E 
until a distinct hole or depression is formed. After, rapid decom- 
position of the plant tissues takes place, due to inroads of fungi. » 
Connection with potato disease. 
In the «Gardeners' Chronicle», volume VIII, page 702, one of the 
Podura was accused of helping in the spread of potato disease. 
Needless to say it plays no important part in it. 
The statement concerning Podura is quoted as a matter of 
interest : « First in an early stage of its existence, it lives on 
decayed vegetable matter, which it collects by burrowing into the 
earth; secondly it occurs in numbers sufficient to cover nearly the 
whole surface of the earth; thirdly it collects, as a means of 
existence, a substance which is poisonous to vegetables. It has a 
power to infuse this into living plants by burrowing into the 
parenchyma. The poison is circulated into the system, vital action 
becomes suspended, mildew immediately follows, and in less than 
three days some of the plants attacked are a dead vegetable matter, 
food for the offspring of the newly discovered Podura. » 
From recent observations I have made it seems that it is quite 
likely that Sminthurus luteus plays some part in distributing 
potato disease. It is small, however, and more a matter of interest 
than of any economic importance. 
Sminthurus luteus LUBBOCK damaging currants, 
and potatoes. 
Since 1904 specimens of damaged currant shoots (fig. 1) and 
young potato tops have constantly been sent me from several 
localities in the South and Midlands of England. During the 
year 1910 similar damage was done to apples in Kent. This was 
due mainly to Hemiptera and not to Aptera. It was not until last 
year, however, that I traced the cause of the damage. It proved to 
be the small yellow springtail known as Sminthurus luteus of 
LUBBOCK which swarmed on the currants. 
In 1909 a large grower near Horsmonden, Kent, reported the 
great damage done by this insect. This year a correspondent 
writes from Hernhill near Faversham that « a great many of our 
Fay's early red currants have the younger leaves damaged, and 
I find the same in nursery stock ». Another grower near 
