Vol. IX. No. 225. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



395 



IXDIAX IX^ECT LIFE. By H. Maxwell-Lefroy, 

 M.A., F.E.S., F.Z.S , Entomologist, Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture for India; assisted by F. M. Howlett, B.A., F.E S., 

 Second Entomologist, Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 for India. Tliacker, Spink, »£• Co., Calcutta and Simla. 



This large volume is well printed on paper of good quality 

 and the illustrations are particularly attractive, the full page 

 plates being coloured reproductions of photographs, while the 

 text figures are in part from photographs and in part from 

 drawings. 



The book is designated A Manual of Insectsof the Plains 

 (Tropical India), and is intended for the use of all students 

 of Indian entomology. In the authors' [ireface, it is stated 

 that the work has bean prepared from the notes, observations 

 and specimens accumulated during the six years since the 

 Agricultural llesearch Institute at Pu.sa was established, and 

 that the volume is largely the product of the author's spare 

 time and scanty holidays. Acknowledgement is made of the 

 work of Mr. Howlett, and of the assistance received in the 

 matter of notes and specimens; there is especial reference in 

 this connexion to the printing of the coloured plates, which 

 is, indeed, carried out excellently. 



The scheme of classification used in this book divides 

 the insects into eight order.'', as follows: Aptera, Orthoptera, 

 Neuroptera, Hymenojitera, C'oleoptera, Lepidoptera, Thysan- 

 optera, and Diptera. The relative importance of the families is 

 brought out in the tabulation of the scheme: by the method 

 of printing, the best known and most important families occur- 

 ring in India appear in dark-faced type; those families 

 which are represented by Indian insect.s, but which are but 

 little known, appear in ordniary type; while those which are 

 not known to lie represented in the Indian fauna appear in 

 small italics. 



In the consideration of the insects, the economic aspect 

 of the habits of each species is brought out, where this can 

 be done; and much valuable information as to the feeding 

 habits, food-plants or hosts and life-history is given, with 

 mention in many instances of iiarasitism and natural enemies. 

 Paragraphs on collecting give information as to when and 

 where to collect, and suggest methods which may be found 

 successful in different situations. 



Interspersed throughout the book are chapters on ento- 

 mological matters of interest to the student and the lay 

 reader. The sulyects of some of these chapters are as follows: 

 Where Insects Live. Cosmopolitan Insects, Deceptive Colour- 

 ing, Attraction to Light, Relative Duration of Life, .Size of 

 Insects, Insects and Flowers, Insects as Food, Migration, 

 How Insects Protect Themselves, I'lood-Sucking Insects, and 

 Song in Insects. 



A very useful feature is the index of Indian plants, 

 where plants mentioned in the text are referred to under the 

 generic name, and the English and the Indian names in 

 the case of plants which have both these common names. 

 This makes it very easy to ascertain the insects which have 

 been found on plants; while the text state.s, with regard to 



each insect or group of insects, what is known of food- 

 plants and feeding habits. 



The book is very well written, and the technical knowl- 

 edge and general information are presented in attractive 

 form. The ordinal and family characters seem to be well 

 arranged, though there are not as many tabular analytical 

 keys for aiding in placing insects in their families, as might 

 be expected. 



The work furnishes a broad sub.stantial basis for the 

 future study of entomology in India, and when it is rememb- 

 ered that the great amount of labour recorded therein has 

 been accomplished in a period of six years, the energy and 

 ability of the authors are realized, and at the same time the 

 enormous scope of the science of Entomology in India 

 becomes apparent. 



FEEDING VALUE OF SOY BEAN CAKE. 



Last winter, experiments with soy bean cake as a concen- 

 trated food for fattening bullocks were carried out by the East 

 of Scotland College of Agriculture, on a farm in Forfarshire 

 and another in Fifeshire. The fattening of cattle in winter is 

 an important business in tho.se counties, and though the chief 

 materials in the diet are homegrown roots with straw or hay, 

 cake or meal of some sort is added freely in the last few 

 months of the fattening proce.-js. Linseed cake is the favour- 

 ite material for the finishing period, but it has become so 

 dear that a suitable -substitute would be welcomed, and it was 

 because of its po.ssibilities in this direction that the advent of 

 soy bean cake excited such keen interest. The basal ration in 

 the experiments consisted in one case of S.5 lb. of swedes, 

 8,1 ft), of oat straw (which was partially replaced during the 

 last four weeks with hay), and -l lb. of Bombay cotton cake, 

 reduced in the latter half of the experiment to 3i V>. per 

 head per day; and in the other 100 lb. of swedes, S ft), oat 

 straw, and 4 ft). Bombay cotton cake throughout the whole 

 period of the experiment. In the first case, the experimental 

 ingredients were (1) linseed cake, (2) soy bean cake 

 (6 per cent, of oil): and (3) a specially manufactured com- 

 pound cake comprising seven-fifteenths soy bean cake, 

 six-fifteenths soy bean meal, and one-fifteenth each Indian 

 corn and locust bean meal. The allowance in each case 

 was 2 ft), per day to begin with, increased gradually to 

 5 ft). The linseed cake lot grew more than the other groups, 

 but did not finish so early. Notwithstanding the higher 

 price, linseed cake gave the largest profit, with the soy 

 bean cake second. As regards the quality of the meat, 

 lot three (compound cake) were declared by the butcher to 

 be superior to lot one (linseed cake); no mention is made 

 of lot two. 



In the second exiieriment, linseed cake and .soy bean cake 

 were used as liefore, but the third lot received soy bean cake 

 containing 1 1 per cent, of oil. In this case, lot two gave clearly 

 the best result, with lot three (1 1 per cent, of oil) second, and 

 lot one (linseed cake) third, the difference between one and 

 two amounting to about lis. per head. The interesting point 

 in this experiment is the superior results from 6 per cent, as 

 compared with 1 1 per cent, of oil. It would seem that it is the 

 quality of the .soy bean oil rather than the quantity of it that 

 influences the results, as at both farms the smaller quant- 

 ity gave the best returns. The general conclusion arrived at 

 on the basis of the.se trials, is that soy bean cake is a perfectly 

 safe food when used with discretion, but that notwithstanding 

 its high analysis, the ordinary brand at £6 1.5.s-. per ton seems 

 to be a dearer feeding stuff than good linseed cake at £9. 

 (From r/ie Field, Vol. CXVI, p. 801, October 22, 1910.) 



