354 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECORD. 



on the life history of Calandra oryza, futile remedial practices, and weevil 

 resistance in com varieties, and presents recommendations for future practice. 

 A bulletin relating to the subject has previously been noted (E. S. R., 31, p. 58). 



Information relative to bee keeping, C. E. Sanborn {Oklahoma Sta. Circ. 

 28 {191Jt), pp. 2-8). — A popular account prepared for use by the bee keeper. 



Porto Rican bee keeping, E. F. Phillips (Porto Rico Sta. Bui. 15 (1914), 

 pp. 24, pis. 2). — This is a report of investigations made during May and June, 

 1913, of bee keeping in Porto Rico, where the industry has grown in the past 5 

 years from almost nothing to an export trade of $100,000. 



Among the subjects discussed are the present extent of the industry, sources 

 of honey, equipment and methods of manipulation, difficulties encountered, use 

 of bees for pollination, diseases of bees, possibilities of wax production, etc. 



The author concludes that the future of the bee keeping industry in the 

 island is full of promise. The problems at hand are (1) the development of 

 the industry as rapidly as is consistent with the experience of the bee keepers, 

 and (2) the keeping out of the brood diseases. 



A study of Dryophanta erinacei and its gall, C. J. Tbiggerson {Ann. Ent. 

 8oc. Amer., 7 {1914), No. 1, pp. 1-34, P^s. ii).— This is a report of studies of the 

 cynipid gall maker D. erinacei, including a discussion of its life history, para- 

 sites, guests, and the cause of gall formation. 



A parasite of the chinch bug egg, J. W. McColloch and H. Yuasa {Jour. 

 Econ. Ent., 7 {1914), ^o. 2, pp. 219-227) .—This paper deals with the biology of 

 the parasite previously noted (E. S. R., 29, p. 854), which has been described 

 by Gahan in the article noted on page 355 as Eumicrosoma henefica. 



In studies of the life history and habits of this parasite in Kansas it was 

 found that for 81 individuals the average time between the collection of 

 chinch bug eggs and the emergence of the parasites in May and June was 13.9 

 days. The average length of the life cycle for the second generation was 14.3 

 days; for the third generation 11.9 days; and for the fourth generation 9.9 

 days. From the last of July to the first of September for 249 parasites, reared 

 from eggs collected in the field, the average time between collection and emer- 

 gence was 9.8 days. The average length of the life cycle for the sixth genera- 

 tion was 15.2 days; for the seventh generation 17.6 days; and for the eighth 

 generation 27.8 days. Thirteen was the largest number of eggs parasitized by 

 a single female and 29 was the largest and 13 the smallest number of eggs 

 found in 29 females dissected, with an average of 22.8. On an average from 

 70 to 75 per cent of the parasites obtained in the laboratory were females. 

 It is stated that this parasite can breed parthenogenetically but the number 

 of eggs parasitized per female is usually low and many of the offspring fail 

 to develop. A number of experiments were conducted in which parasites were 

 given eggs of false chinch bugs and other hemipterous eggs, but no parasitism 

 occurred. A hasty survey made in August to determine the distribution in 

 the State showed the parasite to be present in the 16 counties visited, in fact, 

 it was found wherever material was collected, which covers practically all of 

 the chinch bug infested region of the State. 



" The average percentage of parasitism over the State of 16 per cent does 

 not represent the actual number of chinch bug eggs destroyed. The period of 

 oviposition of the chinch bug covers about 2 months, while the life cycle of 

 the parasite covers a period of only 2 or 3 weeks. Thus the eggs of a single 

 female chinch bug are exposed to about 3 broods of parasites, while the eggs 

 of one brood of chinch bugs are exposed to 4 or 5 broods of parasites. There- 

 fore, the percentage of parasitism for a brood of chinch bugs is at least 50 

 per cent. Experiments conducted in the field and in the laboratory show this 

 to be true." 



