60 



doubtful. He adds, liowever, tLat its promise is such as to make it 

 well worth while for anyone interested to try the experiment thor- 

 oughly and carefully, and he offers to supply material for infection to 

 anyone desiring to experiment. 



THE MEALY BUG DAMAGING COFFEE IN MEXICO. 



Among the many applications which we have received, since the suc- 

 cessful introduction of Vedalia into California, for specimens of this 

 l)eneficial insect, to be used against other scales in different parts of 

 the world, none has been of more interest than one recently received 

 from Senor Juan I:^. Navarro, Mexican consul-general in New York 

 City, Seiior Navarro wrote us at the request of the Governor of the 

 State of Michoacan for specimens of Vedalia for use against a scale 

 insect which is damaging the coffee crop in that State. We replied 

 that Vedalia was of practical benefit against Icerya only, and that we 

 very much doubted whether any good could be accompUshed by sending 

 it to Mexico. We requested, however, specimens of the scale-insect 

 damaging coffee, and have recently received a number in alcohol, which 

 indicate that the species doing this damage is our common green-house 

 Mealy Bug {Dactylojnus destructor). We have advised the use of the 

 kerosene emulsion spray against this important pest, 



THE HOP PLANT-LOUSE IN WASHINGTON. 



The latest advices from the State of Washington indicate that the 

 Hop Plant-louse has made its appearance in numbers upon the hop 

 vines. Hop-growers are spraying very extensively, different mixtures 

 being used. The principal are the kerosene emulsion, the whale-oil soap 

 emulsion, and the quassia decoction. A machine known as the roller 

 sprayer has been extensively used, with much success. Since the pub- 

 lication of Prof. Washburn's very satisfactory defense of kerosene emul- 

 sion, we have seen less of the opposition to this substance. 



TICKING OF THE BOOK LOUSE. 



Mr. C, J. Gahan, in exhibiting specimens to the Entomological Soci- 

 ety of London of the common Book Louse, Atropos jmlsatorivs Fabr., 

 stated that he had heard it making a ticking noise similar to that made 

 by the "death watch" (Anobium). We put this on record as corrobo- 

 rative evidence of the power of making such noise possessed by Atropos, 

 which many have felt doubtful of on account of its minute size and soft 

 body covering. 



DELTOID MOTHS. 



Prof, J. B. Smith, New Brunswick, N. J., is engaged on a mono- 

 graphic re^ision of the Deltoid group of the Noctuidie and desires 

 material from all parts of the country. He will name and return all 



