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Mally (C. W.). Anhydrous liquid Hydrocyanic Acid for Fumigation 

 Purposes. — South African Jl. Sci., Cape Town, xii, no. 3, October 

 1915, pp. 95-96. [Received 29th December 1915.] 



The usual method of fumigation for insect pests, i.e., by generating 

 hydrocyanic acid gas from sodium and potassium cyanide and sulphuric 

 acid, leaves much to be desired. The chemicals require care in prepara- 

 tion ; there is danger of burning the tents round the trees by contact 

 with acid, or the absorption of fumes given off during the generation 

 of the gas may result in injury to the canvas. Anhydrous liquid 

 hydrocyanic acid, readily produced at a low temperature, proved easy 

 to work with, and on testing with various insects, was found to diffuse 

 more quickly and to be more violent in its action than gas from a 

 generator. Pieces of silk, muslin and canvas saturated with acid 

 showed no injury after two weeks. This fact is of considerable 

 practical importance. Field tests are being carried out. 



Jarvis (E.). Notes on Experiments for the Control of the Sugar-cane 



Beetle. — Queensland Agric. Jl., Brisbane, iv, no. 5, November 



1915, pp. 290-291. 



Preliminary experiments on trapping adults of Lepidiota albohirtu, 



by means of attractive odours gave negative results. It is, however, 



reasonable to assume that the movements of cane-beetles are 



determined by forces which probably exercise important influences on 



the flight of the adult female prior to oviposition. Remedial methods 



which have not yet been studied are (1) controlling oviposition by 



means of attractive ground traps, and (2) prevention of egg-laying by 



means of deterrents applied to the surface of the soil or injected 



into it. 



Fletcher (T. B.). Bees and the fertilization of Coffee. — Dept. 

 Agric., Madras, iv. Bull. 69, 1915, 38 pp. 5 figs. [Received 

 28th December 1915.] 



The question of the value of bees in coffee districts was raised at 

 the Annual Meeting in 1911 of the United Planters' Association of 

 Southern India, with particular reference to the regular destruction of 

 these bees in certain districts, and a resolution was passed asking the 

 Government to interfere to prevent such destruction and to regulate 

 the methods of taking wild honey and wax. Instructions were 

 accordingly given to the Government Entomologist to inquire into 

 the matter. The principal species of bees found, were Apis dorsata, the 

 large rock bee, A. indica, the Indian bee, and A. florea, the small 

 bee. The flowering season of coffee is very short, only three or four 

 days at the most, and the time for observation is thus very limited, 

 but the question was sufficiently studied to show that bees are important 

 agents in pollination and that, of the species named, the rock bee, 

 Apis dorsata, is the one chiefly concerned, though other insects play a 

 considerable part. The evidence collected pointed to a steady 

 reduction of bees in the coffee districts in recent years, and this is 

 attributed not only to systematic persecution of the bee-colonies for 

 the sake of honey and wax, but also to the opening up of the coffee 

 districts and the consequent reduction of suitable nesting-places. 



