159 



Mentone. This Coccinellid has now become established in the south 

 of France. Colonies have also been sent to Algeria and Italy. 



FoNZES-DiACON ( — ). La Toxicity des M^taux. — Pr ogres Agrtc. & 

 Vitic, Montpellier, Ixxv, no. 4, 23rd January 1921, pp. 90-92. 



Ordinary metals are not in themselves poisonous, owing to the fact 

 that they are insoluble in body secretions and pass through the organism 

 without affecting it. Metals become poisonous when they form soluble 

 combinations ; verdigris is an example of this. Not all soluble copper 

 salts, however, are toxic to the same degree. Copper sulphate (SO4CU) 

 is composed of the ions SO4 and Cu, and a solution of copper sulphate 

 that is only shghtly ionised is only shghtly toxic. Furthermore, if 

 the particles of copper are not present as free ions they are not poisonous. 

 It is not quite correct, therefore, to speak of the toxicity of copper ; 

 a better expression would be " the toxicity of salts contn.ining free 

 ions of copper." The copper salts commonly used by vine-growers 

 are of the latter class, and this explains their toxicity. 



DiCKERsoN (E. L.) «& Weiss (H. B.). The Insects of the Evening 

 Primroses in New Jersey. — //. A^ Y. Ent. Soc, Lancaster, Pa., 

 xxviii, no. 1, :\Iarch 1920, pp. 32-74, 3 plates. 



Descriptions, with brief notes on the life-history, of 17 species of 

 insects attacking evening prim.rose {Oenothera) in New Jersey are 

 given, as well as a list of over 80 other species found associated with 

 this plant. 



Chamberlin (W. J.). Notes on Two little-known wood-boring 

 Beetles, Chrysobothris syJvania, Fall, and Melasis riifipennis, 

 Horn (Buprestidae, Elateridae). — //. A''. Y. Ent. Soc. Lancaster, 

 Pa., xxviii, no. 2, June 1920, pp. 151-157, 2 plates. 



The eggs of Chrysobothris sylvania. Fall, are deposited in the crevices 

 of the bark of Douglas fir [Pseudotsiiga taxifolia] in April and May. 

 The larvae bore through the bark and cambium into the wood during 

 the summer, autumn and winter. Pupation occurs in March or April 

 in the sapwood, and lasts 2 to 3 weeks. The first adults were seen 

 on 16th April. The natural enemies of this beetle include three 

 undescribed Ichneumonids and the Tarsonemid mite, Pediculoides 

 ventricosus, Newp. 



Melasis rufipennis, Horn, attacks grand fir ( Abies grandis) and white 

 fir [Abies concolor). All stages were found in April, and observations 

 indicate that the larval stage lasts more than a year. Although 

 one tree was heavily infested for 3 years and a great many beetles 

 emerged, there was no indication of reinfestation of trees near by. 

 No eggs were found. This species occurs in Washington, Oregon 

 and Nevada. 



Gibson (A.) & McLaine (L. S.). The European Corn Borer 



[Pyrausta nubilalis, Hb.). — Canada : Dept. Agric, Ent. Branch, 



Ottawa, Crop Protection Leaflet no. 13, 24th September 1920, 



3 pp. [Received 1st February 1921.] 



Pyrausta nubilalis, which has recently been discovered in Ontario 



[R. A.E., A, ix, 14], has so far only been found infesting maize. The 



nature of the injury and the usual remedial measures are briefly described. 



