ECONOMTC ZOOLOGY ENTOMOLOGY. 847 



Imniiiis all fnllon rubbish about the troos .-ind trcafiiiLr llic jtruniuss with a 

 solution of corrosive subliuiate before buryiiii; tiiciii. 



The tulip disease and its prevention or cure {(Jard. Vliroii., 3. set:, J/l 

 (1007), Xo. lo'i.'i. p. lliS). — The writer st;ites that many (•()uii)laints I'roni Hol- 

 land, Germany, and elsewhere have been received relating to the failure of 

 tulips to bloom, and a report is given on exiteriments for the control of this 

 disease. These experiments ari' based upon llie (il)servatious of Klebahu that 

 the di.sease is due to 2 fungi, liotri/tis iiiudsil icit nnd Sclcrotlum tuJiixinim. 



The liotrylis form usually shows itself in the early spring by the baelcw.-ird, 

 sickly apiiearanee of the lirst tulip .'-iirouts or by their failure to appear alto- 

 geth(>r. Upon lifting the diseased bulbs small l)laik fungus spots will be ob- 

 served upon them, or if affected by the Sclerotium the si)ots will l»e larger and 

 dark brown in color. 



As these fungi remain in the soil for a numl>er of years, the treatment under- 

 taken is based upon the removal of the fimg\is, and the only practical plan 

 thus far advised is to lift out the bull is that show, signs of disease, together 

 with the surrounding soil, as early in the spring as ])ossibl(> and to destroy the 

 bulbs and completely sterilize the soil by burning it. This ti'eatmeiit, persisted 

 in for a number of years, it is claimed has resulted in the eradication of the 

 disease from a large tulip nursery in Holland. 



ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY— ENTOMOLOGY. 



The fox: A dangerous pest, and a plea for its extermination, S. McTntosh 

 (Jour. Dcpt. Atir. So. Aust., 10 (1907), No. G, pp. 373, 3?..^).— Attention is called 

 to the rapid nuiltiplication of the fox in South Australia. This animal is an 

 introduced species and luay be considered of some benefit" in destroying rabbits. 

 The author fears, however, that it will ultimately multii)ly to such an extent as 

 seriously to threaten the poultry and sheep business. 



Insects as the food of squirrels, W. T. Davis (Canad. Ent., 39 (1907), No. 1, 

 p. 16). — Squirrels were observed opening hickdi'y nuts for the purpose of ob- 

 taining the larvrt> of snout beetles in them. Notes are also given on other 

 insects occasionally eaten by squirrels. 



A study of the stomach contents of native carnivorous birds, G. Rorig 

 (Arb. K. liiol. Anst. Land ii. Fomtir., .'> (1901!), No. o, pp. J37-265). — The author 

 made an exannnation of the stomach contents of 1,154 carnivorous birds, includ- 

 ing eagles, fishhawks, and various other hawks and owls. The results of these 

 investigations are presented in a tabular form showing the percentages of bene- 

 ficial and injin'ious animals which constitute the food of the birds. 



The digestion of various food stuffs in the stomach of crows, G. Rorig 

 {Arh. K. Biol. Anst. Lund u. Forstio., 5 (190G), No. 5, pp. 266-278).— In study- 

 ing the stomach contents of birds for the purpose of determining their food 

 habits, it is desirable to know the rapidity of digestion of the various elements 

 of food in the species which is I)eing studied. The author found that when the 

 stomach is filled with a considerable variety of food th(> softer parts of animal 

 origin raiiidly disapjiear, while hard elements remain in a recognizable form not 

 nuich longer than the hulls of grain. All of these hard elements seem to retain 

 their original foi-m longer when the quantity in the stomach is smaller and the 

 variety of food elements less. 



The bone content of the pellets of Asio otus, M. Schwartz (Arh. K. Biol. 

 Anst. Land it. Fnrstir., .', (1!W6), No. 5, pp. 279-281, pL 1, fig. i).— In studying 

 the pellets cast up by this .si)ecies of owl, the author finds that in most instances 

 the bones are left in their original relation to one another, the softer parts hav- 

 ing disappeared under the influence of the digestive juices. 



