220 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 15 



ten rods of fencing around a field that is free from flowering weeds 

 should be sufficient to reduce an outbreak very materially. On weedy 

 fields subsidiary posts erected in the field might be necessary. 



Poisoned molasses traps give more promise for controlling noctuid 

 moths than do other methods tried because: — 



1. They require attention, at the most, once a week. 



2. Females are attracted as readily as males to bait and they are 

 usually gravid. 



3. With a combination of quassia and arsenic very few females that 

 feed on the bait are able to lay eggs subsequently. 



4. Quassia is non-poisonous to stock and is distasteful to them. 



5. Individual traps attract more moths than do corresponding 

 troughs of molasses. 



6. All materials are cheap and are readily obtainable anywhere. 



7. The bait is effective by day as well as by night and its efficacy 

 is not reduced by moon light. 



8. Climatic conditions affect the traps very little. 



Mr. Glenn W. Herrick : What quantity of moths did these bottles 

 kill? 



Mr. E. H. Strickland: Unfortunately we had a snow storm before 

 our investigation was finished, but we found that we were getting thirt}' 

 to thirty-five of the females feeding at the same time at each of the 

 bottles, and we occasionally found sixty or seventy moths feeding when 

 only six or seven were attracted to each molasses trough. Since these 

 bottles are much cheaper than the troughs, we found them superior 

 in every respect. This is, however, very preliminary work. 



Mr. L. Caeser: I would like to ask whether they are assuming 

 that the moths lay their eggs after taking the arsenic or if there is 

 definite proof of it? 



Mr. E. H. Strickland: We have definite proof that they do. We 

 also, unfortunately, have data to prove that they may lay eggs before 

 they take any food at all. 



Mr. William Moore: It might be of interest to know that before 

 Prof. Berlese developed his sweetened arsenical for the fruit-fly, there is 

 reference in Australian literature to sweetened material as a house- 

 fly poison. 



President Arthur Gibson: Mr. Griddle will now present his paper. 



