144 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



NOTES ON CURRENT ENTOMOLOGICAL LITERATURE. 



Economic Entomology. — ' The Planters' Gazette,' a fortnightly paper 

 devoted to the colonial interests, contains in its issue of April 15th 

 (vol. xxiii., p. 100) an article on "Phylloxera: its History and Results." 

 The object of this communication seems to be intended as a consolation 

 for the coffee-planters of Ceylon and South India, for their losses by the 

 ravages of HymelUa, etc., by pointing out the enormous losses suffered by 

 the grape-growers of Europe. A concise life-history of Phylloxera is given, 

 which will be of use to colonists who grow grapes. The introduction of 

 new stock vines from other countries is discussed, especially those from 

 America. " It seems remarkable," says the writer, "that whilst France has 

 been deciding in favour of American vines, the Swiss authorities have been 

 visiting every man's vineyard, and rooting up every American plant they 

 could find." Stamping out, by cutting down and burning the vines root 

 and branch, seems to be the only remedy against their enemy that the wine- 

 growers have yet discovered. 



Professor C. V. Riley, in the entomological columns of ' The 

 American Naturalist' (May, 1882), as usual, has a choice Httle ento- 

 mological pot potirri for his readers. He or his contributors have, among 

 others, notes on " Carnivorous Habits of Microcentrus retinervis, a 

 locust feeding on beetles;" " First Insect from Wrangell Island," a spider 

 and a larva, the former having proved an undescribed species of Erigone, 

 the latter being probably lepidopterous ; " Injurious Insects in California;" 

 notes on their extermination by the executive officer, &c. 



Insects Injurious to Forest and Shade Trees. — The Department 

 of the United States Entomological Commission issues another of the 

 bulletins (No. 7), devoted to the above subject, which is too important a 

 work to receive sufficient notice on this page, and will probably be referred 

 to more fully next month. 



Practical Entomology. — Professor J. Henry Comstock has issued a 

 fragment of a 'Guide to Practical Work in Elementary Entomology' (Ithaca, 

 New York : 1882), which he describes as " an outline for the use of students 

 in the entomological laboratory of Cornell University." If Professor 

 Comstock means this as an instalment only of a larger book, we wish he may 

 soon find time to complete it. Nevertheless this is a useful little work, 

 which will be found handy on the work-table of even some of the older 

 entomologists. In his next issue, students would benefit by small wood- 

 cuts illustrating the meaning of some of the anatomical parts described. 



Entomology in New Zealand. — In the new publication, ' The New 

 Zealand Journal of Science ' (Dunedin : Wilkie & Co.), is a paper on the 

 Micro-lepidoptera of that country. The first part appeared in No. 1, 

 February, 1882. 



Exotic Insects. — Mr. H. W. Bates, F.R S., in ' Annals and Mag- 

 azine ' (vol. ix., 5th Series, p. 319), describes " New Species of Geodephagous 

 Coleoptera from North-West Mexico. Mr. Charles 0. Waterhouse, in the 

 same volume (p. 321), gives " Descriptions of Cetoniidae, Buprestidae, and 

 Cerambycidse from Madagascar." Again (p. 396), Mr. Distant describes 

 two new Malay Rhopalocera from the Malay Peninsula. 



J. T. C. 



