846 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY— ENTOMOLOGY. 



Handbook of medical entomolog'y, W. A. Riley and O. A. Johannsen 

 (Ithaca, N. Y.: The Comstoclc Puhlishiny Co., 1915, pp. /Z+3//8, pi. l,figs. 174).— 

 The object of this work, as stated by the authors. " is to ?fford a general survey 

 of the field, and primarily to put the student of medicine and entomology in 

 touch with the discoveries and theories which underlie some of the most impor- 

 tant modern work in preventive medicine." 



In an introduction tlie authors discuss early suggestions regarding the trans- 

 mission of disease by insects and the ways in which arthropods may affect 

 the health of man. The subject is then taken up under the lieadings of arthro- 

 pods which are directly poisonous; parasitic arthropods affecting man; acci- 

 dental or facultative parasites; arthropods as simple carriers of disease germs, 

 as direct inoculators of disease germs, as essential hosts of pathogenic organ- 

 isms, and as essential hosts of pathogenic protozoa; some possible but imi)er- 

 fectly kuovra cases of arthropod tiansmission of disease, Lnd keys to the arthro- 

 pods noxious to man. In an appendix the use of hydrocyanic acid gas against 

 household insects with the details relating to household fumigation and lesions 

 produced by the bile of the black fly are dealt with. 



A 14-page bibliography and a complete subject index are included. 



Entomolog'y, or the study of insects, and its importance, E. S. Tuckee 

 (Louisiana Stas. Crop Pest Notice 3 (1915), pp. 3-S). — This is a popular intro- 

 duction to the subject. The author points out the importance of a knowledge 

 of insects in order that the detrimental and beneficial ones may be distinguished 

 and that control measures may he intelligently applied. 



Habits and instincts of insects up to the growth of the social instincts, 

 O. M. Reuteb (Lebcnsgcwolmhciten and Instinlcte der Insekten his zum Er- 

 wachcn der sozialen Instinkte. Berlin: R. Fricdldndcr and Sohn, 1913, pp. 

 XVI-\-Jf48, figs. S.'t). — This work is separated into 20 chapters in which the 

 author deal-s at length with the bionomics of insects. 



Cyanid of potassium in trees (Agr. Neics [Barbados}, 14 (1915), No. 332, p. 

 26). — The accounts previously noted (E. S. R., 32, pp. 152, 754) having come to 

 attention several tests were made by the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 to determine what effect cy;iiiid has on certain plants. Three trees wei'e used, 

 namely, a small mulberry (Morns alba), king of flowers (Lagerstroemia indica), 

 and a red gum (Biirscra gtmnirifcra), the cyanid being applied in a hole i 

 in. in diameter, bored into the trees to a depth of about l* to 1^ in. The holes 

 were then filled with finely crushed cyanid of potassium and plugged with 

 paraflin v/ax on October 21, 1914. 



In each case the trunk of the tree was considerably injured aud the method 

 ih considered liable to result in serious injurj' to the ijlants. 



[Report of] department of entomolog'y (Oregon Sta. Rpt. 1913-1914. pp. 

 13-17). — The common eastern lady beetle (21egiUa tuaculata) has been intro- 

 duced from the East aud is being reared in confinement. 



The results of insecticide investigations have been summarized in part as 

 follows: "Lime-sulphur plus arseuite of zinc, lime-sulphur plus arsenate of 

 lead (acid), and lime-sulphur plus arsenate of lead (nonacid), in all strengths 

 caused serious burning. If anything, the nonacid injury was slightly the 

 worst. Lime-sulphur caused considerable injury, but not one-half as much as 

 in the combination sprays. Arseuite of zinc alone and in all strengths caused 

 considerable burning. The burning was different, however. fi"om that of the 

 combination aud lime-sulphur sprayed trees. With the combination sprays the 

 entire leaf was destroyed or else the injury covered a distinct portion, all parts 

 of which were discolored. Scab spots on the leaves appeared black, ordinary 



