+ 
more or less trouble in northern regions, particularly in Virginia, 
Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, where cucurbits are much cul- 
tivated. Occasionally it is injurious as far north as Minnesota and 
west to California. It has been collected also in Adelaide, South 
Australia. 
INSTANCES OF INJURY. 
The melon aphis first attracted notice thru its injuries to cotton in 
1854, and from that time on it has done more or less damage year by 
year, and, in view of its rapacity, rapid multiplication, and omnivo- 
rous habits, will no doubt continue injurious in spite of all that can 
be done to repress it. Asa melon and cucumber pest it was noticed 
in Florida and southern Illinois in 1880, and in the next three years 
caused considerable losses in those States and in Georgia. Soon after- 
wards it became recognized as a strawberry pest. In later years many 
other food plants were added to its: known dietary. The years 1892, 
1893, and 1898 were unusually bad ‘‘aphis years.” 
In 1893 information was received from a pickle company of Omaha, 
Nebr., of severe injury in that State. This company was growing 
between 30,000 and 50,000 bushels of cucumbers a year, and sey- 
eral hundred neighboring farmers grew this vegetable for the com- 
pany. Two-thirds of the crop grown in 1892 was destroyed by the 
aphis, and in 1893 half of the crop was lost. These injuries made it 
difficult to induce outside planters to grow for the company. 
In 1898 this species was extremely troublesome. In order that a 
good idea of its destructiveness may be had, some reports are cited. 
In January injury was reported on cucumbers in Florida and in May 
to strawberries in Delaware, where the insects were described as 
‘*taking everything clean.” By June this insect had been very 
injurious to watermelon in southern Texas, when it destroyed many 
acres of early vines. Iu July Texas correspondents reported the 
destruction of 1,000 acres of cantaloupes in one locality, and the out- 
break assumed such proportions as to cause much newspaper com- 
ment. One company reported that the ravages of this pest had cost 
them $20,000, and that agriculturists of that section had sustained irre- 
trievable loss. In November a Pennsylvania correspondent reported 
losses to cucumbers grown under glass, and in December this aphis 
resumed its ravages to cucumbers in Florida. 
LIST OF FOOD PLANTS. 
The insect here considered is the most nearly omnivorous of any 
known species of aphis. The list of plants upon which it has actually 
been found feeding shows great diversity, and future observations 
may add many more host plants. 
It is partial to the plants that have previously been mentioned— 
melons and other cucurbits, cotton, okra, orange and other citrus 
