264 [April. 1882. 



results were so remarkable, that I feel warranted in saying that, taking into con- 

 sideration its efficacy as a means of destroying scale-insects, its effect upon plants, 

 and its cost, there is at this time no better remedy than a strong solution of soap. 

 In my experiments whale-oil soap was used, and the solution was applied by means 

 of a fountain-pump to orange trees infested with the red scale of California. In the 

 strongest solution used the proportions were three-fourths of a pound of soap to one 

 gallon of water. The mixture was heated in order to dissolve the soap thoroughly ; 

 and the solution was applied while yet heated to about 100° F. The tree upon 

 which the experiment was made was very badly infested, the bark of the trunk 

 being literally covered with scales. Four days after I examined the trees very 

 carefully, and could find no living insect on the trunk, and only a small proportion 

 of the Coccids on the leaves appeared to be still alive. Three months afterwards 

 Mr. Alexander Craw made a careful examination of this and some other trees upon 

 which we had experimented, and on this one he was unable to find any living scale 

 insects." 



Pages 292 to 349 are occupied with descriptions of species, some of which are 

 well-known European forms, some American, previously known, and more new 

 and now first described and figured. Plates iii to xxii are devoted to the Coccidce. 



Part 3 is a Report on the Parasites of the Coccidce, contributed by Mr. L. O. 

 Howard, in which the fostering of them with a view to their beneficial action in 

 lessening the number of Coccidce is shown to be practicable and is advocated. 

 Thirty-four species {Chalcididce, Proctotrupidce) are described, most of them being 

 new, and Plates xxiii and xxiv are filled with figures of them. 



Altogether this is one of the best of the Reports by the State Entomologists 

 of America we have seen. 



©bituarg. 



Sir Charles Wyville Thomson, LL.B., F.R.S., died at his residence, Bonsyde, 

 Linlithgow, on the 10th March, at the age of 52. 



In early life he collected British Lepidoptera, and there is a communication 

 from him in the 4th volume of the Entomologist's Weekly Intelligencer, p. 117, on 

 the occurrence of " Anthrocera Minos in the West of Scotland." 



Professor Wyville Thomson was then (1858) at Queen's College, Belfast, where 

 he remained till 1870, when succeeding Professor Allman in the Chair of Natural 

 History in the University of Edinburgh, he entered on a wider sphere of usefulness. 



His connection with the " Challenger " expedition as head of the Scientific Staff 

 is well known. Leaving England in 1872, they were away three years and a half ; 

 on his return from that voyage in 1876 he was knighted. 



Unfortunately, he seems never to have enjoyed good health after his return from 

 this expedition. In June, 1879, he had an attack of paralysis, and from that time 

 he could only work at occasional intervals, and towards the end of last year he 

 resigned his Chair at the University of Edinburgh, and latterly he found himself 

 physically unable to continue his personal superintendence of the volumes which 

 have yet to appear relating to the expedition. 



Another attack of paralysis occurred early in March, which speedily had a fatal 

 termination. 



