192 



and partly on a running abstract made during the meeting by the 

 secretary. The record is given as fully as possible, so that the report 

 constitutes what is practically a review of current knowledge of Indian 

 crop- pests. 



The insects are dealt with under the headings of the crops they 

 attack, including hill crops, leguminous field crops, oil-seeds, Malvaceae, 

 fibre-plants, sugar-cane, rice and other cereals, grasses and fodder 

 crops, fruit-trees, palms, garden plants, drugs and dyes, Cruciferous 

 crops, other vegetables and condiments, and stored products. 

 Numerous coloured plates are included in the report and many refer- 

 ences to former publications have been added to make it as complete 

 as possible. An adequate index is appended. 



SoLER I Coll (J, M.), Es necesario proteger d los Pdjaros. [It is 

 necessary to protect Birds.] — Rev. Inst. Agric. Catalan de S. 

 Isidro, Barcelona, Lxvii, no. 4, 20th February 1918, pp. 56-59. 



Attention is called to the fact that though Spain is a signatory to 

 the International Convention of 1902 for bird protection and though 

 it has its special legislation in the matter, the rules adopted are largely 

 disregarded. Statistics are quoted showing the great importance of 

 birds in combating injurious insects and a hst of useful Catalonian 

 birds is given. 



CooLEY (R. A.). Economic Entomology in the Service of the Nation. 

 — Jl. Econ. Entom., Concord, N.H., xi, no. 1, February 1918, 

 pp. 16-28. 



In this paper, which formed the Presidential Address to the American 

 Association of Economic Entomologists, the present status of economic 

 entomology is reviewed in the light of the national emergency and 

 in view of the outstanding necessity for service to the nation during 

 the war. While enjoying a rapid growth, it is only too obvious that 

 economic entomology is at present incompletely organised, and 

 entomologists are urged, if necessity arise, willingly to throw traditions 

 aside and approach new problems with open-mindedness. The scope 

 and importance of entomological service in the national welfare is 

 twofold, covering as it does the fields of agricultural and medical 

 entomology. With regard to crops, it has frequently been estimated 

 that the annual losses due to the depredations of insects amount in 

 the United States to at least 10 per cent, of the total value of the 

 crops. If this additional 10 per cent, could be saved, it might be 

 enough to turn the balance in the war. The great question to be 

 faced is whether entomologists can materially reduce this waste by 

 special emergency efforts, or whether the American people can become 

 organised to accomplish this end. The most urgent demand, in 

 view of the world shortage of agricultural products, is on that branch 

 of the service known as extension entomology, that is, an organised 

 efiort to impress upon every individual farmer and landowner the 

 practical importance of entomology as an aid to the increase of our 

 food supplies. Great encouragement has been given to this branch 

 of the subject by the passing of the Smith-Lever Act and by a special 

 emergency fund to be used for extension or control work on insects. 



