419 



turned yellow and perished. The infection spreads from a center, and gradually ex- 

 tends from plant to plant in a row. No doubt you know the insect. In the vial I 

 inclose the Epilachna corrupta in the chrysalis form. I am now perfectly acquainted 

 with the transformations of this insect. It has only one brood in this region, and 

 the light- yellow beetle in the box is the newly hatched insect from the chrysalis, which 

 gradually turns of a darker shade and hibernates in the beetle form, probably in the 

 ground. 



The Epilachna corrupta has been very destructive here this year, and has taken off 

 at least one full half of the bean crop. I would caution yon against the recommenda- 

 tion of Paris green. It appears that the bean plant can not stand the corrosive influ- 

 ence of a solution even as weak as 1 pound to 150 or 200 gallons of water, and from 

 my experiments I am satisfied that it kills the plant much more quickly aud effectu- 

 ally than the insect does, without destroying the latter to auy perceptible degree. 

 We will have to look for another insecticide. 



I would like to know something about the wingless insect of the wasp family that 

 I seud with the other specimens. The large insect of the May or June bug class is 

 not, fortunately, very abundant here. Its grub is very large, and cuts through the 

 roots of a big lettuce or other vegetables in short order. 



The apple-tree borers are unknown in New Mexico, and the only insect injurious 

 to fruit is an introduced one from the " States," the Codlin Moth. This season it is 

 less numerous than others, probably from the warfare against it by natural enemies, 

 for no one here would think of applying other means to destroy it. — [John F. Wie- 

 landy, Santa F^, New Mexico, August 19, 1890. 



Reply. — A careful examination of the two plums sent shows that they contain no 

 insects. The external depressions are simply gnawings, probably of some small cat- 

 erpillar. The insect on the roots of tomato is a Dactylopiua, probably a new species. 

 What you have to say additional concerning the damage doue by this insect is very 

 interesting and entirely new to me. The wingless Insect of the "wasp family" is 

 one of the so called Cow-Ants (family MatilUdw) known as Sphairophthalma castor. — 

 [August 27, 1890.] 



GENERAL NOTES. 



MIGRATORY LOCI^STS IN AUSTRALIA. 



The AustraHan newspapers for the past three months have contained 

 frequent mention of the ravages of migratory locusts. The species 

 concerned does not seem to have been definitely determined. Mr. Koe- 

 bele, in Bulletin No. 21 of this Division, refers to the damage done by 

 Chortologa australis, and states that on a trip of 300 miles north of Ade- 

 laide, South Australia, he met with large numbers of this insect travel- 

 ing south in search of food. He was informed that they migrate only in 

 exceptionally dry seasons. They travel according to his observations, 

 not in clouds, but scattered and never very high, just as did Caloptenus 

 devastator in California in 1885. In the December number of the Agri- 

 cultural Gazette of New South Wales (vol.i, part 3, p. 287) the species 

 is mentioned as the " plague locust," which is determined by Mr. W. 

 Froggatt as PachytUus australis, Brunn., aud the species is figured upon 

 Plate VI. The statement is made that this species had appeared in 

 large numbers at Hay, Corowa, New South Wales, and in the Wimera 

 district, Victoria. We are indebted for most of our information, how- 



