252 EXPERIMENT STATIOIST RECORD. 



come from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and elsewhere. It is suggested that 

 the industry of raising cage birds niiglit profitably be increased in this covmti'y. 



Food habits of Kansas lizards and batrachians, F. A. Hartman {Trans. 

 Kans. Acad. Set., 20 (1907), pt. 2, pp. 225-229). — Observations were made on sev- 

 eral species of lizards and batrachians observed in Kansas. In general the 

 lizards were found to live chiefly upon grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles for 

 the most part belonging to harmful species. The batrachia show a wider 

 range of diet, but they feed chiefly upon insects. Lizards as a class are more 

 active in this respect than batrachia, with the exception of the toad, which is 

 the most beneficial of all. 



Is the Gila monster a poisonous reptile? F. H. Snow (Trans. Kans. Acad. 

 Sci., 20 (1907), pt. 2, pp. 218-221). — In the author's experience no direct evi- 

 dence has been obtained that the bite of the Gila monster is poisonous, but the 

 evidence for the poisonous character of the bite as obtained by other investiga- 

 tors is briefly summarized. 



Sex differentiation in larval insects, V. L. Kellogg (Biol. Bui. Mar. Biol. 

 Lai). Woods Holl 12 (1907). Xo. 6, pp. .380-384. fiffs. 8).— Previous experiments 

 by the author have shown that the sex of silkworms can not be influenced by 

 excessive or light feeding of the larva' during their various stages. The reason 

 for the negative results in these experiments was found upon making a micro- 

 scopic study of silkworm larvae. The sexes are already fully differentiated 

 at the time when the first molting appears and probably even at an earlier 

 stage. It is considered, therefore, useless to make further attempts to influ- 

 ence the proportion of the sexes in silkworms by feeding. 



Report of the entomologists, C. II. and H. T. Fernald (Alassaclmsetts Sta. 

 Rpt. 1906, pp. 199-20.'}). — Tomato plants in greenhouses may be- freed of white 

 fly by fumigation with hydrocyanic-acid gas. Considerable attention was given 

 to the study of root maggots and remedies for scale insects. Brief notes are 

 also given on the insect pests of the year and on cranberry insects and the 

 oriental moth. 



Three injurious insects, (Estac. Agr. Expt. Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Bol. 

 .'), pp. 23, pis. 2, fiffs. 3). — Economic and biological notes are given on grass- 

 hoppers, peach aphis, and fall webworm. In combating grasshoppers the best 

 results have been obtained from the use of a bait poisoned with Paris green. 

 In the control of peach aphis great success has been had from the application 

 of fertilizers and bisulphid of. carbon to those plant lice which are located at 

 the base of the trunk. 



A contribution to the physiology of the museum beetle (Anthrenus muse- 

 orum), A. J. Ewart (Jour. Linn. Soc. [London'\, Zool., 30 (1907), Xo. W-"), pp. 

 1-5). — The museum beetle is reported as causing great damage to dried plants 

 in the national herbarium at ^lelbourne. The herbarium specimens have to be 

 fumigated with carbon bisulphid at least once annually in order to prevent their 

 destruction. An analysis of herl)arium specimens showed that they contain as 

 a rule from 9 to 11 per cent of water. The larv:e of the museum beetle appear 

 to thrive on i>lants which contain less than 9 per cent of water. 



An attempt was made to determine the source of the water in the body of the 

 larvae. A part of the water appears to be of a chemical nature, being derived 

 from the carbohydrates in the food of the larvae by decomposition luider the 

 action of bacteria and digestive juices. In the protection of herbarium speci- 

 mens against museum beetles, it is recommended that care be exercised to 

 exclude all materials which may absorb water. 



Acariosis of oats, P. Marchal (Ann. Inst. Xat. Agron., 2. scr., 6 (1907), No. 1, 

 pp. 185-19G. figs. 3). — A description was given of the malformation caused in the 

 head of oats by parasitism with Tarsonemus spirifex. This mite has caused 



