198 



Mr. Ilopkius, referring to the Agrihis attack on x>ear trees mentioned 

 by Mr. Smith, said that he had observed two distinct species, one 

 attacking beech and the other Cornns florida. He also exhibited 

 examj)les of Agrihis injury to Populus quadridentata, which had been 

 grown over by healthy wood, indicating that the larvjB undoubtedly 

 bore in the living wood. This fact, he said, was also evidenced in the 

 work of the raspberry Agrilus, and the evident intention of these 

 insects in working, as they almost invariably did, in such a manner as 

 either to completely surround and girdle the plant, or, in the case of 

 larger trees, to zigzag across it, was to effect the partial disease or 

 death of the plant. 



In reply to a query by Mr. Smith, Mr. Hopkins said that the burrows 

 in beech and Cornus were similar to the ones exhibited in Populus. 

 Mr. Smith said that the peculiarity of the burrows of the i)ear species 

 was their extraordinary length. Mr. Lintner said that he had hitherto 

 supposed that the poplar Agrilus attacked only cut timber, and that he 

 had taken great numbers of them about such wood, but had failed to 

 notice any of them in the act of ovipositing. 



Mr. Howard suggested, in reference to the use of arsenated bran as 

 an insecticide, that perhaps Mr. Parry, whom Mr. Smith had named 

 as the originator of this insecticide, had been reading some California 

 literature on the subject. He called attention to the fact that this 

 mixture had long been used in California as a means against locusts 

 and cutworms, and reports on its use have been printed in the publi- 

 cations of the Division of Entomology and elsewhere. Mr. Smith, 

 however, was of the opinion that the use of this mixture was original 

 with Mr. Parry, who was unaware of its prior use elsewhere. 



]Mr, Marlatt, referring to the pear blister mite discussed in Mr. Smith's 

 paper, said that a new Phytoptus affecting pear leaves had been 

 brought to his notice by Mr. Waite, of the Division of Vegetable 

 Pathology. This species differed from the blister mite in that it lived 

 exi)osed on the under surface of the leaf, causing a slight granular 

 appearance of the leaf surface, with a reddish or brownish tinge, and 

 the curling of the leaves. He said that in Maryland this mite was 

 ([uite abundant, whereas the blister mite was rarely met with. The 

 injury from this mite seemed to be comparatively slight. 



Mr. Smith said that he had also seen the condition of the foliage 

 described by Mr. Marlatt. 



Mr. Davis then read the following paper: 



SPECIAL ECONOMIC INSECTS OF THE SEASON. 



By G. C. Davis, Agricultural College, Mich. 



One can hardly fail, in a year's correspondence, to learn some new 

 facts in an economic line regarding insects. This year I have obtained 

 much information in this way, which I have endeavored to bring 



