73 



d'Emmerez de Charmoy (D.). Division of Biology. — Mauritius 

 Dept. Agric. Ann. Rej^t. for 1918, pp. 10-12. [Received 19tli 

 December 1919.] 



Investigations on the root disease of sugar-cane liave resulted in 

 the discovery of the eel-worm, TylcncJms sacchari, which has been 

 detected wherever root-disease is reported, and which may be 

 responsible to a great extent for the disease in Mauritius. Further 

 investigations are being carried out. 



Lepidopterous pests have damaged pigeon-pea pods to such an 

 extent as to cause in some cases total destruction of the crop. 

 Lampides {Polyommalus) baeticus, Pyrausta {Botys) sp. and an 

 undetermined Tortrix were the most injurious, both to the pods and 

 flower-buds. Spraying with lead arsenate was not very effective 

 owing to windy weather at the time of flowering, continuous flowering 

 of the plant which would necessitate repeated spraying, insufficient 

 adherence of the poison, and the sensitiveness of the plant to arsenical 

 comjjounds. Citrus trees were badly infested with black aj)his {Aphis 

 tavaresi '^.], which was controlled by the commercial preparation 

 " Katakilla." Peaches were seriously attacked by Cydia pomonella, 

 especially early in the season. No poison-sprays could be used as the 

 fruits are infested when nearly mature. Nectarines, guavas and 

 granadillas are increasingly damaged by the fruit-fly, Ceratitis catoiri. 

 The importation of Scolia oryctophaga against Oryctes tarandus has 

 been successful and it has now become established. TipJiia parallela 

 has been recovered from Phytalus larvae far away from its original 

 centre of liberation. The campaign against Phytalus has been extended, 

 the number of beetles destroyed being 49,006,813. 



WiLLCOCKS (F. C). Collembola or Springtails injuring Cotton. — 

 Bull. Soc. Entom. Egypte, Cairo, 1918, no. 1 & 2, January- 

 June, pp. 34-35. [Received 29th December 1919.] 



A number of young cotton plants from Gizeh were found to be 

 injured by springtails or Collembolar the foUage being small and 

 crinkled or malformed and in some cases showing holes. The soil 

 in the field where these plants had grown was low-lying and moist, 

 poorly tilled and swarming with springtails. This is thought to be 

 the first record of injury to a field crop by these insects in Egypt, 

 though damage has been noticed in seedling flowering plants such 

 as Cineraria, Antirrhinum, etc., for some years past. 



GouGH (L. H.). Further Notes on Ephestia, an Insect injurious to 

 Stored Dates in Khargeh Oasis. — Bull. Soc. Entom. Egypte, 

 Cairo, 1918, no. 3, July-August, pp. 68-75. [Received 29th 

 December 1919.] 



It was found during investigations in 1917 [R.A.E., A, vi, 462] 

 that the date worm found in the Khargeh Oasis, and now identified 

 as Ephestia calidella, Gn., does not attack the Saidi date until it 

 has fallen off the fruiting stem. It was therefore suggested that 

 dates for export should be graded into two qualities, the first to be 



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