CURRENT NOTES. 99 



is most readily obtained, hence the insectivorous kinds destroy 

 those insects which are most numerous — the injurious species." 

 T. W. Kirk (4) rehites experiments on Coccidae, and notices 

 of the wharf borer (the Coleopteron Nacerdes melanura), the rest 

 of the extensive report being occupied with fungous diseases, &c. 

 W. W. Froggatt (5) notices the weevils and moths that damage 

 foodstuffs. The paper of N. A. Cobb (6) is concerned principally 

 with fungous diseases, but refers to the exciting causes of Stigmo- 

 nose, &c., being the punctures of Coccidae, Aphidae, Thysano- 

 ptera, &c. (pp. 694-704). 



De la Torre Bueno (7) has presented us with the first modern 

 account of the metamorphoses and habits of a Naucorid ; he 

 finds that the oval instar lasts about twenty- four days, the five 

 nympal about fifty, while the adult may under favourable con- 

 ditions live for over a year ; oviposition seems to be continuous 

 during the summer. The paper is a distinct advance in our 

 knowledge. W. W. Froggatt (8) gives descriptions and notices of 

 the habits, &c., of the Australian Cicadidae, with a bibliography 

 of the literature. This, like all Froggatt's papers, is of high 

 value, but he is the victim of his publishers in the detestable 

 manner in which his papers are presented. The original source 

 of the present contribution is 'Agricultural Gazette of New South 

 Wales,' xiv. pp. 334-41, and 418-25, published in April and 

 May respectively of this year. It is republished, however, as a 

 miscellaneous publication "of the Department of Agriculture, 

 N. S. Wales," pp. 1-15, without any proper indication of its 

 original source. The plates and woodcuts also are never numbered. 

 It is to be hoped that Mr. Froggatt will use his influence to have 

 these publications brought into line with modern methods. 



When discussing Miss Nawa's paper on " A Parasitic Moth " 

 (Entom, xxxvi. 130), I was unaware of Dyar's notice of a lepi- 

 dopterous larva on a leaf hopper (9). This larva was found 

 firmly attached to the dorsal surface of the abdomen, under 

 the wings, of a species of Issus (near aaroreus, Uliler) from New 

 Mexico. Nawa's paper was further discussed by Dyar (10), who 

 thought that Epijn/rojis might be a true parasite after all. 



Eeh gives the first two instalments (11) of what promises to 

 be a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the Coccidae of 

 the northern and central portions of Europe. To Coquillett (12) 

 we are indebted for "an attempt to settle the type species of 

 each North American and European genus of Empididac, and to 

 bring some kind of system out of the present confused condition 

 into which the genera of this family have fallen." The well- 

 known genus Mantipeza is replaced by Chelifora, Khamphomyia 

 by Macrostomiis, Sciodromia by Hcicodromia, Sipiechcs by Acro- 

 mijia, and Cijrtoma by Bicdlaria. Endlich (13) discusses, with 

 copious bibliographical references, the fight against Texas fever 

 and the Tsetse sickness. Borner (14) describes a new genus of 



