83 



much time and patience had been expended on the part of the ento- 

 mologist that the officials couchided that the buttertlies came under the 

 domain of science and art and were not subject to duty. 



A CRITICISM OF CIRCULAR NO. 1 OP THIS DIVISION. 



In the Seientijic American of July 25, Mr. N. W. Motheral, of Han- 

 ford, Cal., criticises the resin, caustic soda, and fish-oil wash given upon 

 page 4 of circular No. 1 of this division as a remedy against the San 

 Jos6 scale {Aspidiotiis perniciosiis), stating that it is not only compara- 

 tively worthless but harmful to the tree. In recommending this wash 

 we distinctly stated that it should only be applied in winter or during 

 the dormant period, and that during the growing period it will cause the 

 loss of foliage and fruit. As a substitute, Mr. Motheral recommends a 

 mixture of lime and sulphur diluted with water. This mixture, while it 

 will probably destroy the young lice during their hatching period, will, 

 in our estimation, have no effect upon the insects after the scale is formed, 

 while the resin wash absolutely prevents hatching. 



THE HOST PLANTS OF NORTH AMERICAN APHIDID^. 



Another new worker comes forward in the person of Mr. T. A. Wil- 

 liams, of South Dakota, who has just published, as special bulletin No. 1 

 from the Department of Entomology of the University of Nebraska, a 

 tolerably complete list of the food-plants of the Aphididic of North 

 America. The list seems full and will undoubtedly be of considerable 

 value. We greatly regret, however, that the author has not made it 

 bibliographical, at least to the extent of indicating the original descrip- 

 tions of the species mentioned, for to use it in its present shape re- 

 quires a thorough knowledge of the literature of the group. 



A NEW BADISH ENEMY IN CALIFORNIA. 



We have received from Dr. James H. Lowe, Knight's Ferry, Cal., 

 the eggs and newly hatched young of a bug which he found upon the 

 leaves of Eadish, and which is quite probably Murgantia munda. 



NORTH A;mERIOAN SPECIES OF TRYPOXYLON. 



We have received a valuable paper on the North American species 

 of the Digger Wasps of the genus Trypoxylon, by Mr. William J. Fox, 

 of Philadelphia. He finds twenty species in this genus, and carefully 

 tabulates them, following his table with full descriptions of each species. 

 The work is evidently done with such care that it encourages us in 

 the hope that we have here a student who will eventually bring the fos- 

 sorial Hymenoptera into such a condition that these interesting insects 

 can be readily determined by collectors. 



