Reviews of Books. 291 



throughout most of the United States. In the reports before us much 

 valuable and interesting information is given about that determined foe to 

 the potato, the Colorado beetle, the expected appearance of which in this 

 country is causing so much commotion amongst our savans and agricul- 

 turists. To the latter it may prove a very serious matter should the beetle 

 unfortunately get established in their potato fields, and a careful perusal of 

 these reports would better prepare them to meet and successfully combat 

 the enemy, should his unwelcome presence in the country become an 

 established fact, in defiance of all precautions taken to prevent his 

 importation from the West. Interesting details are given of the great 

 amount of damage done by it in the States in the past and former years ; 

 its origin in Colorado, and its migration eastwards ; the enemies it has 

 amongst insects, birds, &c. ; and the best remedies for destroying it, — an 

 application of Paris green being recommended as the most effective remedy 

 yet discovered. 



The " cankerworm," and a numerous army of other " worms," which are 

 the cause of an infinite amount of damage to various crops or plants in the 

 States, are all treated of in the same able and exhaustive manner. Full 

 and elaborate reports are also given upon the life, history, and devas- 

 tations committed upon vegetation by the " Eocky Mountain locust," which 

 is one of the most terrible insect plagues that infest the Western States. 

 During recent years whole tracks of country, as large as Ireland, have been 

 devastated by this voracious pest, to whose devouring maw, it seems, no 

 green vegetable matter comes amiss, and which in the course of a few 

 hours changes the luxuriant verdure of spring into the desolation and 

 barrenness of winter. Throughout the whole district overrun by them fully 

 three-fourths of all the crops are destroyed, so that we may be thankful we 

 have the wide expanse of the broad Atlantic between us and such a destruc- 

 tive pest, w^hich, from climatical reasons, is not likely to pay us an early 

 visit. 



A great amount of attention is also devoted by Professor Riley to the 

 "vine phylloxera" and its congeners on the oak and other plants ; and 

 during his skilfnl and laborious investigations he has elicited a vast 

 amount of information, which is of great value to the owners of vineyards 

 in the various countries infested by that deadly scourge to the vine- 

 grower. 



When shall we see such a thoroughly practical and skilful annual report 

 as this made upon British Insects by a British State entomologist ? 



