87 



the taller trees ; pin or bird cherry, cornus and elms were partly 

 stripped when near the poplars, while red maple, birch, pine, balsam, 

 spruce and hemlock were practically untouched. As in the first 

 outbreak 15 years ago, there has been a superabundance of M. 

 americana, F. Melanophilafulvoguttata, Harr., has destroyed hemlocks, 

 Agrilus bilineatus, Weber, oaks, and Scolytus (Eccoptogaster) quad- 

 rispinosus, Say, thousands of hickories in the neighbourhood of New 

 York. The outbreak of S. quadnspinosus began about 1908 ; since 

 then, there has been a progressive decline in the rainfall, the deficiency 

 generally coming in the growing months from July to October. It is 

 suggested that this scarcity of water reduced the normal powers of 

 resistance of the trees, and rendered them unusually susceptible to the 

 attacks of S. quadnspinosus. The recent extensive plantings of white 

 pines in New York has resulted in serious infestations by Pissodes 

 strohi, Peck. The efficacy of hand collecting as a control measure 

 against this species was tried on an area of 50 acres : large insect- 

 nets were used, the trees being tapped to knock off the insects ; at 

 first from two to four weevils were caught per tree, at the last one or 

 two insects per row of some 400 trees, the collections being made four 

 times ; the cost amounted to about 5s. per acre. Collecting should 

 start in the first or second week in May at 10-day intervals and only 

 three should be necessary ; with improved devices, the cost could 

 probably be materially lowered. Since the adults of P. strohi may 

 live two or three years and oviposit each season, collecting is more 

 useful than the destruction of infested shoots. 



Haseman (L.). Entomological Work in Missouri. — Jl. Econ. Entom., 

 Concord, vii, no. 5, October 1914, pp. 376-378. 



An outline report of the entomological work done in Missouri since 

 1910 is given, together with a brief review of the work done prior to 

 that date. Attention has mainly been given recently to orchard 

 insects and provision has been made for educational work in this 

 direction. Improvement in the conditions of bee-keeping are greatly 

 needed. 



AVoLcoTT (G. N.). Notes on the Life-History and Ecology of Tiphia 

 inornata, Say. — Jl. Econ. Entoni., Concord, vii, no. 5, October 

 1914, pp. 382-389. 



Tiphia inornata, Say, is the most important parasite of the genus 

 Lachnosterna in the United States. From September 1912 to Novem- 

 ber 1913, the writer was collecting T. inornata cocoons to send to 

 Porto Rico to help in the control of the Lachnosterna grubs, which 

 are a serious pest to sugar-cane and other crops there. For this work, 

 the study of the factors limiting the abundance of T. inornata was 

 undertaken in Illinois. The life-history of T. inornata is described, 

 and evidence given of the fact that Tiphia, under favourable circum- 

 stances, greatly reduces the numbers of Lachnosterna grubs over 

 limited areas The adult females of Tiphia are weak fliers and tend to 

 remain in their original home ; the rate of multiplication is rapid, 

 two generations probably occurring in the summer. The males can 

 fly long distances and are often collected feeding on the flowers of 



