THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 231 



An abstract of " Notes on Certain Species of Coleoptera that Attack 

 Useful Plants," by F. H. Chittenden, was read by the secretary pro tern. 

 These notes treated chiefly of the food plants and habits of certain 

 Chrysomelids. 



A letter from Miss E. A. Ormerod called particular attention to the 

 fact that the house sparrow had been very abundant and very obnoxious 

 in certain parts of England, and it seemed probable that some legislation 

 or public measures would need to be adopted to control this bird. The 

 arrival from Tripoli of a cargo of wheat badly infested by the Angoumois 

 moth was recorded and reference made to the occurrence in injurious 

 numbers of Xyleborus dispar at Teddington. 



Prof. P. H. Rolfs presented notes on " A Fungus Disease of the San 

 Jose' Scale." This disease seems to be confined to the southern part of 

 the United States, but is very helpful to fruit growers there. The scale 

 has been almost eradicated from several orchards by this disease. 

 Laboratory and field experiments now in progress promise helpful results, 

 but it does not seem probable that this disease will be of value in the 

 northern part of the United States, since warmth and moisture are 

 necessary for its development. 



Mr. Barrows made a brief statement concerning the distribution of 

 the San Jose scale in Michigan. The insect had been found scattered 

 throughout the southern counties of the State, where it had probably 

 existed for eight years. In discussing this paper, Mr. Craig spoke of the 

 occurrence of the scale in southern Ontario, where there were at least 

 seven infested localities. 



A paper from Prof C. P. Gillette, on " Insects Taken at Light and 

 Sugar," evoked considerable discussion, and was followed by " A Study 

 of the Possible Origin and Distribution of the Chinch Bug," by Prof F. 

 M. Webster. The author advanced the idea that this insect had originated 

 in the southern part of the United States, and spread by two diverging 

 streams up the Mississippi Valley and along the eastern Atlantic coast. 

 In the former region the long-winged form predominated, while the coast 

 form was short-winged. In the discussion following this paper the general 

 opinion seemed to be that the length of the wings depended upon environ- 

 ment rather than heredity. Mr. C. W. Mally recorded the capture at 

 Ohio of a specimen having one long and one short wing, thus throwing 

 additional light upon the relationship between the two forms. 



" Notes on the Common House Fly," by Mr. Howard, gave the 



