674 EXPEEIMENT STATION RECORD. 



the adult insects. This has been found by experience to be a quite effective remedy 

 for preventing infestation by billbugs. Detailed descriptive economic and biological 

 notes are given on a number of species of these insects, including Sphenophorus par- 

 vulus, S. placidus, S. ochreus, S. pertinax, S. cariosus, S. scoparius, S. sculptiMs, and 

 ;S^. robustus. S. parvulus is said to hibernate in the adult stage. The beetles deposit 

 their eggs in the early summer, the larvpe hatch in June and pupation takes place in 

 July. The adults appear late in July or during August. The most injurious species 

 of those mentioned is S. ochreus. A brief bibliography of recent literature on these 

 insects is appended to the bulletin. 



Extermination of the cane grub, A. J. Boyd {Queensland Agr. Jour., 10 {1902), 

 No. 6, pp. 46S, 469). — The ravages of the cane grub are reported to have been unusu- 

 ally severe. This condition is l)elieved to be attributable in part to the great 

 destruction of moles which took place in consequence of the severe drought. The 

 feeding habits of the mole are briefly considered and notes given on its natural ene- 

 mies. It is believed that the mole is one of the most valuable helps to the cane 

 grower in jDreventing damages from the cane grub. 



Cleonus punctiventris and green muscardine, t^. G. Toporkov {Zhur. Opuitn. 

 A <j ran. [Jour. Expt. Landu-.'], 3 {1902), No. 1, pp. 1-J8). — The author found that this 

 1 >eetle does not feed upon grass when it first appears in the spring, and in this respect 

 the author's observations do not agree with those of Danysz. During the winters of 

 1900 and 1901 it was found that the beetles did not penetrate into the soil below 

 a depth of 45 cm. and that 87 per cent of the beetles were found in the layer of soil 

 between 9 and 36 cm. below the surface. According to the author's observations there 

 is but 1 generation. The larvfe and beetles are more quickly and seriously affected 

 with the muscardine when they occur in crowded conditions. It is therefore recom- 

 mended that sugar beets be planted at greater distances from one another in order to 

 prevent the accumulation of the insects in large masses at intervals so great that the 

 fungus does not succeed in passing from one mass of insects to another. The author 

 believes that the muscardine, which is found in the government of Kiev, is not the 

 white variety but rather the green. In combating the attacks of Cleonus punctiventris 

 upon sugar beets it is recommended that a rotation of crops extending over 2 or 3 

 years be adopted in the place of one occupying from 4 to 6 years. This would pre- 

 vent the destruction of the muscardine in the soil between any 2 successive crops of 

 sugar beets. 



Cleonus punctiventris and green muscardine, !~!. G. Toporkov {ZJiur. Opuitn. 

 Agron. [Jour. E.rjit. Landv],^ {1901), No. 2, pp. 134-106). — In combating the attacks 

 of this insect upon sugar beets, the author believes that no reliance can be placed 

 upon the white muscardine, but that the green and red varieties are quite effective. 

 It is thought tliat the green muscardine is better adapted than the other varieties to 

 the climatic and other conditions of the government of Kiev. The author summar- 

 izes the results of his extensive observations on this insect since 1892. It was 

 observed that the beetles are most affected by the fungus when they occur in large 

 masses in the soil. Numerous observations were made for the purpose of determin- 

 ing the depth to which larvae penetrate. An examination of the soil to ascertain the 

 number of dead and living larvjB and beetles indicates that the distribution of the 

 muscardine and the intensity of its effect upon the beetles are in inverse proportions 

 to the distances between the individual insects. The author recommends the pres- 

 ervation over winter in cellars of masses of soil containing large quantities of the 

 muscardine. This material may then be scattered upon ground to be infested and 

 may be plowed under. It is also recommended that in the fall the soil be plowed 

 at a depth sufficient to expose the larv;e to the action of frost. 



•Cleonus punctiventris and muscardine, J. Danysz (Z//v(/-. Opuitn. Agrou. [Jour. 

 Ejpt. Landiv.], 2 {1901), No. 4, pp. 464-4S2 ) .—This insect is said to have been inju- 

 rious to sugar beets for the past 30 years. From the results of experiments with 



