174 ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. 



effects, but the farmers think them always the better for a little 

 locust poison, arsenic being a much-used drug in farm veterinary 

 work. 



Let me say definitely that I never use the locust fungus. I say 

 unhesitatingly that, if the unknown conditions suitable to its devel- 

 opment arise, it breaks out — in the ordinary acceptance of the term — 

 spontaneously. Further, I feel certain that if those conditions were 

 to prevail for from four to six Aveeks during the summer Ave would 

 haA^e no Avork to do until the following season. 



The use of Paris green for locusts is not practicable; contact insec- 

 ticides, i. e., soap solutions and kerosene emulsion, are occasionally 

 employed for the insects in the first larval stage, but in practice the 

 same results are never obtained as with the arsenic solution. 



Begasse baits are still largely used in the cane fields, but nowadays 

 many planters leaA^e the trash on the older leaA^es and spray that. In 

 many cases, lioweA^er, advantage is taken of the habit displayed by 

 the young locusts of leaA^ing the cane lands to moult in the grass of 

 the headlands or A^eld in their proximity. 



I haA^e not listed the plants Avhich these locusts do not attack, but 

 it is curious to note that Avhile they feed readily on the foliage of the 

 orange, they ncAer touch that of the mandarin orange. Tea planta- 

 tions are also exempt from them. 



DOES THE SILVER-FISH (LEPISMA SACCHARINA L.) FEED ON 

 STARCH AND SUGAR? 



By H. Garman, Lexhuiton. Ky. 



In all the accounts of the food habits of the silver-fish with which I 

 am familiar no doubt is expressed as to ther food being starch, sugar, 

 or both. ObserA^ations made by the writer a fcAv years ago convinced 

 him that the silver-fish common in dAvellings in Kentucky, and pre- 

 sumably the same as that found CA^erywhere in the country, feeds 

 freely upon substances of animal origin. 



My attention Avas first draAvn to the habit by the scored condition of 

 some velox photographic prints hanging on a wall in a dAvelling, the 

 film having been removed in irregular patches (see fig. 10) Avhile the 

 starch used in mounting them remained untouched. The injury Avas 

 traced to silver-fish. They Avere found to be exceptionally common 

 about a shingled balcony opening into the room. ItAvas decided to set 

 a bait for them, and Avith the statements of writers as to their fondness 

 for starch and sugar in mind these substances were at first used. But 

 the insects paid not the slightest attention to them in any condition in 

 which they Avere employed, moist or dry. I was surprised at this, 

 but in the course of my experiments noticed that killed or disabled 

 silver-fish were fed upon by the others, often three or four gathering 



