1920] ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY — ENTOMOLOGY. 163 



Some new injurious weevils from Asia, G, A. K. I\L\rsitai,l {Bui. Ent. 

 Research, 9 (1919), No. J,, pp. 273-277, pi. /).— The spocias here described as 

 new are Antinia theivora, found feeding on tea plants in West Java; DyHcerna 

 flctrhrri, found iioiins; into sirowlnj^ ajiple fruits and also breedinj^ in logs of 

 chir pine; {I'mus loiuji folia), in Assam and the United Provinces; D. ma- 

 liimus, puncturing ai)ple fruits in Assam; and Alcidcs mali, boring In the 

 shoots of apple trees in Assam. 



Two Rhynchophora found feeding in sweet potatoes, O. W. Rosewell 

 (Jour. Econ. Ent., IS (1920), No. 1, p. IJfS). — Xyleborinus pecanis Hopk. and 

 Platypus compositus Say are said to have damaged sweet potatoes in various 

 parts of Louisiana. 



Preliminary notes on the value of winter protection for bees, J. H. Mer- 

 rill (Jour. Econ. Ent.„ J3 (1920), No. 1, pp. 99-111, /(/;.«. 5). — "Directions have 

 been given in previous pul)llcations as to the method for giving bees winter 

 protection. The purpose of this work is to secure data showing tlie necessify 

 of using this winter protection. Six hives containing a known amount of 

 honey and a known number of bees were placed on scales, and daily readings 

 taken of all changes in weight. Three of tliese hives were sheltered by a wind- 

 break while the otliers were not. Each set of three consisted of one one-story 

 hive, one two-story hive, and one packed hive. In addition to making daily 

 readings of the changes in weights, a general weighing was made at the be- 

 ginning of the honey How in the spring to determine the number of bees in the 

 colonies on that date. 



" These observations show that the two-story hive is preferable to the one- 

 story hive and the packed hive is much to be preferred over the unpacked hive. 

 It was also shown that a windbreak is very essential, especially to colonies 

 which have no other form of winter protection. The effect of a severe winter 

 was found to be less injurious to the overwintering of bees than an open winter. 

 Colonies which are packed for the winter consume more stores owing to the fact 

 that more stores are necessary, due to increased brood rearing." 



Honey as a carrier of intestinal diseases, W. G. Sackett (Colorado Sta. 

 Bui. 252 (1919), pp. 3-18). — This is a report of two series of studies made of 

 the longevity of ten forms of bacteria of the colon-typhoid group in extracted 

 honey. An extra fine, extracted, alfalfa honey which crystallized readily at 

 20° C. (68° F.) was used in the investigation. In determining the effects of 

 concentration upon the bacteria studied, the honey was diluted with physiologi- 

 cal salt .solution to percentages vai-ying from to 90. The first series of experi- 

 ments was conducted with new fall honey, the acidity of which expressi'd as 

 formic acid was 0.11 per cent; the second series with fall honey six months okl, 

 the acidity of which was 0.09 per cent. 



In the first series Bacillus typhosus remaine<l alive in pure honey for 48 

 hours ; in dilutions above 50 per cent, it was dead after 24 hours. After 48 

 hours it had disappeared from the 50 per cent solution; after 3 days it was 

 alive only in the 10 per cent and in the salt solution control, and after 4 

 days it was present only in the control, where it was still alive after 40 days. 

 In the second series, B. typhosus was no longer present in the pure honey 

 after 24 hours and was absent from the dilutions above 50 per cent in 10 

 hours. After 24 hours, it had disappeared from the 30, 40, and 50 i>er cent 

 dilutions ; after 48 and 72 hours it was no longer present in the 20 and 10 per 

 cent dilutions, respectively. 



In the first series, B. paratyphosus B was among the most sensitive or- 

 ganisms studied, having disappeared from the pure honey in 48 hours and alto- 

 gether from dilutions above 30 per cent in 24 hours. In the second series, it 



