662 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.35 



A preliminary report on the life economy of Solenopsis molesta, J. W. 

 McCoLLOCH and W. P. Hayes {Jour. Econ. Ent., 9 (1916), No. 1, pp. 2S-S8, pi. 1, 

 fig. 1). — A report of biological and economic studies of the Kafir ant (S. 

 molesta), which in Kansas destroys the seed of Kafir corn, cane, milo maize, 

 and feterita. The most practical control measures in southern Kansas consist 

 in fall plowing and thorough spring harrowing, as well as surface and early 

 planting of the crop. 



Spraying versus beekeeping, B. N. Gates (Mass. Bd. Agr., Apiary Insp. 

 Bui. lOA (1916), pp. 22, pis. 2). — This paper reviews the literature and reports 

 instances of losses of bees occasioned by their working upon fruit trees, etc., 

 that were sprayed while in bloom. 



Fifth and sixth annual reports of the state inspector of apiaries for the 

 years 1914 and 1915, B. N. Gates {Agr. of Mass., 62 {19U), pp. W-415, pi. 

 1; 63 {1915), pp. 111-138, pis. 3; Mass. Bd. Agr., Apiary Insp. Buls. 9 {1915), 

 pp. 11, pi. 1; 10 {1916), pp. 30, pis. 3). — The most recent of these reports, which 

 are along the lines of previous years (E. S. R., 32, p. 556), includes an appendix 

 giving the paper above noted on Spraying v. Beekeeping. 



Is the hive a center for distributing fire blight? Is aphid honeydew a 

 medium for spreading blight? H. A. Gossaed {Jour. Econ. Ent., 9 {1916), No. 

 1, pp. 59-64, pis. 2). — The tests here reported "prove conclusively to us that 

 the blight organism, in honey, can remain sufficiently virulent for 47 hours to 

 produce infection, with the extreme time measure of virulency probably not 

 reached. Tests of this kind were made with fresh apple honey and also with 

 well-ripened honey taken from the hive in midsummer and the results were 

 substantially the same. It is evident from these results that the formic acid 

 of honey is not immediately fatal to the blight organism. . . . We believe we 

 have proved that if one bee carries 100,000 bacilli into the hive one day, that 

 on the following one or two days, each of 1,000 bees has the possibility of 

 carrying a considerable fraction of 100 virulent bacilli out to fruit blossoms, 

 because practically all the bees in the hive are at work during the night curing 

 the honey. This would seem to go a long way toward explaining the wholesale 

 infection that occurs in the latter part of the blooming period." 



The Pajaroello tick (Ornithodorus coriaceus), W. B. Heems {Jour. Para- 

 sitology, 2 {1916), No. 3, pp. 137-142, fig. i).— Notes are given on the life history 

 and biting habits of this tick, based largely upon observations in California 

 by the author and W. L. Chandler. 



This tick has been found to occur in a number of counties of the State, in- 

 cluding San Benito, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Monterey, and Santa Barbara, 

 and probably also Los Angeles and San Diego, thus connecting up with Mexico, 

 which is the original habitat. It is most commonly found among dry leaves 

 beneath live-oak trees, where cattle are accustomed to lie in the shade. 



Eggs deposited March 9 hatched March 31, giving an incubation period of 21 

 days, at an average temperature of 26.3° C. A larva placed on the ear of a rabbit 

 May 2 was recovered fully engorged May 11, and molted 10 days later, on IMay 

 21. The second molt, without a second engorgement, took place June 15. The 

 nymph became fully engorged in about 20 minutes, on July 2 ; the third molt oc- 

 curring August 12. It again engorged October 11, the fourth molt taking place 

 December 23. After another engorgement on January 16, the fifth molt took 

 place on March 9 and the tick appeared as a sexually mature female. On March 

 27 the female became fully engorged, copulation took place on April 17, and on 

 June 10 428 eggs were deposited. 



The number of molts varied from four to seven. The maximum number of 

 eggs deposited by a tick in one season was 1,158, there being seven separate 

 layings. 



