No. 11 5. J 128 



Aphis Attack on Carrots and Parsnips. 



From Oakley Park, Massachusetts, report is made that the carrot 

 and parsnip crops of the vicinity had been nearly destroyed by 

 plant-lice. No particulars were furnisbed nor examples sent for 

 examination. 



The unusual prevalence of plant-lice the present year has caused 

 them to attack a number of plants upon which they had rarely 

 been noticed before and had not previously proved injurious. 

 Thus tliey have been destructive to potato vines in some localities 

 have injured tomato plants, and in the above communication are 

 repoi'ted as havino- been quite harmful to carrots and parsnips. 

 We have also noticed statements in some of our agricultural 

 papers of injuries to these two last mentioned crops. 



No mention of injury to either of these crops by plant-lice is to 

 be found in the writings of any of our economic entomologists at 

 hand. They do not appear to be known in this country. No men- 

 tion is made of them in the reports of Miss Ormerod, from which 

 we infer that they are not serious pests of these crops in England. 

 Curtis, however, mentions as a species preying upon carrots in 

 England, Aphis dauci (Fabr.) ; while in M. Lichtenstein's list of 

 aphides seven other carrot-feeding species are recorded as known, 

 three of which also attack the parsnip, in the same family — the 

 parsley family, Umhelliferce. 



Dr. Thomas, in his volume on the Ilcmpitera, describes the 

 European parsnip plant-louse, Siphocoryne pastinacw (Linn.), as, 

 with little doubt, existing in this country, but not having been 

 detected by him. It is said to infest the underside of the leaves 

 and the tender stems of the plant. ^S'. caprece (Fabr.) and Aphis 

 carotcB Koch., are also recorded as European species. 



The Beech-tree Blight. 

 Pemphigus inibricator (Fitch). 



Mr. James T. Whitaker, of Penn Yan, N. Y., makes request 

 through Dr. E. L. Sturtevant, of the New York Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station at Geneva, for some note of the peculiarities and 

 capability for harm of a species of insect which he finds covering the 

 under side of beech leaves. He states of tiiom that they are " about 



