367 



cactus) ; Scyphophorus acupunctatus in American agaves ; Anthono- 

 mus augenii in chillies ; and Dendrodonus valens, D. mexicamis and 

 Ips [Tomicus) mexicanus in coniferous trees. 



Hymenoptera include Paurnrus sp. boring in cedars, and Amphi- 

 bolips coccinea forming galls on evergreen oak. 



Cultivo de la Sandia. [Water-melon Growing.] — Rev. Agric, San 

 Jacinto, D.F.. v, no. 10, February 1921, pp. 689-697, 7 figs. 

 [Received 28th May 1921.] 



The chief pests of water-melons in Mexico are : Diaphania {Mar- 

 garonia) hyalinata (melon caterpillar), which devours the leaves only 

 of water-melon and the leaves and fruit of melon ; Aphis gossypii, 

 which attacks water-melon foliage ; Diabrotica vitiata (striped cucumber 

 beetle), which attacks the young plants in spring, while its larvae at 

 the same time destroy the roots, and Crepidodera cucnmeris, a fiea- 

 beetle that damages the 5^oung plants. The best preventive against 

 these pests is rotation of crops, so that they will be deprived of their 

 food-plants for a sufficient period of time to kill them. Plants infested 

 with chewing insects should be sprayed with 4 oz. Paris green in 50 gals, 

 of water, this being sufficient if applied three times at intervals of a 

 week. A solution of 5 per cent, lead arsenate may be used as a spray 

 once a week. For sucking insects, petroleum emulsion (1 part to 

 20 water) should be applied in the intervals between the other sprays. 

 For slight infestations 1 lb. of whale-oil soap per gallon of water can 

 be substituted for the oil emulsion, and for urgent cases fumigation 

 of the plants with carbon bisulphide under a bell-jar is an efficient 

 remedy. 



Inde (J. R.) . Un Insecto Descortezador del Cedro. [A Bark-destroying 

 Pest of Cedar. ]-Mem. Rev. Soc. Cien. "Antonio Alzate," Mexico, 

 xxxviii, no. 11-12, January 1921, pp. 401-405, 2 figs. 



An undetermined beetle of the genus Phloeosinus is recorded as 

 constructing galleries in the bark and wood of cedar {Cupressus) in 

 Mexico. There is one generation a year, oviposition occurring in 

 October ; the larvae construct galleries in which they hibernate until 

 the following spring ; mating has been observed in July, and the 

 fertilised females penetrate the bark and construct fresh galleries. 

 A quantity of resin exudes from the entrance holes, by which the 

 presence of the beetles may be detected. Attacks generally begin 

 with the highest branches or the top of the trunk. When the lower 

 branches or base of the trunk are found to be infested, the tree cannot 

 be saved, and should be cut down at once, all the bark removed and 

 burnt and the wood beneath lightly charred in order to kill both 

 larvae and adults. Trees more lightly infested should have the affected 

 branches cut off and burnt, or infested portions of bark removed, 

 and the wounds painted over. 



Aull6 (M.). Las Plagas de Lyda hieroglyphica, Christ., en Espaiia. — 



R. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat., Madrid, Spec. Vol., 1921, pp. 16-18, 

 1 plate. 



The sawfly, Lyda hieroglyphica, Christ., appears in Spain in the 

 adult form in late May or early June and deposits eggs singly in the 

 needles on the tips of the upper shoots of pines. These hatch in about 



