530 



is being offered, mixed with as much as 60 per cent, common salt. 

 This may be distinguished from the genuine article by being coarser 

 and becoming moist in humid weather. Pernicious scale {Aspidiotus 

 perniciosHs] is spreading in some localities in spite of extensive spraying. 

 A scale has been founcl on the wild iig tree, Ficns pretoriensis (?), near 

 Pretoria, that is closel}' allied to Chrysomphalus ficus (circular purple 

 scale) and to C. dictyospermi (Spanish red scale), and is at present 

 provisionally regarded as a form of the latter. 



The location of the latest locust swarms is discussed, considerable 

 damage having been done to cereals in some districts. Small locust 

 birds have reduced the numbers considerably, and great numbers have 

 died, apparently as the result of parasitism by a fly. 



Fuller (C). White Ant Notes. — //. Dept. Agric. Union S. Africa, 

 Pretoria, iii, no. 2, August 192^ pp. 142-147. 



A study has been made of the degree of resistance shown by various 

 kinds of wood to the attacks of termites. In South Africa practically 

 no wood is eaten except by termites invading it from the ground. 

 It is apparently only possible for an attack upon insulated wood to 

 take place along a narrow strip of the eastern coast, as it is only there 

 that termites are capable of founding colonies in wood not in connection 

 with the soil. The various factors influencing termite attack, such as 

 locality, state of decay of the timber, humidity or aridity, position 

 of the wood in the ground (the covered part frequently decaying 

 and becoming attacked, while the exposed part escapes because it 

 becomes seasoned), the natural or acquired hardness of wood, etc., are 

 discussed. 



In 1906 a series of experiments was undertaken to test the relative 

 immunity or susceptibility of a variet\' of timbers when placed in the 

 ground. The results showed that the timbers commonly imported 

 from America and Europe, such as mahogany, hickory, poplar, beech, 

 oak and ash, were entirely destroyed within two years. Of 24 native 

 timbers tried, only four escaped attack, viz. : — Combretum porphyro- 

 lepsis, Adina galpini, Olea laiirifolia, and Brachylaena discolor. 



As knowledge regarding the particular species of termites involved 

 was very vague, and their biology undetermined in this test, a more 

 extensive one was undertaken in 1920, with 23 native and 12 exotic 

 timbers. This will require some years for completion ; meantime a 

 table shows the scientific and local name of the timbers used and 

 their condition after a first examination. The termites found 

 were Macrotermes natalensis, Microtermes sp., Termes later icius and 

 Eutermes sp. 



DupoNT (P. R.). Entomological and Myeolosical Notes. — Seychelles : 

 Ann. Kept. Agric. & Crown Lands, 1920, Victoria, 1921, pp. 6-7. 

 [Received 7th September 1921.] 



The following insects have recently been recorded for the first 

 time in Seychelles. The Coccid, Pulvinaria floccifera. West., occurs on 

 Laniana, Chionaspis suhcorticalis, Green, on palms, and Aspidiotus 

 cyanophylli. Sign., and Eucalymnatiis {Lecanium) tessellatus var. 

 perforatiis, Newst., on leaves of guava and soursop. The ant, 

 Odontomaclms haematoda, is credited locally with driving away the 

 ubiquitous Technomyrmex albipes ; this has not been proved, but 

 the species is known elsewhere to be beneficial in view of its habit 



