1898] NOTES AND COMMENTS . 15 
formation of ‘giant cells.” Later the 7 vichacis larva becomes 
maggot-like. The grubs of another proctrotrupid Polygnotus minutus 
live, in their early stage, grouped in the food-canal of the midge- 
larva. They ultimately devour the whole body of their host except 
the outer skin. 
: Economic ENTOMOLOGY 
WE have received several recent Bulletins of the Entomological 
Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. No. 10 contains 
a series of short miscellaneous papers. Of special interest are Dr 
Zehnter’s on caterpillars which bore sugar-canes in Java, and Mr 
Matsumura’s on two fruit-boring caterpillars of Japan, one of 
which injures apples and the other pears, after the fashion of the 
caterpillar of our own codlin moth. No. 12 contains the story by 
Mr L. O. Howard, of the never-failing San José scale (Aspidiotus 
pernesus) during 1896 and 1897, from which it appears that a 
united effort on the part of fruit-growers to cope with this pest is 
being made. In February of the present year, the German Govern- 
ment issued an order to stop the importation of American produce 
infected with the insect. No. 15 is a compilation of the recent laws, 
both state and federal, against Injurious Insects in North America. 
The San José scale also occupies much space in the Twentieth 
Report of the State Entomologist of Illinois (Mr 8. A. Forbes). 
A curious observation is given in this Report on the habits of a 
species of solitary wasp (Odynerus foraminatus) which by making 
its mud-nest in the air-opening of a railway automatic brake, has, 
on several occasions, rendered the release of the brakes impossible 
and caused delay and danger to the trains. 
dritish farmers and tree-growers will welcome as usual Miss 
Ormerod’s Twenty-first Report on Injurious Insects, recently issued. 
Together with notes of value on more familiar insects, we notice (pp. 
34-40) some specially interesting observations on the development 
of vestigial wings in the female of the Deer Forest Fly—Lipoptena 
cervi—one of the pupiparous Diptera, and the latest experiments 
in lessening the damage done to fruit-bushes by the Currant Gall 
Mite (Phytoptus ribis). 
NortH AMERICAN LEAF-HOPPERS 
Mr C. P. GILLetTe’s revision of the American Typhlocybinae (Proc. 
U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. xx., pp. 709-773) contains—as might be 
expected in so neglected a group—a large proportion of new species, 
most of which are illustrated by clear structural figures. As several 
forms are common to both sides of the Atlantic, Mr Gillette’s paper 
will be useful to European workers. He unites several genera 
which have hitherto been held distinct, not finding the differentiating 
characters constant. 
