1900 ] ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 41 



These two species I consider an interesting capture as both species are new to my col- 

 lection and possibly to Canada as I have never heard of them as being Canadian species. 



This I should say has been a year favorable for this very interesting genus as they 

 have been unusually abundant in this locality. I missed all the early kinds as I was un- 

 able to look after them before Aug. 18 th, but after that succeeded in taking seventeen 

 species, amongst them four C. desperata, Guen., of which I never took but one, and it 

 several years ago, and a doubtful specimen, possibly a variety of C. paleogama. 



In the early part of the season I noticed that some insects were doing much damage 

 amongst the strawberry plants by eating the heart leaves while young and tender and I 

 was at a loss for some time to discover what they were, but finally I detected a black beetle . 

 doing the mischief, and by keeping watch I saw several doing the same thing so I have 

 made up my mind that they are the mischief makers. They straddle the leaf and very 

 soon destroy it as they eat quite greedily 



Division 5. — London District. — By R. W. Rennie, London. 



That most exasperating of all injurious insects, at least to the average gardener, made 

 its appearance last spring in unusually large numbers, viz., the Out Worm, mostly the 

 larvse of Hadena arctica. There seems to be a considerable amount of uncertainty in 

 regard to the appearance and disappearance of this insect. 



In 1895 the moths were flying in immense numbers. The following spring the larvae 

 did great damage, but when the time arrived for the appearance of the moths, those 

 of us who were expecting a great number, were disappointed, as very few appeared. 



Again this year, the larvae were exceedingly plentiful, but the mature insect, at the 

 time it should have appeared, was in very small numbers. I have not seen any explana- 

 tion oflFered for this heavy mortality amongst the pupae. Reoaedies proposed : — Placing 

 bunches of grass, clover, etc , saturated with Paris grpen along the rows. Thid is of very 

 little use, the young larvae are not such fools as to eat withered foliage, when they can 

 get the fresh article right at hand. But a mixture of bran and Paris green seems to be 

 very much to their taste, while not neglecting the plants altogether for the bran mixture, 

 they are more inclined to try it than anything that has been proposed up to the present. 



Cabbage root Maggot. — This insect has been quite destructive this year, the only 

 remedy so far that has been beneficial has been to wrap the stems of the plants when 

 transplanting with tar paper. In the August number of the " Canadian Horticulturist" 

 there is a suggestion from one of the stafi' of the Guelph Agricultural College, namely, 

 to try a tablespoonful of carbon bisulphide in a hole at the base of the young trans- 

 planted plant. This may prevent the mature insect from depositing her eggs on the 

 plant, but, with carbon bisulphide at twenty cents per pound, and cabbages at twenty 

 cents per dozen, I think that the gardener had better quit growing cabbages. The cost 

 for carbon alone will be about ten cents per dozen plants. The recommendation of such a 

 dangerous insect destroyer as carbon bisulphide I think should be condemned ; it may 

 answer very well for laboratory experiments, but in the hands of the general public, may 

 be the cause of numerous accidents, which will result in all probability in a general dis- 

 trust by the public of trying any new insecticide with the chemicals of which they may 

 be unfamiliar. 



Red Spiders. — This mite has been very destructive this year to groovers of sweet 

 peas. It has got to be such a pest that most lovers of this flower in this section will be 

 forced to abandon their cultivation. Last season, although a grand season for the pea 

 family here, was very short, ending about the middle of August, due almost entirely to 

 the ravages of the red spider. 



Cold water spraying is not sufficient to keep them under control. To apply an emul- 

 sion you will have to have a pump capable of delivering the emulsion at at least thirty-five 

 pounds pressure. 



(C^tlooT Aphis. — This pest appeared in quite large numbers this year attacking sweet 

 peas and asters. I have seen no preventative proposed. Aphides were very numerous 

 this season. I have seen whole fields of cabbages almost entirely covered with them. 

 Spray with kerosene emulsion, or if you have a water pressure of sixty or seventy pounds 

 use water only. 



