258 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 84 



author in his preface states that it is slightly modified from the first 

 edition and contains quite a number of additions, especially with 

 regard to control measures, i. e., those which by recent experimental 

 trial and practical application are recognized to be the most efifective 

 and at the same time the easiest and most economical. The author 

 at the time of writing was an assistant in the " Cattedra " of Natural 

 History and Phytopathology in Conegliano. The work is largely com- 

 piled, but is said to be based upon actual field experience. 



One of the most notable of these before-the-war publications was 

 a pami)lilet by P. de Stefani ])ublished in Palermo in 1914 and en- 

 titled (translated) " Insects Occasionally Injurious to the Vine." 

 Professor de Stefani has written a number of sound articles on vari- 

 ous injurious insects, especially those of Sicily. 



There have been three rather prolific writers of short articles dur- 

 ing the past few years in Italy. One of these has been Prof. G. Paoli, 

 a former assistant to A. Berlese. He has been stationed near Genoa, 

 and has done some very good work. E. Malenotti has published about 

 a large number of injurious insects, both under the Ministry of Agri- 

 culture, in the journal Redia, and in agricultural newspapers. G. Mar- 

 telli has also been a writer of frequent short articles on different 

 aspects of agricultural entomology during the past few years. 



These men and some others arc connected with the service known 

 as Cattedre Ambulanti di Agricoltura. These traveling chairs of agri- 

 culture are placed in the chief towns of the provinces, and are 

 supported by contributions from the State, the province and local 

 institutions. Their object is to assist local agriculture, and their men 

 act as what we would term in this country, possibly, glorified county 

 agents. As a rule, they are better trained than the so-called county 

 agents in this country. They have charge of the fight against insect 

 pests and plant diseases under the control of the Central Phytopatho- 

 logical Observatory, and they form a bond of union between the 

 Ministry of Agriculture and the farmers. This service has been found 

 to be very important, and the system has been strongly supported by 

 the present Fascist Government. 



Italy has therefore been one of the most active countries in work 

 in economic entomology. This is shown in a rather striking way in a 

 large work by Dr. Gustavo Leonardi, published long after his la- 

 mented death, which is a consideration of the species of injurious 

 insects and their parasites recorded in Italy to the end of the year 

 191 1. It was published in three large parts by Professor Silvestri at 

 Portici. While it is little more than a list it is very impressive. The 

 bibliography alone covers 142 pages, and a study of this bibliography 



