ANNUAL MEETING. 187 



be used is bisulphide of carbon. Tlie vapor of this liquid is poisonous to ani- 

 mals of all kinds, and from it the agriculturist of the future may expect 

 much benefit in ti^'hting his insect foes. Ah'eady it is successfully used to 

 destroy the cabbage maggots, the squash borers,the grape phylloxera and many 

 other of our worst insect enemies. But in using it in and around buildings, 

 great caution is required for it is very explosive. Unless (ire in every form 

 can be kept away from it, its use must not be thought of. But if sufficient 

 caution be used tliere is no reason why it should uot be employed, since it is 

 probably the only practicable method of wholly exterminating these little 

 pests. If they are in a room, the doors and windows should be closed on the 

 morning of a windy day. Then a person should sprinkle some of the liquid 

 in different parts of the room and retire as quickly as possible, for if inhaled 

 the vapor is poisonous. The room should remain closed for five or six hours so 

 that the vapor may loenetrate every crack and crevice, vanquishing any unseen 

 foe that may be lurking in them. For wheat in bins a long gas-pipe having 

 the holes closed by a broom handle, should be thrust down through tlie wheat, 

 the broom handle withdrawn and a few table-spoonfuls of the liquid poured in. 

 This will spread over the iloor, vaporize and penetrate the gram, dealing death 

 to all the little pests so snugly ensconced in their kernal homes. If the rooms 

 in which the bins are cannot be closed tightly, blankets may be thrown over 

 the grain. Instead of a broom handle, a cloth tied over the lower end of the 

 pipe would probably be as good, and much more convenient. After leaving 

 for five or six hours the room should be opened and the wind allowed to expel 

 the poisonous fumes. There should be no odor perceptible before a fire is 

 brought in the vicinity. 



In cold winter weather I made some experiments to determine whether 

 these insects could be killed by bisulphide of carbon, when in a torpid state. 

 From the results of these experiments I concluded that more of the liquid 

 must be used and a longer time given in winter than in summer. 



Last summer a gentleman residing at Galesburg sent to the Agricultural 

 College some specimens of a large fly, accompanied with the statement thao 

 they were catching and killing cabbage butterflies. They proved to be a 

 species of asilus and correspond to Kiley's description of the Missouri bee- 

 killer (Asilus Missouriensis), although the insect has, so far as I can learn, 

 never before been known to inhabit Michigan. 



This predacious fly was first described by Prof. Riley in his second Missouri 

 report. It is a common insect in that State, and much addicted to the perni- 

 cious habits of killing and sucking the juices of the honey bee. It is a near 

 relative of the Nebraska bee-killer (Promachus bastardii) and of the robber- 

 fly (Promachus Philadelphus). All of these flies in the imago state are car- 

 nivorous, living on the juices of other insects. 



The imago of the Missouri bee-killer is one and three-tenths inches long, 

 and expands a little over one and three-fourths inches. On the front of the 

 head there is a moustache of straw colored hairs. The eyes are large and 

 almost black. The thorax is slightly pubescent, yellowish and large for the 

 muscles of the wings and legs, which are very strong. The wings are nearly 

 transparent, although slightly brown, especially about the veins. The third 

 longitudinal vein is forked, a characteristic which distinguishes the genus from 

 promachus, in which it is the second longitudinal vein that is forked. The 

 legs are large and strong. They are covered laterally by yellowish hairs and 

 on tlie upper and lower edges tliere are black spines. The abdomen is long 

 and tapering, the last segment being of a pinkish color. 



