ECONOMIC ZOOLOOY — ENTOMOLOGY. 849 



Diseases of Hevea in Ceylon, T. Petch (Proc. Internat. Cong. Trop. Agr., S 

 (1914)' p- 172). — In the abstract here given of this paper, it is stated that the 

 diseases acquired by H. b7-asilicnsis during its cultivation in the East for over 

 30 years have been comparatively few and mild. 



The most important diseases of this tree in Ceylon at the present time are 

 brown root disease {Hymenochwte noxia), pink disease (Corticium salmoni- 

 color), dieback {Botryodiplodia thcobromae) , and canker (Phytophthora 

 faberi). The production of nodules and the decay of the tapped cortex are more 

 serious phcnoiiieiia wliich have not yet been traced to the agency of fungi. 



[A larch. leaf disease], A. A. Lebedeva (Zhur. BolQzni Rast., No. 4-5 (1914), 

 p. 136; (lbs. in Mat. Mikol. i Fitopatol. Boss., 1 (1915), No. 2, p. 61). — A serious 

 larch leaf disease, attributed to HartigieUa laricis and resulting in a complete 

 defoliation and death of nursery stock, has been described by the author as 

 occurring in the Province of Voronezh, Russia. Spraying with Lazurin (a 

 prepared Bordeaux mixture) and removing affected leaves gave very good 

 results. 



Peridermium harknessii and Cronartium quercuum, E. P. Meinecke 

 (aScjVhcc, n. ser., 43 (1916), No. 1098, p. 73).— The author reports the successful 

 inoculation of Pinus radiata with jeciospores of P. harknessii and the fact that 

 the mycelium of C. quercuum winters over in the old green leaves of Quercua 

 agrifoUa. The uredinial sori on the young leaves are said to be the results 

 of infection from the sori on the old leaves. The author claims that if P. 

 harknessii is connected with C. quercuum, this is a case of facultative heteroe- 

 cism in both generations. 



Brown oak and its origin, P. Geoom (Ann. Bot. [London], 29 (1915), No. 115, 

 pp. 393-408). — An account is given of a study made on reddish or brown heart- 

 wood of individual trees of the species Quercua robur in Great Britain. 



The change, which is little if at all injurious to the wood for a long time, 

 is apparently due to a fungus, the. conidiophores of which closely resemble 

 those of Penicillium. On incipient brown oak of some specimens were pro- 

 duced small spheroidal basidiocarps which were identified by Massee as Melano- 

 gaster variegatus broomianus, but tlie identity of the conidiate fungus with 

 the basidiate one was not established by pure cultures. 



Results are also given of a study of the tannin in oak heartwood by W. P. 

 Rial. 



ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY— ENTOMOLOGY. 



Birds of Porto Rico, A. Wetmore (U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 326 (1916), pp. 14O, 

 pis. 10). — This work is based upon investigations commenced in December, 1911, 

 from which time continuous field work was carried on until September, 1912. 

 All the principal regions of the island were visited, short trips having been 

 made to the adjacent islands of Vieques and Culebra, and four days spent on 

 Desecheo Island, in Mona Passage. As a result of this work more than 2,200 

 stomachs of birds collected at all seasons were available for laboratory study 

 and investigation, about 2,000 of which were collected by the author. It is 

 pointed out that the examination and results have additional importance as 

 representing the first extended work of the kind carried on within the tropical 

 regions of the Western Hemisphere. 



In the introduction the author first presents the itinerary, following which 

 he deals with the physiography of Porto Rico; bird life in cane fields, coffee 

 plantations, and citrus groves ; economic considerations ; bird enemies of the 

 mole cricket, sugar cane root borer, weevil stalk borer, and May beetle ; methods 

 of increasing birds; introduction of birds, etc. 



