242 



after the soil has been moistened by heavy rain. The pupal stage 

 varies according to weather conditions, but the adults emerge in late 

 May or early June. The food-plants of this race include turnip, 

 mustard, rape, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale and kohl- 

 rabi. The other race of the beetles appears in the spring and breeds 

 mostly in charlock. The adults die off by summer and the young 

 become adults by August and hibernate as adults, reappearing in the 

 spring. This race is not of much economic importance. 



Natural enemies of C. pleurostigma include the common garden 

 slug which bores into the galls and feeds on the grubs and plant tissues. 

 The larvae of Helophorus riigosiis, 01. (turnip mud beetle) also bore 

 into the gall and devour the grubs, and the parasitic Hymenopteron, 

 Diospilus oleraceus, Hal., oviposits through the gall into the grub, and 

 its larva ultimately kills the host. Certain birds pick the grubs out 

 of the galls and devour them. 



It is suggested as a remedial measure that all infested stalks should 

 be rooted out by the beginning of March, or as early as possible in the 

 case of spring cabbages, and stacked in large, loose heaps. The grubs 

 are then nearly full-grown and ready to bore into the soil for pupation. 

 They are kept back by this method until the bark has dried, so that it 

 is impossible for them to bite through it. Infested stalks should never 

 be left in small lots or scattered about for any length of time. 

 Immediately the infested crop has been removed the land should be 

 ploughed deeply (this is especially important with late crops), and 

 in the following autumn some other crop less liable to attack should 

 be sown. All charlock and hedge-mustard should be destroyed, as the 

 adults feed on these, and it may be that some of the beetles emerging 

 early from the spring race that breeds in charlock may lay eggs in the 

 cultivated plants in autumn. 



CoLLiNGE (W. E.). The Food and Feeding Habits of the Little 



Owl. n. — Jl. Minist. Agric. London, xxviii, no. 12, March 

 1922, pp. 1133-1140. 



After an investigation extending over three successive years, and 

 after examining the stomach contents of 194 individuals of both adults 

 and nesthngs of the Little Owl, and analysing 267 pellets and many 

 hoards, the author has reached the conclusion that injurious and neutral 

 insects and voles and mice constitute the main items of food. There 

 seems no possibility of doubt respecting the value of this bird to the 

 agriculturist ; it is said that no other bird, except the lapwing, destroys 

 so large a percentage of click beetles and wire worms. 



DooLiTTLE (S. P.). Overwintering of the Bacterial Wilt of Cucurbits. 



—Phytopathology, Lancaster, Pa., xi, no. 7, July 1921, pp. 229-300. 



As a result of observations carried out in 1917-20 it is evident 

 that Diabroiica vittata (striped cucumber beetle) is able to carry the 

 organism of bacterial wilt [Bacillus tracheiphiliis) through the winter. 

 These findings confirm those of previous authors [R.A.E., A, viii, 

 422 ;ix, 5J. 



RoBBiNs (W. W.). Mosaic Disease of Sugar Beets. — Phytopathology, 

 Lancaster. Pa., xi, no. 9, September 1921, pp. 349-365, 8 figs. 



This account of mosaic disease of sugar beet is based on field observa- 

 tions and experiments in northern Colorado and western Nebraska. 



