72 THE ENTOMOLOGHST. 



NOTES FROM CURRENT ENTOMOLOGICAL LITERATURE. 



Economic Entomology. — The Report of the Judges on the Derby 

 Prize-Farm Competition, 1881, has been issued in the ' Journal of the 

 Royal Agricultural Society of England,' vol. xxxvii., part ii. In this report 

 will be found many interesting references to destructive insects amongst 

 farm crops. Those most attacked were oats by Oscinis vastator, Curt. : of 

 this it is said (p. 467) — "Insect life was very active this spring, despite the 

 severity of the winter. A tiresome tiny maggot attaclied the stem of the 

 oats soon after it was above ground, and, penetrating its inner case, cut off 

 the shoot which should have produced the ear. The plant for a time looked 

 dead, but subsequeutly made an effort to recover itself and put forth a 

 number of minute faint stems many of which produced a diminutive ear. 

 The result of the attacks of this insect had a most damaging effect upon 

 the oat-crop." The mangold-wurzel fly [Anthomyia beta) is repeatedly 

 referred to by the Judges as more or less destructive (pp. 467, 481, 493, 

 510, 524, and 530). Various remedies against this post are suggested 

 (p. 468), chiefly with a view to stimulating the plant so as to enable it to 

 outgrow the attack of the larvae of A. hetcB. Amongst these remedies were 

 " guano, nitrate of soda, and mineral phosphate," the latter being said to be 

 best. Soot is also mentioned as of advantage. We are very glad, however, to 

 note that the most successful remedy appears to be the encouragement of 

 small birds. At page 481 the report says — " In Mr. Bryer's fields and in 

 others we have noticed flocks of little birds, mostly sparrows and chaffinches, 

 that were feeding on the insects. So well had they done their work at 

 Markeatou Park, that we had some difficulty in finding a maggot in the 

 leaves ; the vesicle had been torn open and the maggot removed, let us hope 

 into safe custody." Reference is made (p. 530) to the turnip beetle, Fhyllo- 

 treta nenwrum, Linn., which seems in this instance to have been cured in the 

 following manner — " by drawing over them elder boughs, horse-hoeing with 

 elder boughs tied to the sides of the horse-hoe, rolling, sprinkling with 

 diluted paraffin, and finally with fresh-slaked lime." It is not suggested 

 which remedy proved most effectual, probably the paraffin, for in " Through 

 the Light Continent" (p. 58) Mr. Saunders mentions that remedy as most 

 generally used with success in Colorado, against-potato bugs and grasshoppers. 



Sericiculture. — In the 'Journal of Science' for February, Mr. J. W. 

 Slater reviews the "Handbook of the Collection illustrative of the Wild Silks 

 of India in the India Museum," by Thomas Wardle. Mr. Slater makes 

 some pertinent remarks which are worthy of perusal by those interested in 

 the production of silk, whether from a commercial or natural-history point 

 of view. 



Ichneumon Parasites of Butterflies. — Mr. A. S. Packard, in 

 ' Proceedings of the Boston Soc. of Nat. Hist.,' vol. xxi., part i. (published 

 November, 1881), gives descriptions of some new Ichneumon parasites of 

 North-American Butterflies. In this paper Mr. Packard refers to some 

 score species, most of which he has described as new to Science. 



IcHNEUMONiD^ OF Dkvonshire. — Mr. Ed. Parfitt, in ' Report and 

 Transac. of Devon. Assoc.,' 1881, p. 241, contributes to the fauna of that 

 county a list of ichneumons observed therein. The list, with introductory 

 notes, occupies upwards of fifty pages, and will be found useful to students 

 of that order. J. T. C. 



