Sixth Annual Report. 25 
, _ Of the parasitic diseases of the chinch-bug, Isaria and Sporo- 
__ trichum were found on bugs in winter quarters. Sporotrichum 
found on a bug near Lawrence January 6, 1896, was shown to 
be in a living, healthy condition by the growth of spores of the 
fungus when transferred to nutrient substance. In other cases 
onstrated in the following manner: Glass flasks were plugged 
- with cotton in the ordinary way; then over the top of flask lay- 
ers of cotton were tied in such a way that no part of the plug or 
- mouth of the flask was exposed directly to the air. The flasks 
thus prepared were sterilized in a dry sterilizer, and before us- 
_ ing were kept where they were little exposed to Sporotrichum 
_ kept in the laboratory. 
f _ At the hibernating places of the bugs the outer layers of cot- 
_ ton covering the plugs were removed, and bugs, together with 
aa a quantity of moist earth from the field, were put into the flask. 
oo The outer layer of cotton made it impossible for any spores 
_ from the laboratory to settle on the plug and the neck of the 
flask where they might find their way inside, and great precau- 
__ tions were taken to prevent any spores which might have been 
- brought from the laboratory on the clothing or hands of the ex- 
__ perimenter from entering the flask. So any Sporotrichum which 
might subsequently appear in the flasks would be due to spores 
present in the field among the hibernating chinch-bugs. 
A set of flasks prepared in the above manner were supplied 
with chinch-bugs taken from a field near Lawrence March 31, 
1896; another set were supplied from a field in Coffey county 
April 3, 1896, and a flask was prepared with bugs in Leayen- 
worth county April 11, 1896. Some sterilized flasks were pro- 
_ vided with bugs in Coffey county February 8, 1896, and although 
_ these flasks had not the outer layers of cotton, precautions were 
taken which made it unlikely that spores were introduced 
through the laboratory. In all of the four cases mentioned 
_ Sporotrichum appeared in one or more flasks before May 9, 1896. 
Taking into consideration the case of January 6, 1896, where 
a transfer wa8 made, the experiments show that living Sporo- 
trichum was present among chinch-bugs during the four months 
of the hibernating period of 1896, and in three different counties 
_ even where there was no growth of the fungus apparent, was dem- 
