293 



Sudan to the effect that the spiny boll-worm {Earias insulana), the 

 red boll-worm {Diparopsis castanea) and the pink boll-worm [Gelechia 

 Gossypiella) had never, to his knowledge, been known to attack either 

 maize or cowpeas m the Sudan, but confine their attention to cotton 

 or other malvaceous plants. 



The Government Entomologist, Mr. H. Tryon, now reports that 

 the method has definitely been found to be unsatisfactory, observation 

 having shown that the growing maize will attract this moth to places 

 where it has not previously occurred and that it will then attack cotton 

 and maize alike, the former being damaged when otherwise it might 

 escape injury. 



Alfieki (A ). Catalogue des Cerambycides de I'Egypte. [Catalogue 

 of the Cerambycids of Egypt.] — Bull. Soc. Entom. d'Eggpte, Cairo, 

 ix, part 3, July-September 1916, pp. 63-76. [Received 11th May 

 1917.] 



This catalogue contains a list of the species which may be considered 

 as forming part of the Egyptian fauna, and also of those species which 

 have been introduced into the country, chiefly owing to the unporta- 

 tions of forest trees. Only a few of the species mentioned are of 

 economic importance ; those causing considerable damage include 

 Xystrocera globosa, which has largely contributed to the destruction 

 of Albizzia lebbek in the streets of Cairo, and Macrotoma pahnata, which 

 attacks Acacia nilotica, tamarisk, willow, camphor, sycamore, 

 plane, etc. 



Thomas (A. P. W.). The Grass-grub Pest. — Neiv Zealand Dept. Agric, 

 Indust. and Ccnnmerce, Wellitiglon, Bull. no. 27, January 1913, 

 14 pp. [Received 14th May 1917.] 



The grass-grubs which are widely distributed in New Zealand, and 

 which seem to be increasmg their destructiveness, comprise several 

 species of Odontria. The chief mjury to grasses and cereals is caused 

 by 0. zealandica, but 0. xanthosticta has been found in widely separated 

 localities, and 0. brunnea also occurs. 0. zealandica matures in 

 November, laying its eggs soon after, while 0. xanthosticta, and possibly 

 other species of grass-grubs, mature and lay their eggs at the end of 

 summer and in early autumn. The beetles remain in the ground 

 during the daytime, but fly at night for a short distance, and then 

 settle on some plant and feed on the foliage. Among trees, plum and 

 rose trees seem to be preferred food-plants ; strawberry-plants and 

 apple-trees are also attacked. While feeding, the beetles are easily 

 captured by shaking from the trees. By lighting fires on evenmgs 

 when the beetles are swarming, great numbers are attracted and 

 killed by flying over the fires. Whether the life-cycle of the grubs is 

 completed in one year is as yet uncertain. During a spring investigation 

 of wheat-fields, grass-grubs of two distinct sizes were found, the larger 

 ones apparently being the larvae of a second season's growth. Various 

 methods for controlling the grubs have been tried with some success. 

 Rolling pasture lands with a heavy roller destroys a small proportion ; 

 in arable land the grubs can be dealt with by ploughing and keeping 

 the land fallow for a sufficient time to starve them. Changing the 



