498 



leaves, and depositing eggs at the rate of about 6 per diem on the 

 lower and middle leaves of the plant. 



The list of both cultivated and '^ild foodplants is a long one and 

 includes potatoes, beans, ground-nuts, wheat, barley, many vegetable 

 crops, and both American and Egyptian cotton. American cotton 

 sufiers much more than Egyptian, and does not make such good 

 recovery. 



It is not precisely known how the thrips subsists after the old cotton 

 crop is removed and until the new one is well advanced. Suggestions 

 for control include the ploughing of old cotton land as soon as possible 

 if it is found that any stage aestivates, or the removal of all plants 

 on the land if the insect spends the dead season on vegetation. If 

 watering of the cotton were stopped somewhat early and the cotton cut 

 and burnt sooner than is normally done, the number of thrips that 

 could attack the succeeding cotton crop would be greatly diminished. 

 Hea\y watering appears to have a detrimental effect on the number 

 of thrips emerging from the soil, probably because the ground is pre- 

 vented from cracking. Further investigations on this Une are required ; 

 it is suggested that one or two heavy waterings about the beginning of 

 November might have a beneficial effect. Owing to the \vide range 

 of food-plants, experiments with trap-crops might be tried. Cultural 

 methods include the destruction of aU weeds and vegetation growing 

 among the cotton or in its \acinity. Spra}ang is considered impracti- 

 cable and uneconomical when the cotton is four or five months old, 

 but if the thrips appear when the plant is small, two or more apphca- 

 tions of spray should be given in the late afternoon or evening in order 

 to kiU the larvae. Pyridine sulphate and quinohne sulphate were 

 both foimd unsuitable as insecticides. One part of nicotine sulphate 

 (32 per cent.) to 1,200 parts of soap solution obtained by dissolving 

 1 lb. of soap in 21 gals, of water was the most successful spray used, or 

 1 lb. of soap to 10 gals, of water will kill a large percentage of both 

 larvae and adults if nicotine sulphate is unobtainable. 



Theobald (F. V.). Aphididae of Persia. — Bull. Entom. Res., London, 

 xi, no. 2, September 1920, pp. 153-157, 4 figs. 



The species dealt with include Aphis huxtoni, sp. n., of which the 

 alate and apterous vi\4parous females are described from UmbeUiferae 

 on the Caspian coast. This species was found in association with an 

 ant, Lasius emarginatus, Latr., var. nigro-etnarginatHS, Forel. The same 

 forms are described of Myzus mespiliella, sp. n., taken on the young 

 twigs of medlars in north-west Persia. Aphis punicae, Pass., taken on 

 wild pomegranate on the south-west Caspian coast, is re-described, 

 as apparently only the apterae were known to Passerini. Certain 

 characters of Lachnus pyri, Buckt., which was originally recorded from 

 pears in Ceylon, are described from individuals taken on pears in 

 western Persia. 



Tempaxy (H. a.) & d'Emmerez de Charmoy (D.). The Campaign 

 against Phytalus smithi in the Colony of Mauritius. — Bull. Entom. 

 Res., London, xi, no. 2, September 1920, pp. 159-169, 1 plate. 

 This paper gathers together and summarises a good deal of in- 

 formation from various sources, much of which has previously been 



