362 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



NOVEMBEE 5, 1904. 



INSECT NOTES. 



Ticks, 



The following note on ticks i.s taken from the 

 Cyprus Journal : — 



!Many owners of dogs as well ;i.s other animals are 

 doubtless troubled at finding how constantlj- their four-footed 

 friends become covered with ticks. With a view to checking 

 the multiplication of these obiectional.>le insects, the following 

 points may be worth noting. 



The tick does not travel, niir will it reproduce until it 

 has sucked blood. The female is usually found in the folds 

 of an animal's ears, neck, or other concealed part, gorged 

 with blood, and with the male, a smaller parasite, close to 

 it. As soon as the fertilized female falls from her prej', she 

 produces her young, commonly known as grass lice. When 

 she drops them they climb up a grass or other stalk, and 

 cluster at the top like bees, where they lie in wait to fall 

 upon any passing living creature. Should none approach 

 within reach, they simply die. It is, therefore, of importance 

 that, when the ticks are removed from the animals, they 

 should be immediately destroyed, so that they may be 

 prevented from propagating their species. 



In some parts of the world, notably in the West Indies, 

 ticks have been- at times a great scourge, and elaborate means 

 have had to be taken to pen the animals, and after removing 

 the ticks, collect them into some vessel and then destroy 

 them by fire. 



Care in promptly killing the ticks at once after removal 

 will do much to check their increase. 



The daily brushing and examining of dogs is a u.seful 

 and eSective precaution. 



Toads. 



Throughout the West Indies, and e.xtending south to 

 Brazil and Argentine and north to Bermuda, the toad or 

 crapaud is quite common. It is known as the great 

 Surinam toad and Agua toad, and its scientific name is Buffi 

 a;/ua. It is considered the largest existing toad, and is 

 supposed to have been introduced from the mainland of 

 South America to the West Indies. It is of interest to 

 agriculturists on account of the nature of its diet, which 

 consists chiefly of insects. Professor A. E. Verrill in his 

 book, The Bermuda Is/auds, says: 'In Barbados and Jamaica 

 it is valued because of its habit of catching field rats and 

 insects.' Cockroaches, and grouird beetles have been com- 

 monly found in the stomachs of toads, and it is well known 

 that the common hard-back, the larva of which is the root- 

 borer of canes, is eaten by them. They breed in stagnant 

 wa.ter, eac-h female laying a large number of eggs. 



The only objectionable quality attributed to this animal 

 is the 'venom' secreted by the parotid and dorsal glands. 

 Dogs that bite or attack toads invarialjly become extremely 

 ill and .sometimes die in a very short time. According to 

 Professor A'errill, the secretions of the glands, when injected 

 into the circulation of dogs, birds, and other animals, cause 

 convulsions and death even when in small doses. He also 



records that a mendier of his party in Bermuda on one 

 occasion saw the venom ejected as a fine spray from the 

 parotid glands of a large toad when it was much irritated. 

 Per.sons, however, handle these toads without injury or 

 noticeable eft'ect from this secretion. 



The American toad (Bufo lenti'iiuosun) is similar in 

 appearance to the crapaud but smaller. In an excellent 

 paper, entitled 'Usefulness of the American Toad,' published 

 as Fetyinevf' Fhdletin No. 149 of the United States Dejiart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Mr. A. H. Kirkland di.scusses ihe habits 

 and food of this interesting animal. In 149 stomachs he 

 found that 62 per cent, of the food consisted of injurious 

 species exclusive of ant.s, and if these were counted as injurious, 

 the total of injurious species amounted to 81 per cent. This 

 total includes, beetles (hard-backs), caterpillars and cutworms, 

 wireworms, millipeds, .sow bugs (wood lice), and grasshoppers. 



Poisonous secretions are found in this species also, but 

 Mr. Kirkland mentions them as secretions of the skin, and 

 they are less violent in their eifect. 



Toads are \'oracious feeders and from the nature of 

 their food are of benefit in an agricultural community. They 

 live in holes under stones or other protection, and it is 

 a common thing to find several in an old cane trash heap. 

 They could probably be easily established in any locality if 

 they were introduced and provided with shelter, and might 

 b3 efficient in cases of infestation by mole crickets (' Cochon 

 terre') or other insect of similar habits. 



The toad, however, is different from the crapaud or 

 ' mountain chicken ' of some of these islands. The mountain 

 chicken is a frog, and though it, too, feeds on insects, its 

 habit of living in the mountains and forests probably makes 

 it loss useful from an agricultural point of view. 



MANGROVE BARK INDUSTRY. 



The exports of mangrove bark from the island of 

 Peinba amounted in I90.S to 9-5 tons, valued at £380. 

 The Conffular Report on the Trade of Zanzibar and 

 Peinba has the following note on this industry : — 



The item mangrove bark, which appears for the first 

 time in 1903 amongst the customs returns, is a product of 

 high value for tanning purposes. It grows in great abund- 

 ance in the numerous tidal creeks throughout the island, and 

 it appears to be of excellent quality from a commercial point 

 of view. I believe that the Pemba bark would fetch £■") or 

 £G per ton in the Euroiiean markets. The Zanzibar Govern- 

 ment has lately prohibited the collecting of mangrove bark 

 in Pemba, save under licence. I understand that u[) to the 

 present one firm only, a French firm in Zanzibar, has 

 apjilied for and obtained such licence. 



According to the British Honduras Clarion, 

 mangrove bark is fast becoming an important article 

 of export from that colony. The demand is said to 

 be practically unlimited. In the West Indian Colonies 

 there is an almost inexhaustible supply. 



Nut-Cracking Machine. Experiments were tried 

 during the year with a jiatcnt machine for cracking palm 

 nuts, as large quantities of the kernels are wasted by the 

 natives in the primitive methods adopted ; but though the 

 reduction in the cost of labour in passing 2,0.50 If), thniugh 

 the machine worked out at 41 per cent., it was found that 

 19 i)er cent, of the nuts remained unbroken, and a more 

 effective machine is required. {Annual Report on Gold Coast 

 for 1903.) 



