64 



Several species of Culicoides were bred out from green algae near the 

 edges of a well-reservoir, both the larvae and adults of which differ 

 from Culicoides kiefferi. The larvae congregate at one spot and 

 remain half buried in the algal substance, occasionally coming to the 

 water surface. Moulting and pupation take place under water, and 

 the pupae remain floating on the surface, only those hatching out 

 (after about 60 hours) that are capable of floating. 



The flies bred from dung include : — PJdlaematomyia insignis, 

 Bdellolarynx smiguinolentus, Ly-perosia minuta, Musca autumnalis 

 (corvina), M. angustifrons, M. nebulo, and JJlidia aenea. 



The eggs of Stegomyia albopicta {scutellaris) are capable of resisting 

 desiccation for over 6 months, provided that they have been kept moist 

 for some time previously. At Pusa S. albopicta hibernates in the egg- 

 stage until the hollows in trees are filled with rain-water towards the 

 middle of the year. Aedes thomsoni can also resist a long period of 

 desiccation, but this capacity is much less marked in Stegomyia w-album, 

 Ochlerotatus gubernatoris, Armigeres obturbans, and Cyathomyia brevi- 

 palpis. The rather rare mosquito, Armigeres magnus, appears early in 

 the rainy season, breeding in bamboo stumps and occasionally in 

 hollows of trees ; it inflicts a rather severe bite. In the larval stage it 

 is larvivorous, as are also Culex concolor and Armigeres obturbans. 

 Cyathomyia brevipalpis is a sylvan species frequenting undisturbed, 

 dark, dry places such as hollows in trees, in which it oviposits, as well 

 as in stumps of cut bamboos. The following species have been reared 

 from breeding traps consisting of cut pieces of bamboo filled with 

 water : — Stegomyia albopicta, S. w-album, Cyathomyia brevipalpis, 

 Armigeres magnus and A. obturbans. 



Work in the Botanic Gardens, and Observations on P\sLnts.—Rept. Agric. 

 Dept. St. Vincent for 1916-17 ; Barbados, 1917, pp. 1-3. [Received 

 9th January 1918.] 



It is stated that Girardinus poeciloides (millions fish) continues to 

 thrive in a lily pond in the gardens, keeping down mosquito larvae and 

 also controlling Aphids that occasionally attack lilies just above the 

 water level. Fish from this pond introduced into swamps in two 

 malarial districts have become well established, while in three other 

 similar localities, though they have not been seen since their intro- 

 duction, there is every reason to hope that they will survive and prove 

 of value in mosquito control. 



CooLEY (R. A). Fourteenth Annual Report of the State Entomologist 

 of Montana. — Montana Agric. Ex])t. Sta., Bozeman, Bull. no. 112, 

 December 1916, 76 pp. [Received 2nd January 1918.] 



Ornithodorus megnini, Dug., the spinose ear tick, was discovered 

 during 1916 on cattle in eastern Montana, very large numbers being 

 taken from the ears of calves and young stock, which in consequence 

 of the irritation were liable to loss of flesh and even death. Its 

 occurrence in some localities in Montana for several years past is now 

 an established fact, and measures must be taken against it as an 

 important pest. 



