ZOOLOGY. 449 



regulations, but "Dr. Maximo Coriiu has lately submitted a report, iu 

 which, while confessing that Fhylloxera vastatrix is confined to the 

 grapevine and can flourish on no other plant, he yet recommends the 

 following of the example set by Algeria, which is to forbid the intro- 

 duction of all vegetable products whatever, except those absolutely 

 required for consumption" {Biley, A. N., XV, 239). It has been found 

 that the American vines enjoy at least comparative immunity from the 

 attacks of Fhylloxera, and large consignments of roots have been im- 

 ported into France from the United States to replant the destroyed 

 vineyards (A. N., XV, 322). 



Enemies of Rice. — The rice plant in the Southern United States has 

 sufl'ered in past years from the attacks of two insects, both beetles, the 

 Ckalepus trachypygus and lAssorhoptrus simplex, and a third insect has 

 now been added to the list of its formidable enemies; but the newly- 

 discovered pest is the caterpillar of a Lepidopter — the Laphygma frugi- 

 perda. The last proved to be very destructive to rice plants in the 

 summer of 1881 in Georgia, and was identified by Professor Eiley. It 

 had been known before as a scourge to various grasses and grains, but 

 not as a special enemy of the rice. In the East Indies a third order of 

 insects — the Diptera — has contributed an additional and very formid- 

 able pest to the rice cultivator. It is the newly-discovered Cccidomyia 

 oryscc, of which no congener had previously been known to occur in 

 India. {Riley, A. K, XV, 148, 482, 751.) 



Enemies of Pastures. — Another insect, which has long been known, but 

 had not been hostile to the industry of man, in 1881 assumed a new 

 role, and attacked pastures in the Eastern States — especially in parts 

 of New York and New Jersey — " some fields as large as forty acres being 

 ruined and others showing only dead spots of a rod or two square." 

 The injurious larvae were supposed by the farmers to be "army worms," 

 l}ut specimens were identified by Professor lliley as representatives of 

 two distinct species, and both diiierent from the true army worm. One 

 of the destructive "worms," and the more common, at least in some 

 sections, was the larva of Crambus vnlgivagcllus, and the other that of 

 Neplielodes violans. Professor Riley well remarks, that " the widespread 

 appearance and injury" of the former species during the past year "fur- 

 nishes an excellent illustration of the fact that species which have never 

 before been looked upon as injurious to agriculture may suddenly be- 

 come so." (A. N., XV, 574^577, etc.) 



Enemies of Glover. — The American agriculturist may liave to encounter 

 still another enemy of his labors — a curculionid beetle — the Fhytonomus 

 punctatus. It has been until recently unknown in the United States, but 

 was detected in 1881 in Barrington, Yates County, New York, and speci- 

 mens were sent thence to Professor Riley, with the statement that it 

 had greatly injured the clover in that region. The insect \i\ a common 

 European species, but has not been known heretofore to do any serious 

 harm to crops. Professor Riley adds that it is worthy of remark that 

 S. Mis, 109 29 



