40 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



for a few hours ; but my material was not fresh and may have been 

 adulterated. 



Dusted over house-plants and in the green-house it is said to kill the 

 Aphides (plant-lice) and to preserve the plants from subsequent attack 

 {Ccmad. EntomoL, xi, 1879, p. 42 ; Amer. Entomol., iii, 1880, p. 105). 



It has been found to free the Passion vine from the attack of the 

 striped blister-beetle [Bpicauta vittata (Fabr.)], by stupefying them 

 and causing them to drop from the vines {Amer. Entomol., iii, 1880, p. 

 193). 



It is said to drive away the flea-beetle from turnips and the harle- 

 quin cabbage-bug from cabbages by dusting the powder upon the 

 leaves (loe. cit., p. 296). 



The powder sprinkled over grain in a mill infested Avith the grain- 

 weevil [Sylvamis Siirinamensis], killed them so that they could be 

 swept up by the quart (loc. cit., p. 178). 



Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, etc.), are stated to be the most readily af- 

 fected by the powder. In some experiments made with the fumes 

 upon insects of diflerent orders, they were affected in the following 

 order : ground beetles, locusts, crickets, flies, mosquitoes, gnats — the 

 last yielding most quickly to its influence (loc. cit., p. 195), 



The above is but a general resume of what has recently been learned 

 and published of this very popular insecticide. For those who may de- 

 sire additional information, references to some of the recent literature 

 upon the subject are herewith given : 



Trans. N. Y. St. Agrlcul. Soc. for 1859 ; xix, 1860, p. 445 (seed sent to the 

 Society); for 1863, xxiii, 1864. pp. 301-2 (general notice). 



Bep. Commis. Agricul. for 1877 (1878), pp. 59, 60 (tests of powders of Pyre- 

 thrura and other Compositae). 



1st Rep. U. 8. Entomolog. Commis., 1878, p. 400 (inefficient on locusts). 



Bep. on Cotton Insects, 1879, p. 236 (brief notice). 



Canad. Entomol., xi, 1879, pp. 40-43 (liinds, use, eflFects, etc.); p. 185 (general 

 notice). 



Amer, Entomol., iii, 1880, pp. 43-45 (general notice); p. 96 ("preparation, etc.) ; 

 p. 128 (price) ; pp. 193-195 (effects on different insects) ; p. 197 (cultivation) ; 

 p. 222 (for codling-moth) ; p. 342 (on cotton-worm) ; p. 246 (properties) ; p. 250 

 (effect on different insects); p. 253 (effect on boll-worms); p. 376 (for screw- 

 worms) ; p. 296 (for cabbage and cotton-worm). 



Bull. No. 3, U- 8. Ent. Commis., 1880, pp. 62-65 (methods of use, price, etc.). 



Proc. West. N. T. Horticul. Soc. for 1881, pp. 75-77 (kinds, effects, price, etc.) 



Amer. Naturalist, xv, 1881, pp. 569-572 (cultivation and manufacture) ; pp. 

 744-746 (use and application) ; p. 817 (applications). 



4. Hellebore as an Insecticide, 



This insecticide is the root of the white hellebore — Veratrum alhum 

 ground to a fine powder, and used either in this state by sifting it upon 



