312 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST, 



and frequently ridiculous attempts of the unscientific reporter, 

 but also because he believes that newspaper articles are more 

 generally read than the more detailed and less popular notices 

 in reports and bulletins. A brief and interesting historical 

 resume of the history of economic literature in America concludes 

 with remarks on indexing and ideal schemes of publication. 

 The same author discusses (8) a number of injurious insects 

 introduced from abroad, the depredations of some of these 

 becoming more and more apparent and difficult to combat. Six 

 species affecting fruit trees, two affecting shade trees, and six 

 injuring cotton are noted as principal offenders, and many 

 others, either minor though still sufficiently noxious, or recently 

 introduced and probably destined to become destructive, are 

 noted. This paper will be specially interesting to European 

 entomologists, the species mentioned being often common though 

 little harmful in their continent. 



Dr. Felt has also (9) recently issued his fifth Eeport as 

 State Entomologist of New York. This, again, is of special 

 interest to British entomologists, one of the 2)U'ces cle resistance 

 being a discussion of Euproctis chrysorrhoea, the brown-tail moth, 

 which has recently become established in Massachusetts, Maine, 

 and New Hampshire. As every British lepidopterist knows, it 

 occurs over the whole palsearctic region with but little exception. 

 It has not yet penetrated to New York State. "It is not often 

 that an insect is destructive to vegetation and also markedly 

 injurious to man, and yet this is true of the above-named species. 

 The hairs of the caterpillar of this species, coming in contact 

 with the human flesh, produce * a fierce and enduring irritation,' 

 as characterized by Mr. A. H. Kirkland ; and so annoying and 

 prevalent was this that the board of health of the city of Boston 

 gave a public hearing on the subject in 1901." The irritation is 

 stated to be mechanical, and not due to any poisonous irritant 

 substance in the hairs. Injurious as the depredations of Eu- 

 proctis are, however, the American birds and insect parasites 

 have already proved very efficient in stemming the tide ; a 

 number of birds are quoted as devouring the moths and cater- 

 pillars. For bush recorded "the number of larvte eaten by each 

 bird and the time occupied. None eat less than nine, and one 

 as many as fifty-seven caterpillars ; the latter operation occupy- 

 ing twenty minutes." A beautiful coloured plate by L. H. Joutel 

 shows the metamorphoses, &c., of E. chrysorrhcea. Among 

 other figures are the work of Cryptorhynchus lapathi (Coleopt.) ; 

 Psilura monacha; Bucculatrix canadensisella (Lepid.) and its 

 work. 



It is now more than time to notice Distant's invaluable 

 " Rhynchotal Notes " (10), which consist of a revision of the 

 Walkerian genera and species, with descriptions of numerous 

 novelties from the rich collections of the British Museum and of 



