I 



75 



As the Blister-beetles are v^ery easily disturbed, the following method 

 is often used -v^dth success. It consists in using two or three boys, or even 

 more if neces. ary, to walk through an infested field and wave from: side 

 to side boughs of spruce or other branches. Such an operation w^ill drive 

 the beetles ahead of them and w^hen the insects come to the edge of the 

 field they will disperse and seldom return, especially if care is taken to 

 place at the end of the field a windrovt^ of straw which harbours the 

 insects, ^^•here they are burnt by thousands if the straw is set on fire. 



In the garden, many of these insects may be killed by beating them 

 from, the plants into pans containing water with a little coal oil on the 

 surface. 



Reasons that have led to the Writing of this Paper. 



In closing this paper, I beg leave to say that t\vo reasons have in- 

 duced me to write it. The first is that I felt the need of compiling, from 

 many papers, reports and bulletins published in Canada and the United 

 States on that matter, a summary of the knowledge we obtained from 

 many sources concerning the family of the Meloidae, Avhen we wanted 

 to learn something about them. The second reason is that almosti all the 

 literature we have on that subject is written only in English, a thing 

 \vhich prevents our French farmers, who, many of them, have no m.ore 

 knowledge of the Kngli-sh language than have our friends the English 

 farmers of the Fr.ench, from reading all they should know about thosp 

 enemies of their potatoes. By publishing the French version I have prepar- 

 ed of that paper in the French edition of the report of our Society, 1 

 give them a chance of getting some information on that subject. 



