385 



Dendy (A.). Note on the Occurrence of live Insects in Tins supposed 

 to be hermetically sea\ed.~RepL Grain Pest (War) Committee, 

 Royal Society, London, no. 4. April 1919, pp. 18-20. [Received 

 17th July 1919.] 



It has now been definitely proved by experiments that no insects 

 can remain alive in really air-tight tins after the oxygen, originally 

 present, has been used up. The apparent failure of this treatment 

 with regard to army biscuits [see this Review, Ser. A, i, p. 292 and 

 vii, p. 94] was probably due to some slight leakage of the tin. This 

 should be guarded against by careful testing of the tins before they 

 are put into storage, which in the case of small tins can be done by 

 the hot water method. 



FuLLAWAY (D.). Division of Entomology. — Hawaiian Forester <& 

 Agriculturist, Honolulu, xvi, no. 5, May 1919, pp. 132-133. 



During April the insectary handled 7,500 pupae of the melon fly 

 [Dacifs cucurbitae], from which were bred 495 females and 300 males 

 of Opius fletclieri. 



The parasites distributed were : — Opius fletcheri, 1,120 ; 0. humilis, 

 845 ; Diachasma tryoni, 295 ; D. Jullawayi, 160 ; Tetrastickus giffar- 

 dianus, 1,750 ; Dirhinus gijfardi, 230 ; Galesus silvesfrii, 400 ; Spalan- 

 gia cameroni, 950 ; and Paranagrus osborni, 22,500. 



DuFRENOY (J.). Sur les Maladies parasitaires des Chenilles 

 processionnaires des Pins d'Arcachon. [Parasitic Diseases of the 

 Processionary Caterpillars of Pines in Arcachon.] — G.R. hebdom. 

 Acad. Scl, Paris, clxviii, no. 26, 30th June 1919, pp. 1345-1346. 



As the result of observations made with destructive bacteria and 

 muscardine fungi on Cnethocampa pityocampa, Beauveria spp. were 

 found to have the most virulent effect on this moth. After contact 

 with culture spores the caterpillars of C. pityocampa and the adults 

 and eggs of Melolontha mehlontlia {vulgaris) mummified in a few days, 

 but the caterpillars of Cossus cossus ijigniperda) remained alive for 3 

 weeks. 



Marre (F.). Les Animaux nuisibles au Ble en Cours de Vegetation. 



[Animals injurious to growing Wheat.] — JL d'Agric. Pratique, 

 Paris, xxxii, nos. 22 and 24, 3rd and 17th July 1919, pp. 450- 

 451 and 493-494. 



Among the insects recorded as injurious to growing wheat in France 

 is the beetle, Saperda marginella, which oviposits at the base of the 

 spikes, where the larva constructs a circular gallery, the head being 

 thus cut off. The larvae then descend to within about 2 inches of 

 the ground, where they hibernate as pupae. The wheat should there- 

 fore be cut very low and the stubble torn up or burnt directly after 

 the harvest. Zabrus sp. appears in summer and attacks the young 

 tender grain. Eggs are laid at the base of the wheat between lumps 

 of earth and the larvae live for 2 or 3 years, attacking the green stalks 

 and leaves. The only remedy against this beetle, which is found 

 chiefly in the north and east of France, is rotation of crops ; oats 

 are not attacked by it. The Elaterid, Agriofes Uneatus [Elafer segetis) 



