ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY ENTOMOLOGY. 151 



of examining feces to determine the presence or absence of parasites in tlie 

 alimentary tract that are in use by medical and zoological investigators. He 

 criticallj^ compares these methods with the method here proposed, which " con- 

 sists in breaking up the feces very thoroughly by shaking in water, adding a 

 quantity of small shot if necessary or desirable; sieving through a set of brass 

 sieves and then through a silk bolting-cloth sieve or a sieve made with a jew- 

 eler's fine meshed brass screen, examining the material left on the sieve for 

 parasites; sedimenting (and washing) ; centrifuging (and washing) — one tube 

 being filled with calcium chlorid solution of 1.250 specific gravity, centrifuged, 

 and if desired the top cubic centimeter removed with a pipette, shaken up in a 

 tube with 14 cc. of water and centrifuged — and then making a microscopic ex- 

 amination of a drop of sediment from the bottom of the tube centrifuged with 

 water, and one from the top when the calcium chlorid solution alone was used 

 or from the bottom in case water was added to the top cubic centimeter. The 

 material is washed at either or both of the points indicated." 



The author considers this method to be the best for routine examination of 

 various kinds of feces, it serving very well for the feces of man and for the 

 carnivora, herbivora, and birds, not only in examining feces for worm parasites 

 but also for coccidia. It has the advantage of speed and certainty over the 

 smear method or sedimentation methods. 



A bibliography of 2G titles relating to the subject accompanies the account. 



[A note on the viability of nematode eggs and larvae], B. H. Ransom 

 (Abs. in Science, n. set:, 33 (1911), No. 850, p. 592). — Attention is called to the 

 fact that Nemntodirus filicolUs develops to the ensheathed stage before hatch- 

 ing, a period of about a month being required for the development at a tempera- 

 ture of about 70° F., whereas under similar conditions the stomach worm 

 {Hwmonchus contorius) hatches in about 2 days and does not develop to the 

 ensheathed stage until after hatching. 



A temperature of 12° was found to kill eggs of the stomach worm {H. con- 

 tortus) in 7 to 10 days, while eggs of Nematodirus were viable after 8 weeks' 

 exposure to the same temperature. At 32 to 40° eggs of the stomach worm 

 were still alive at the end of S weeks but were dead after 13 weeks. 



How to control the two worst cotton pests, the boll weevil and the boll- 

 worm, P. Hayhukst (Ai-kansas Sta. Circ. 4, PP- 4)- — A brief popular account 

 emphasizing the important steps to be taken in combating these pests. 



Animal enemies of the beet, K. Schlelein (Deut. Landw. Rundschau, 1910, 

 No. 10, p. 102; aJ}s. in Intcrnat. Inst. Agr. {Rome'\, Bui. Bur. Agr. Intel, and 

 Plant Diseases, 1910, Nov., p. 176). — The larvae of Silpha atrata and Cassida 

 nehiilosa are said to be the source of serious injury in different parts of Ger- 

 many through attacking the leaves of young beets. 



Some insects affecting the tobacco crop, D. B. Mackie (Philippine Agr. Rev. 

 [English Ed.], 3, (1910), No. 12, pp. 706-71.',, pis. 4).— This is a brief popular 

 account of the insect pests of tobacco in the Philippines. Beneficial insects and 

 remedial measures are included in the discussion. 



[Insect enemies of the plum and olive], P. Noel (Bui. Lab. Regional Ent. 

 Agr. [Rouen\, 1910, No. //, pp. 16). — Annotated lists of 254 insects and acarid 

 enemies of the plum and 40 of the olive are presented. 



Notes on some Thysanoptera, R. S. Bagnaxl (Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg., 54 

 (1911), pp. 461-464)- — The author has determined through a comparison of 

 Nearctic specimens with specimens collected in Great Britain, Belgium, Norway, 

 and Denmark, that the North American grass thrips (Anaphothrips striatus) 

 is the same as the old European form A. obscurus. Thus strintus becomes a 

 synonym of obscurus. The type specimen of Anthothrips (Aptinothrips) fas- 

 ciatus is redescribed and notes are presented on other species. 



