Notes. 625 



II. E. Weed discussed insecticide remedies for the same insect, from experience in 

 the parks of Chicago where the pest has prevailed extensively since 1886. Notes 

 were given on the plants which it may infest. Spraying was begun in July and 

 continued until September. At first, kerosene emulsion was used, beginning with an 

 8 per cent strength and gradually increasing to one of 15 per cent. The s and 10 per 

 cent emulsions apparently had no effect upon the insects, while about 50 per cent 

 were killed by the 12.] per cent strength. When a !"> percent kerosene emulsion 

 was used, the majority of the scale insects were killed, hut nearly all of the leaves 

 were destroyed on box elder, linden, and maple. 



W. E. Britton and 11. L. Viereck presented a paper on the Insects Collected from 

 the Flowers of Tree and Bush Fruits. Insects were collected by the speakers during 

 sunny forenoons on the grounds of the experiment station at New Haven, between 

 May 4 and May 14, on various fruits including gooseberry, red currant, black currant, 

 Japan plum, sweet cherry, apple, pear, and blackberry. In all 2,027 insects were cap- 

 tured belonging to 278 species. It was not determined whether there were any swarms 

 of the common honeybee in the neighborhood, but determination of species collected 

 showed it to be an exceedingly rare visitor on the experiment station grounds, only 

 3 specimens being captured and those only on the apple. The most numerous insect 

 visitors belonged to the hymenopterous families Halictidte and Andrenid.e, especially 

 sweat bees. Chloralictus sparsus was the most abundant species. 



The Importation and Breeding of Various Types of Honeybees was discussed by 

 F. Benton. Attention was called by the speaker to the differences in anatomy, tem- 

 perament, and industry among different races of bees, and a historical statement was 

 presented regarding the importation of various races of bees into this country. The 

 characteristics of 1 thick bees, Italians, Cyprians, Carniolans, and Caucasians were 

 studied in considerable detail. Notes were also given on methods by which desirable 

 traits in bees may be secured by cross breeding. It appears that in crosses among 

 bees the temperament is inherited from the drone and the extent of industriousness 

 from the queen. On this basis it is believed to be possible to secure valuable crosses 

 between Cyprians and Caucasians, or between Cyprians and Carniolans. 



C. L. Marlatt gave a brief description of the conditions of infestation by the gipsy 

 moth at the close of the important work carried on by the Gipsy Moth Commission 

 of the State of Massachusetts in 1900, followed by an account of the slow increase of 

 gipsy moth damage up to 1902. The very rapid increase of gipsy moth work since 

 1902 was described in some detail, based on a careful examination of the whole ter- 

 ritory made by Mr. Marlatt during the month of July, 1904. It was shown that, 

 while the range of the gipsy moth had not greatly increased, the abundance of this 

 insect and the amount of actual defoliation was greater in 1904 than at any previous 

 time in the history of the insect in America. A map was exhibited showing the 

 actual distribution of the gipsy moth about Massachusetts, and also in the city of 

 Providence, R. I., the only point at any distance from Boston where it has appeared. 

 Suggestions as to the more practical means of control were made, and it was urged 

 that the experiment be tried of introducing foreign parasitic enemies of this insect. 

 The present distribution of the brown-tail moth was detailed, and suggestions as to 

 means of control and the introduction of natural enemies were made. 



E. D. Sanderson spoke upon the Amount of Injury from the Cotton-Boll Weevil, 

 and A. L. Quaintance discussed The Cotton Bollworm. 



Notes upon the insects of the year were read by Messrs. Osborn of Ohio, Fletcher 

 of Canada, Felt of New York, Washburn of Minnesota, Conradi of Texas, Newell of 

 Georgia, Burgess of Ohio, Gillette of Colorado, and Martin of Tennessee, which 

 brought out a number of interesting and valuable points. 



The officers elected for the ensuing year were: H. Garman, of Kentucky, president; 

 E. D. Sanderson, of New Hampshire, and F. L. Washburn, of Minnesota, vice-presi- 

 dents; and H. E. Summers, of Iowa, secretary-treasurer. 



