ENTOMOLOGY. 459 



affected by it. A curious case of tlie persistence of the scale may be 

 noted-. One of the author's correspondents cut off bis currant bushes 

 early in the spring close to the surface of the ground, covering the stems 

 with several inches of soil and. allowing the young currant shoots to 

 make their way through it. In most cases the scale made its way up 

 through the soil and took possession of the shoots. 



Concluding, the author thinks that every effort should be made to 

 domesticate any known enemy of the scale, and that the introduction 

 of Spluerostilbe should be systematically carried on until the disease 

 exists in all places where the scale is known to occur. But this is 

 advised not with the hope of extermination so much as the lessening 

 of the cost of control. The author also notes that it would be advis- 

 able to investigate the question as to whether Japan is really the 

 home of the scale. He thinks it is not beyond the bounds of possibility 

 that Nature will in time come to the aid of the farmer, and states that 

 had the present season continued wet throughout the scale would have 

 lost ground everywhere and gone into winter quarters in an enfeebled 

 condition. 



Report of the department of entomology, C. M. Weed {New 

 Hampshire Sta. Bui. 48, pp. 138-145, Jigs. 8). — Observations on the tent 

 caterpillar, its food plants, parasites, etc., are reported. The author 

 says: 



"The list of food plants of the American tent caterpillar is long and varied, and 

 when compared with other caterpillars a peculiar fact is noticeable. In most cases 

 where the food is varied the insects confine themselves to certain orders of plants, 

 usually nearly related to each other, hut the prime requisite with the present species 

 seems to be that the plants shall be of a shrubby nature. The members of the rose 

 family seem to be the natural food of the tent caterpillar, and very few, if any, of 

 the shrubby and arboreal members of this family escaped." 



Notes are given on the forest tent caterpillar, and the differences 

 between it and the common tent caterpillar are pointed out. The 

 cankerworm has done considerable damage in some localities, but in 

 regions where it was destroyed by spraying in 1895-96 the outbreak 

 appears to have been checked. Brief notes are given on the codling 

 moth, oyster shell bark louse, and scale bug. 



Insects of the year, G. H. Perkins ( Vermont Sta. Bui. 60, pp. 3-16, 

 figs. 5). — The bulletin gives notes on the insects which have been most 

 common during the year and suggests treatment. The army worm and 

 the chinch bug did not injure crops during the season. Currant and 

 cabbage worms, horn flies, railroad worms, and aphids gave consider- 

 able trouble. The forest tent caterpillar was unusually abundant and 

 destructive, especially to the apple and sugar-maple trees, often defo- 

 liating them. The oyster-shell scale of the apple was very injurious in 

 some orchards. The San Jose scale has appeared in one place in the 

 State. The round headed apple-tree borer was very troublesome in 

 several localities. The flat-headed borer also gave some trouble, but 

 was less injurious than in the pit-ceding year. 

 10222— No. 5 5 



