and was 

 twenty or more feet from the ground. We did not know that the 

 bees were building in the nest until it blew out and fell to the ground. 



