(S04 



former range ground, the grasshoppers that subsist on these grasses 

 will migrate further afield in search of suitable food. In this respect 

 they are always ahead of the native parasites, such as Sarcophagids, 

 Bombvliids, Trombidium spp., etc., and are more active on the wing, 

 so that the efficiency of the parasites is lessened in proportion to the 

 distance travelled in search of food. This migration also eliminates 

 almost entirely the influence of bacterial or fungous diseases, which 

 can onh' operate successfully under congested conditions, the larvae of 

 predatory beetles, which move through the soil and devour the egg- 

 clusters, and other natural enemies. Every effort .should therefore 

 be made to re-establish range grasses in such a manner and in such 

 quantities as to keep the grasshoppers more or less localised. The 

 various types of country should also be studied and the species likely 

 to inhabit such environment determined. 



.As a result of two years' investigation, the known species of grass- 

 hoppers in British Columbia have now been recognised as belonging 

 to two main groups, namely, the species inhabiting the open range, 

 and the sylvan species, occurring in timbered land. Of the former, 

 about half frequent open grass land and half are found only on the 

 rocky ridges. The more depleted a range becomes of grassy vegetation, 

 the more suitable it becomes for them. Less than fifteen years ago 

 the ordinary range grasses grew waist high and were frequently cut 

 for hay. Since their depletion the number of grasshoppers seems to 

 have materially increased. It is believed that if the grass on open 

 range land were allowed to grow freely, seed itself and multiply, the 

 open country grasshoppers would be forced to retreat to the gravel 

 ridges, where the grass is short owing to the soil conditions. Thus 

 localised fungous and bacterial diseases would maintain a more natural 

 balance, and artificial poisoning would be rendered possible. All 

 ranchers are therefore urged to co-operate with departmental officials 

 in improving range conditions by rotation, drift fences and community 

 action. 



Rutgers (A. .\. L.). Verslag [Report] van den Directeur 1 Juli 1920- 



30 Juni I921.—Mcded. ~ Algem. Proefst. A.V.R.O.S., Medan, 

 Algem. Ser., no. xiii, 1921, 25 pp. 



The entomological section of this report, by Mr. J. B. Corporaal, states 

 that Hevea suffered little from insect pests. A Psychid caterpillar, 

 Acanthopsyche sp., and termites, Coptotermcs curvignathus, Holmgr., 

 caused some damage. 



On two tea estates Helopeliis antonii. Sign., and, to a less degree, 

 H. theivora, Wlk., appeared. On one of the.se, pruning of the Seshania 

 shade-trees and intensive collection cleared off the infestation within 

 a few weeks, while on the other collection was carried on through the 

 year. Tea was also infested by the " bunch caterpillar " which is 

 a Xotodontid, Bombisaiitr corporaal i, van Eecke, not to be confused 

 with the '■ bunch caterpillar " of British India, Andraca bipiinctata, 

 Wlk. The habits of the two moths are identical. Coleopterous pests 

 of tea included Phytorits dilatatus, Jac. 



The coffee-berry borer, Stephanoderes hampei, has spread to nearly 

 all estates and has become a serious pest. In some cases the planting 

 of coffee has been given up. 



Coconuts were again infested by Lepidopterous pests. Brachartona 

 [caioxantha] did less damage than in previous years owing to the 



