ENTOMOLOGY. 163 



Under the caption "General Notes" are given observations of an 

 economic character upon a considerable number of injurious and other 

 insects, as well as man}^ notes from the various correspondents of the 

 Division in different parts of the country. 



The choice of colors by insects, F. Plateau {Mem. Soc. Zooh 

 France, 12 {1S09), JVo. 4, pj>. 330-370).— A. critical review is given of 

 the literature of the subject. In investigating the question whether 

 insects are guided in their choice of flowers by colors, the author made 

 observations upon a considerable variety of insects, including, among 

 others, species of Megachile, Boinhus tei^restris, B. musconmi, the 

 honeybee, EristaJis tenax, Papilio machaon., etc. 



To this question he makes a negative reply. It is admitted that 

 insects may recognize at a distance the presence of flowers, but it is 

 uncertain whether this recognition is due to the contrast between an 

 area of flowers and their surroundings or to the odor of the flowers, . 

 or both. As soon as insects arrive among a group of flowers they 

 seem to exercise no choice in the matter of color, but visit indiffer- 

 ently blue, red, yellow, white, or green flowers. • If in a given species 

 of plants the different floral variations in color exist in equal quanti- 

 ties, insects pass from flowers of one color to those of another without 

 any discrimination. Occasionally the insects seem to prefer plants 

 of one color for a short time and then pay more visits to flowers of 

 another color. If in a group of flowers of a given species the floral 

 variations in color are represented in unequal quantities, the number 

 of insect visits to flowers of the different colors will be proportional 

 to the number of flowers of these various colors. 



Spraying notes, L. H. Bailey et al. {Neio York Cornell Sta. Bui. 

 177, j)})- 235-253). — Experiments were conducted in fighting San Jose 

 scale on apple, pear, plum, almond, and willow trees. A 20 per cent 

 mechanical mixture of kerosene and water was sprayed upon one lot 

 of trees on April 10 and 11. Another lot of trees was sprayed on 

 June 6, and all the trees were sprayed a second time on June 24. 3 

 especially dense trees receiving a third application on June 29. The 

 young scale insects were abundant on young unspra^-ed currants by 

 June 23. On examining the sprayed trees on December 11, few live 

 scales could l)e found. On the smooth-barked willows all the scales 

 were killed. 



The authors believe that while fumigation may be a more thorough 

 method than spraying, the San Jose scale may be held in check hj 

 spra3nng with kerosene. Fumigation will perhaps be found more 

 desirable in nurser}' rows, but for use on growing trees spraying is 

 belived to be "cheaper, simpler, and perhaps ecjualh' effective." 



Some experiments were conducted with Paris green, Paragrene, 

 Green Arsenite, XX, Pink Arseuoid, Green Arsenoid, Green Arsenoid 



