484 



to 150,000 insects are probably consumed on each acre of land in one 

 week by the hzards present, the species including grasshoppers and 

 katydids, the West Indian cane-fly Delphax saccharivora, the southern 

 grass-worm Laphygma frugiperda, and the chinch bug Blissus leu- 

 copterus, aU of which would probably cause heavy losses if they were 

 not kept in check by these enemies. Unfortunately, many of the 

 most destructive pests of the Island are too well protected to be 

 captured in this way, especially when they are nocturnal in habit ; 

 these include the changa Scapteriscus vicinus, the May beetle Lach- 

 nosterna {Phyllophaga) portoricensis, the moth stalk-borer of sugar-cane 

 Diatraea saccharalis, the sugar-cane mealy-bug Pseudococais sacchari, 

 the fire-ant Solenopsis geminata, Coccids, Aleurodids, Aphids, Psyllids, 

 Tingitids and termites, as well as the Pyralids and Hesperids that 

 fold or roll the leaves, and insects that are particularly large or active, 

 such as Pachyzanda periusalis, injurious to tobacco, Nacoleia indicata, 

 a pest of beans, and Pilocrocis tripunctata, which damages sweet pota- 

 toes, Eudamus proteus (bean leaf-roller) and Eantis thraso (citrus 

 leaf -roller). 



The commonest and most valuable insectivorous lizards of the 

 Island are Anolis pulchellus, A. cristatellus, A. stratulus, A. evermanni, 

 A. cuvieri and Ameiva exul. 



Many of the nocturnal insects that escape these lizards are devoured 

 at night-time by tree-toads, Eleutherodactylus spp., which are thus 

 very valuable checks on the increase of pests. 



Paoli (G.). La Lotta contro le Cavalette in Capitanata nel 1917-1918. 



[Anti-Locust Work in Capitanata in 1917-1918.] — Boll. Minist. 

 Agric, Ind., Comm. e Lavoro, Rome, Year xviii, vol. 1, Ser. B, 

 no. 3-4, March- April 1919, 11 pp. [Keceived 13th September 

 1920.] 



In spite of the destruction of the eggs of Dociostaurus maroccanus, 

 as recommended in the preceding report [R.A.E., A, vi, 500], a large 

 number of hoppers hatched in May 1918. Measures against these 

 and the resulting adults therefore followed those taken against the 

 eggs. The work was done in two separate zones in the Province of 

 Foggia. In the zone around Foggia itself, D. maroccanus was the 

 predominant species. In the second zone, around Torre maggiore, 

 D. maroccanus was absent, but numerous small swarms of Calliptamus 

 italicus, mixed with other species, occur. 



The measures adopted in the Torremaggiore zone were confined to 

 the use of a poison-bait of bran treated with 3 per cent, of sodium 

 arsenite. 



In the Foggia zone the work was more comprehensive. In dealing 

 mth the egg-masses, infested ground was lightly dug and then raked 

 over, the broken soil being thrown on metal screens so as to separate 

 the eggs. The latter were used to fill up existing pits, as it was found 

 that a covering of 4 inches of earth prevents emergence. The surplus 

 eggs were gathered in heaps measuring about 16 feet in diameter and 

 from 3 to 5 feet in height. To prevent those on the surface from 

 hatching, these heaps were sprayed with a 10 per cent, solution of 

 cresosol, or with a mixture of cresosol 5 parts, carbon bisulphide 1, 

 and petroleum 1. It is estimated that about 1,200 milUon locusts 



