Vol. 1, Wo. 4.] INSECT LIFE. [October, 18§8. 



SPECIAL NOTES. 



As will be seen from the Extracts from Correspondence, the Chinch 

 Bug has been very severely affected by the epidemic diseases due to 

 micro-organisms both in Minnesota and Illinois, and, as we may safely 

 assume, in the intervening country. This, taken in connection with the 

 rise in the price of wheat, must be very encouraging to the Western 

 grain-growers. 



Entomology would seem to have very little connection with those most 

 inteiesting of modern inventions for speech recording and repeating, as 

 exemplified in the phonograph and graphophone. But some composi- 

 tion having wax as a basis has so far proved to be the best for record- 

 ing the imi)ressions of the sound waves and also for reproducing them, 

 and this fact must necessarily enhance the value of the wax product; 

 for we have little doubt that this improved instrument will rapidly come 

 into general use as a substitute for stenography. 



We are very glad to learn that Prof. C. H. Fernald, of Amherst, 

 Mass., has decided to monograph the Pyralidae, one of the most inter- 

 esting families of moths; because he is one of the few really careful and 

 conscientious workers in descriptive and monographic Lepidopterology 

 of which the United States can boast. He excludes the Phycitidae be- 

 cause they are being especially worked up by E. L. Eagonot, of Paris, 

 who has for years been preparing his plates and diagnoses and who is 

 a careful and conscientious worker. 



The last number of Entomologica Americana^ the organ of the Brook- 

 lyn Entomological Society, comes to us with six pages of descriptions, 

 by Geo. D. Hulst, of EpipaschiiB and Phycitidee. In four of these pages 

 someeighteen new genera are defined in characteristic manner, averaging 

 three or four lines to each characterization. Most of the new generic 

 terms are what may be called humbug names — i. e., words selected at 

 random or coined without reference to the peculiarities of the insect, and 

 not in conformity with best custom. In none of these generic characteri- 



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