1920] ECONOMIC ZOOLOC.Y — KNTOMOLOGY. 853 



attacked by a nxinibor of other insect enemies. The destructive worli of the 

 budworm is said to be decidedly on tlie decrease at the present time. 



On some forest Lepidoptera, with descriptions of new species, larvae, 

 and pupa.', C. Heinkich (Froc. U. S. Natl. Mas., 57 (W20}, pp. 53-96, pin. IS). — 

 Sixteen species and three varieties, representing eleven genera, are described as 

 new, quite a number being of economic importance. The genus To.sca is erected. 



Coccobacillus inscctorum malacosoniae (n. sp.). a pathogen from the 

 blood of the caterpillar of Malacosonia castrensis L., Hoixande and P. Ver- 

 NiEK (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 111 {1920), No. S, pp. 206-208) .—Tlw 

 organism here described as new was isolated in May, 1920, from the blood of 

 living caterpillars of At. castrensis L., for which it is said to be very pathogenic. 

 Fifty per cent of the caterpillars collected on Poterium sanguisorba in the 

 vicinity of Nancy were infected. The caterpillars of M. castrensis and Vanessa 

 urticw are killed in 24 hours when the organism is ingested or is introduced into 

 the blood stream. The caterpillars of M. [Boinbyx] neustria are killed in 12 

 hours after its injection into the blood ; when ingested a mortality of but 30 to 

 63 per cent resulted. It is not pathogenic for the guinea pig when introduced 

 Intraperitoneally in large numbers. 



Insect life on sewage filters, W. H. Parkinson and H. D. Bell (London: 

 The Sanitary Publishinfi Co., Ltd., pp. y///+6//, pi. 1, figs. IS; abs. 

 in Nature [London]. JOS {1920), No. 2631. p. Z3i).— This small book deals 

 mainly with the podurid (springtail) Achorntes viaticus L. in relation to the 

 efiiciency of sewage filters, where it is very frequently found in large numbers. 

 The authors' experiments are thought to prove that Achorutes attacks and con- 

 sumes the colloidal growth which often chokes .the upper layers of the filters, 

 and in this way enables a larger volume of sewage to be purified than is pos- 

 sible when this insect is not present. Analyses of the effluents produced by two 

 filters showed that in the one where Achorutes was excluded the purification 

 effected was less than in the other filter, but when the insects were added to 

 the first filter nitrification improved at once. 



The ox warbles and their agricultural importance, E. Fritsche {Natur- 

 wissenschaften, 8 {1920), No. 27, pp. 523-529) .—This is a general discussion with 

 reference to the literature. 



Use of trioxymethylene powder for the destruction of Anopheles larvae, 

 E. RouBAUD {Coinpt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 170 {1920), No. 25, pp. 1521, 

 1522). — The fact that petroleum and other materials used in the control of 

 mosquito larvse are more or less injurious to fish, and render water thus treated 

 unfit for consumption by cattle, led to the investigations here reported. 



It was found that when powdered formalin is placed upon the surface it 

 becomes uniformly diffused, the traces at the surface being sufticient, when 

 Ingested, to destroy the surface-living Anopheles larvae. By the end of a period 

 varying from 5 to 20 minutes the larvae swim by small convulsive jerks, progres- 

 sively lose their mobility, and become inert, the intensity of the effect depending 

 upon the quantity of the powder ingested. Culex larvre, which feed at the sur- 

 face, and other invertebrates and vertebrates occurring in pools are not affected 

 by it. Thus, the action upon Anopheles larvse is specific and comparable to that of 

 quinin upon the malarial Plasmodia. The powdered formalin is said to be 

 effective in minimum amounts, 0.25 gm. being sufiicient to cover effectively a 

 square meter of surface. 



Conditions affecting the nutrition of Anopheles maculipennis in France 

 and the role of cattle in malarial prophylaxis, E. Rouiiaud {Ann. Inst. Pas- 

 teur, 34 {1920), No. //, pp. 181-228).— This is a more extended report of tlie 

 author's investigation than that previously noted (E. S. R.. 43, p. 454). 



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