364 



and a host of others. Why shouhl not the same process take place 

 with insects? In California everyone knows the "Icerya," and in the 

 South many cotton idauters know the " Aletia." In the latter case, 

 however, the term cotton caterpillar or cotton worm had come into pre- 

 vious use, and there is really no necessity for the adoption of Aletia. 

 Professor Riley, when he began the publication of his reports on the 

 insects of JMissouri, obviously appreciated the importance of this ques- 

 tion of popular names very strongly. He saw the desirability of the 

 restriction of a single popular name to a single species of insect, and 

 wherever confusion existed, he made an effort to reduce the confusion 

 by the suggestion of new names for all but one of the species concerned. 

 His names for the commoner of our cutworms, for example, were good 

 and descriptive. The greasy cutworm ; the glassy cutworm ; the speckled 

 cutworm, are very good, popular terms. We commend the question, as 

 a whole, to the serious consideration of all persons who are writing 

 upon entomological subjects for the benefit of farmers. 



Australian Ladybirds in the East. — Through the kiudness of Mt. J. F. 



Mclntyre, of Fillmore, Cal., we have received a sending of Eliizobius 

 ventraUs, one of the Australian ladybirds sent over by Mr. Koebele on 

 his second Australian trip. The insects were packed in a tin box con- 

 taining living specimens of Lecanium olecv for food on the Journey. On 

 arrival in Washington they were found to be in excellent condition, 

 only one having died. They were liberated a few days later on purple- 

 leaf plum trees in the grounds of the Department of Agriculture 

 which bore upon their branches many specimens of a species of Leca- 

 nium. The ladybirds made themselves at home at once, and one indi- 

 vidnal was observed to begin feeding injmediately upon a half-grown 

 Lecanium. There were two larviB and several pupa^ in the box, 

 which gives hope that the species will breed, the carriage of adults 

 being sometimes disappointing from the fact that they may have laid 

 all their eggs before having been collected. 



Credit for Divisional Observations.— We have had frequent occasion in 

 the pages of the present volume of Insect Life to refer to the " notes 

 of the Division" or the '' notes of the office."' In all such cases it must 

 be remembered that Professor Riley was in charge of the office from 

 June, 1878, to May, 1870; that Prof. J. H. Comstock was chief ento- 

 mologist from ^lay, 1879, to June, 1881; and that Professor Riley at that 

 time resumed charge, remaining the chief officer of the division until 

 June 1, 1894, when he resigned. As a result the office notes were accu- 

 mulated under the direction of the individuals named for the periods 

 mentioned. References to notes in Insect Life have always been 

 accomi)anied by dates, so that the reader of this paragraph will readily 

 be able to give personal credit, if he desires to do so. 



