32 



Ash, although evidently the favorite, is not the onh' food plant of 

 this species. The larvtv are probabl}^ not particular, as they live upon 

 decaying wood and have been found feeding in decayed wood of cherry, 

 willow, oak, and other trees. 



During June, 1898, we received a specimen of this species from 

 Mr. W. AY. Thompson, Smithville, Ga., with the statement that it had 

 been found eating a pear, an unusual food habit, judging from records. 



In writing of the noise produced l)y this species when alarmed, the 

 late Dr. John Hamilton says (Can. Ent., Vol. XVIIl. p. 112): 



"While no real stridulating organs are present, they have the power to produce a 

 sound that may answer the same purpose, somewhat reseml)ling that of an angry 

 goose. The pygidium and part of the last ventral segment are very hairy, and by 

 withdrawing the abdomen from the elytra so as to admit air, and then suddenly 

 forcing it out through the hair by a sudden extension, a noise is produced that is 

 rather alarming to one unacquainted with their harmlessness. 



NOTES ON ENEMIES OF MUSHROOMS AND ON EXPERIMENTS 



WITH REMEDIES. 



By August Busck. 



During the winter 1901-2 four enemies of mushroom culture came 

 under observation: (1) snails, (2) roaches, (3) maggots of some unde- 

 termined Diptera (not bred), and (4) mites. 



(1) Against the snails was used with perfect success the old remedy 

 of trapping them under loose boards. 



(2) The roaches {P€ripl(metaamer{c€ina)yfQv& quite troublesome, but 

 were at least temporarily driven away by thepyrethrum and bisulphid 

 of carbon experiments, employed against the mites and mentioned 

 below. 



(3) The maggots, which in the cases under observation were scai'ce 

 and of small importance, were not bred. The}^ worked in the fruit 

 bodies of the mushroom and of course spoiled such individual mush- 

 rooms as were infested. Possibly the experiments with all kinds of 

 insecticides, conducted against the mites, killed the majority of adult 

 flies, and thus prevented egg la3nng and consequent injury. 



Reports from other places show that certain flies {Phora spp. and 

 DroBoxjliila spp.) may l)e very dangerous enemies of successful mush- 

 room culture. 



The present experiments tend to show that the screening of all win- 

 dows or beds, where feasible, and the liberal use of pyrethrum, are 

 eft'ective preventives against these pests. 



(4) The only trul}' important and at the same time the most perni- 

 cious and difhcult enemy to handle which has come under ni}^ obser- 

 vation hitherto is the very prolific and astonishingly destructive mite, 

 Tyroglyjphus lintneri. 



