752 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



pure cultures, and the diseases reproduced by artificial inoculation. Arrange- 

 ments have been made with growers for cooperative experiments in the control 

 of these diseases, and a full account of the fungi and the diseases is to appear 

 later in a bulletin of the Cornell Experiment Station. 



ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY— ENTOMOLOGY. 



A text-book of field zoology, Lottie E. Crary (PhUadcJphin, 1910, pp. 

 XII+36.'f, flgfi. 111). — This work is devoted to insects, other arthropods, and 

 birds. 



A diary of the travels of a naturalist in Darien and Ecuador, E. Festa 

 (Nel Darien e nelV Ecuador. Diario di viaggio di an Naturali.^ta. Turin, 

 WOO, pp. XVI+397; rcr. in Nature [London], 82 (1910), No. 2103. pp. 452. 

 Jf53). — An account of the author's travels from May to September, 1S95, in 

 Panama, and from September. 1895 to April, 1898 in Ecuador. About 500 speci- 

 mens of mammals, more than 3,000 birds, 150 different kinds of reptiles and 

 amphibians, and as many kinds of fishes and invertebrates were collected and 

 given to the Royal Museum at Turin. 



Family distribution and faunal areas, N. Banks {Proc. Ent. Sac. Wash., 12 

 (1910), No. 2. pp. SS-98). — The author shows that no one map of faunal areas 

 can explain the distribution of all groups, since the faunal areas vary with the 

 family or even with the genus. 



The common mole, T. H. Scheffer (Kan.'<as ^Sta. BuJ. 168, pp. 36, figs. 10). — 

 In the first part of this bulletin the author describes the so-called common 

 garden mole (Scalopus aquaihus intermedins), its life history and bionomics. 

 This, the f)nly species that occurs in Kansas, is common in the eastern half of 

 the State, being abundant in the eastern third. In western Kansas it is entirely 

 absent, or found only occasionally along water courses. The mole thrives best 

 in a loose, moist soil abounding in grubs and earthworms. It frequents fields 

 and woods shaded by vegetation, but is not able to maintain existence in the 

 hard, compact soil of semiarid regions. It does not hibernate, but is more or 

 less active at all seasons of the year. During the rainy periods of summer its 

 work is pushed the most vigorously. 



The results of examinations of 38 female moles for breeding conditions are 

 reported. The diet of moles consists almost exclusively of the various insects, 

 grubs, and worms to be found in the soil. The amount of vegetable substance 

 found in stomach examinations is usually no more than might have been taken 

 in incidental to the ingestion of other food. Of 100 stomachs examined white 

 grubs were found in 64, earthworms in 49, beetles in 67, beetle larvae in 44. 

 other larvse in 25. centipedes in 25, ants in 19, wasps in 7, files in 2, plant fibers 

 and rootlets in 43, seed pods or husks in 8. crickets in 10, insect fragments in 31, 

 puparia in 21, cocoons In 10, sjiiders in 23. grasshoppers in 2. bugs in 3, skin of 

 grain or roots in 6, and hair-worm in 1. Twenty-eight were found to be infested 

 with parasitic threadworms. 



It was found to be a difficult matter to keep a mole in captivity for any con- 

 siderable length of time, as either fright or worry or lack of proper food in 

 sufficient quantity soon terminated the life of each captive. 



Because of its secluded life, the mole has but few natural enemies. The 

 fiooding of lowlands during spring freshets is probably the greatest danger that 

 menaces the adult mole and its progeny. " From the standpoint of food habits, 

 and also in respect to tunneling tlie soil, the work of the mole is highly bene- 

 ficial to the interests of agricultnre. Moles should not be tolerated, however, in 

 lawns, small g.-irden i)lats and piirks. because of the disfigurement and the 

 injury to pluut roots thiit result from their work. The labyrinth of tunnels con- 



