42 



C. J. Gahan expressed agreement with the opinion of Mr. 

 Guy Marshall in regard to the native place of Phytalus smithi. 

 The genus was undoubtedly American, and the species probably 

 native to Barbados. The discovery of natural parasites of the 

 species in Barbados was extremely interesting. There was 

 now an opportunity of introducing the parasites into Mauritius, 

 and putting to the test the value of natural enemies in controlling 

 the pest. 



The President in the course of some remarks mentioned that 

 in the island of Porto Rico a Planters' Association had been 

 formed on similar lines to the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Asso- 

 ciation, and referred to the possibility of natural enemies being 

 introduced into the island, the United States, and the British 

 W. Indies, to control certain pests. 



Rev. F. D. MoRiCE alluded to the remarks just made by Mr. 

 GiLLANDERS on the ravages of Ne7natus erichsoni, and mentioned 

 the curious fact that this insect was almost unknown to British 

 systematists, and hardly to be found in museums at a time when 

 the Board of Agriculture was extremely exercised about its 

 ravages, and economic entomologists were seeking means of 

 extirpating it. 



H. OsBORN said that it might be of interest in this connection 

 to call attention to an unusual migration of the cotton worm 

 moth, Alabama argillacea, from the southern cotton states of the 

 United States to northern states where cotton is unknown. This 

 extended to the great lakes, and in the fruit districts of Lake Erie 

 the peach crop was injured by the moth puncturing the fruit and 

 sucking the juices. In the matter of fungous diseases, extensive 

 experiments with a fungous disease of the chinch bug have shown 

 that it cannot be recommended as a certain control of that pest. 



F. V. Theobald said that parasites (Chalcids) of the currant 

 Aphis, Myzus rilus, did not seem to control it or any other Aphis 

 in this country, nor had any pest like the mussel scale been kept 

 down in Britain by such means. Year after year we had the 

 same insect pests and their parasites in varying numbers ; 

 moreover, the parasites did not appear in such numbers as to do 

 any good, until the pests had finished their work and damaged 

 the crops. 



F. A. Lowe said that the whole subject of the value of para- 



