378 



just caught iu the act. You can no doubt give its uaine and life history. If new to 

 you it will bo of interest, and if not it may bea new discovery that it eats out the fruit 

 buds of the quince. I should have been glad to have included it in the list of insect 

 enemies when writing my book, but could not be certain what it was that did the 

 mischief. Perhaps you may have it ligured already, if not it might be well to pre- 

 serve it for such use. Inclosed is a sample of the bud as eaten out. — [W. W. Meech, 

 Vineland, N. J., May 1, 1889. 



Reply. — Your letter of May 1 and the beetle eating quince buds have been received. 

 The new enemy is a Scarabieid beetle known as Valgus canaUculatus. It is a compara- 

 tively common species, but I believe has not befere been recorded as having this 

 habit. The larva of Valgus lives in decaying wood. — [May 13, 1889.] 



Application to prevent Icerya from ascending Trees. 



* * * I have recently been experimenting with various viscid substances to be 

 placed around the truuks of trees to prevent the Iceryas from ascending them, and 

 find that the following gives very good satisfaction: Resin, 4 ounces; beeswax, 1 

 ounce ; cotton-seed oil, 5 fluid ounces. The resin and beeswax are first melted over 

 the fire, the cotton-seed oil then added and the whole thoroughly stirred ; when cold 

 it is ready for use. When spread on the trunk of a tree this remains moist for over a 

 week, but a better plan would be to apply it to the outside of a bandage of some sort 

 previously placed around the trunk of the tree to prevent injury to the bark. This 

 will make the process of washing the infested tree with pure cold water thrown upon 

 it with considerable force still more eflfective by preventing the Iceryas that have 

 been washed off from again ascending into the top of the tree. — [D. W. Coquillett, 

 Los Angeles, Cal., April 1, 1889. 



Lasioderma serricorne injuring Cigarettes. 



I send you by mail to-aay a few larvie and beetles. With the limited literature at 

 my command I have identified the insects as Bi/iuriis nnicolor. Am I right? They 

 are doing much damage to dry leaf tobacco and cigarettes. While in the egg or 

 young larva state the tobacco is made into cigarettes. When the larva matures, it 

 eats out through the paper, thus destroying the draught of the cigarette. They also 

 cut through the paper package. Can you direct me to the literature on this insect, 

 and has it ever come under the notice of the Department as iujurious to tobacco or 

 cigarettes? I have a quantity of tobacco infested on hand and am going to study 

 the life-history and also experiment as to remedies, if none are yet known. Do you 

 know of any remedies, or could you suggest any line of experiments? Would it be 

 effectual and safe to use bisulphide of carbou in tight boxes, with the cigare ttes still 

 in the paper packages, if the mouth of the packages were left open ? If so, would it 

 be necessary to remove the cigarettes to new packages iu order to air them and clear 

 them of the fumes of the bisulphide ? I ask this as many cigarettes not yet cut could 

 be saved. 



The experiments that I have made show that the larvre and adult beetle in the 

 cigarette can be destroyed with the funics of the bisulphide of carbon without any in- 

 jury to the cigarette. My question now is, will the same process destroy the egg of the 

 beetle? If so, then the use of bisulphide will be entirely successful. In the case of leaf- 

 tobacco which is packed in large hogsheads, would the fumes settle and permeate 

 through all the leaves, and kill egg, larva, pupa, and adult ? Or would it be necessary 

 to transfer to a box with crates in it, so that the leavescould be somewhat separated ? 

 The process of steaming and cuttiug iu preparation of the cigarette tobacco does not 

 seem to destroy the young. * * * — [Geo. F. Atkinson, Chapel Hill, N. C, Jan- 

 uary 11 , 1886. 



Reply. — In reply to yours of the 11th instant, I would state that the iusect which 

 you send is a spec'es which is found all over the world, feeding in Cayenne pepper, 



