660 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. [Vol. 35 



Studies in flies. — C?haetotaxy and pilotaxy of Muscid^ and range of their 

 variability in the same species, P. R, Awati {Indian Jour. Med. Research, 

 3 {1915), No. 1, pp. 135-148, pis. 3, figs. 6). — The author's conclusions in regard 

 to the importance of chaetotaxy in Musca are as follows : 



" It is very unreliable and hence of little use in classification. The number of 

 bristles on the head is very variable in the same species; their arrangement, 

 however, in some cases seems to be specific, as in the case of the facial bristles. 

 The thoracic bristles show generic variations and hence are important in dis- 

 tinguishing Musca from other genera of the same family." 



New g-enera and species of Australian Muscoidea, C. H. T. Townsend 

 (Canad. Ent., IfS (1916), No. 5, pp. 151-160). 



The development and auto-destruction of house flies in horse manure, 

 E. RouBAUD (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 161 (1915), No. 11, pp. 325- 

 327). — The author reports investigations carried on at the central laboratoiT of 

 the army. 



He first calls attention to the fact that horse dung is the best medium for the 

 development of house flies, it being estimated that the dung from a single 

 animal is sufficient for the development in summer of from 40,000 to 50,000 

 per month, or from 160,000 to 200,000 from June to September. It appears that 

 after scarcely 24 hours fermentation definitely protects the dung against ovipo- 

 sition therein. The use of certain antiseptics and larvicides, such as borax, 

 solutions of cresyl, and ferric and ferrous sulphates, retards fermentation, thus 

 prolonging the period in which oviposition may take place from one to two 

 days, and in this way multiply the chances of infestation of the dung. By the 

 end of the sixth day manure placed in heaps had apparently been vacated by 

 the larv£e, which had migrated for pupation. 



Larvae of the house fly placed in manure at a temperature of 50° C. (112° F. ) 

 exposed to the gas formed by fermentation die in three minutes. In direct 

 contact with the gas at a temperature of 51° death takes place in one minute, 

 at .59° in from five to seven seconds, and at 60° in from four to five seconds. 



Soluble poisons in the poisoned bait spray to control the adult of the 

 apple mag-got (Rhagoletis pomonella), H. H. P. Seveein (Maine Sta. Bui. 

 251 (1916), pp. 149-168, fig. i ) .—Experiments conducted during 1914 and 1915 

 are reported. 



No conclusions can be drawn on the effectiveness of the poisoned bait spray 

 from any of the experiments performed during 1914 due to the fact that the 

 different soluble poisons scorched the leaves and therefore insoluble arsenicals 

 were then substituted. A series of experiments with different amounts of 

 soluble poisons, such as potassium and sodium arsenate and sodium arsenite, 

 show that as small a quantity as 0.25 oz. of these insecticides dissolved in boil- 

 ing water and then added to 3 gal. of water with one pint of molasses will 

 burn the foliage of the apple trees. 



" In 1915, during a very rainy season, the results obtained with three applica- 

 tions of the poisoned bait spray containing a soluble poison dissolved in diluted 

 molasses [potassium arsenate 0.75 oz., molasses 1 pint, and water 3 gals.], 

 showed that the infestation varied from to 20 per cent in orchards situated 

 away from the margin of the experimental area, and from 32 to 57 per cent in 

 orchards near untreated trees. An even distribution of the droplets over the 

 foliage is more effective than spraying the trunk, large limbs, and foliage of the 

 lower branches. The number of applications necessary to insure good results 

 can not be stated with this work still in its experimental stage. In orchards 

 where tent caterpillars have practically stripped or partially defoliated the 

 trees the poisoned bait with the use of a soluble poison can not be advocated. 



