April, '16] CURRENT NOTES 321 



circuit for the convenience of those outside the various states who desired to attend. 

 The meeting at Grand Rapids, Mich., was the fiftieth annual convention of Michigan 

 beekeepers. 



The onion thrips, according to Mr. M. M. High, Bureau of Entomology', is about 

 as abundant as usual in south Texas, more so than in the prexaous year, and he is 

 of the opinion that it will increase in numbers unless checked. The growers generally 

 are handling the proposition very well, especially at Mission, Texas. 



Prof. Herbert Osborn was given a dinner at the Chittenden Hotel, Columbus, Ohio, 

 December 29, 1915, by about forty of his former students. The guest of honor was 

 presented with some verses entitled "Herbert Osborn, an Appreciation," by J. G. 

 Sanders, and the signatures of the other students, on vellum, appropriately illumi- 

 nated in black, red and gold. 



A course of twelve lectures was given in February, March and April by members 

 of the Staff of the New York State Museum, in the Education Building, Albany, X. Y. 

 This course included two lectures deaUng with insects, — "Man and Insects" by Dr. 

 E. P. Felt, and "Harmonics and Cross Purposes in the Insect World" by F. T. 

 Hartman. 



At the annual meeting of the Brooklyn Entomological Society, held on January 

 13, the following officers were elected for 1916 : President, W. J. Davis; vice-president, 

 W. T. Bather; treasurer, Chris. E. Olsen; recording secretary, J. R. de la Torre Bueno; 

 corresponding secretary, R. P. Dow; hbrarian, A. C. Weeks; curator, George Franck; 

 pubUcation committee, C. Schaeffer, R. P. Dow, and the recording secretary, ex- 

 officio. 



Mr. E. G. Smyth, from the office of the Commissioner of Agriculture at Rio 

 Piedras, Porto Rico, recentlj' visited Washington for consultation in regard to co- 

 operative work in Porto Rico on insects which occur on that island as well as in the 

 Gulf region. 



Mr. D. E. Fink, Bureau of Entomology, visited Washington during January. He 

 is engaged in making a special study of cucurbitaceous insects and their role as trans- 

 mitters of the ^•i^us of wilts and mosaic diseases. He has also conducted similar 

 studies on the springtails, the spinach aphis, and other truck crop insects which have 

 been injurious during the past year at Norfolk, Va. 



Mr. A. B. Champlain, Bureau of Entomology', stationed at Lyme, Conn., left 

 Washington on Januarj' 2-4 after several days of consultation and study of hteratiu-e 

 and collections. On his retvu-n trip he stopped at Huntington, L. I., and assisted 

 Mr. Griffith in the study of the insects in connection ^\-ith the demonstration control 

 against the hickory bark beetle and two-lined chestnut borer. 



The Ohio State University has recently inaugurated a plan providing for Re- 

 search Professors which enables the holders to devote their time especially to 

 research work and Professor Herbert Osborn has been elected Research Professor 

 in the Department of Zoologj' and Entomology. He will be relieved from routine, 

 class and department duties, devoting his time to research, especially in the line of 

 Entomolog3', but will continue to have direction of research work of Graduate 

 students in his particular field. 



A recent inspection by Mr. T. E. Snyder of the experimental and demonstration 

 control project in the White Top Purchase Area, Tennessee and Virginia, conducted 



