144 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS, [May, 



as to the character of the Bulletins to be issued by the Experiment Stations. 

 There is room for differences of opinion, and in tiiat view the matter is 

 beyond the domain of criticism; still, I cannot help feeling that a special 

 publication of this character is misplaced in a Bulletin. The farmer will 

 not understand it, and if unfortunately he locks over a Bulletin of this 

 character and finds it beyond him, he is very apt to base an adverse judg- 

 ment upon Bulletins as a whole. The other objection is one that I have 

 previously made, and is that the information is not thus made completely 

 accessible to the scientific man. The Bulletin is good, and I would advise 

 every entomologist to get it if possible; but I would be as anxious to keep 

 it out of the hands of the farmer. The only criticism that need be made 

 is that the description of the species should have been a little more com- 

 plete, and that all of the species should have been described, even though 

 no biological notes were at hand. While the figures are good, yet in 

 some cases a few words of description would make matters certain where 

 doubt is left. , 



Injurious Insects and the use of Insecticides.— Under this title we have 

 a book of 216 pages by Frank W. Sempers, published by W. Atlee Burpee 

 & Co., of Philadelphia. This firm are seed dealers and growers, and have 

 published a number of books which are used in some measure to adver- 

 tise themselves, being distributed as premiums to those purchasing a cer- 

 tain amount in value of seeds, Mr. Sempers is not an entomologist, and 



■ the book is a compilation. On the whole it is a very convenient little 

 publication, giving a considerable amount of information gathered from 

 generally reliable sources, and it is one that will be an addition to the 

 library of every practical agriculturist. While there is little to be said in 

 criticism of what the book actually contains, very much could be said in 

 criticism of what it does not contain. In other words, one of the chief 

 fauks of the book is that the selection of insects to be treated is not the 

 most judicious possible. Quite a number of the most destructive forms 

 of the Eastern and Middle United States are omitted, while a considerable 

 number that are scarcely ever heard of as practically injurious are treated 

 at some length. Sometimes, also, one local account of an insect is used 

 to the exclusion of equally important records from other localities. For 

 instance, Heliothis armiger is treated onljf as a cotton insect, while no- 

 thing is said of its injuries to corn, and especially to early tomatoes, where^. 

 they are grown. Mr. Sempers' ignorance of entomological literature ap- 

 pears sometimes where complete accounts of species have been published 

 in places other than those Reports and Bulletins that appear to be acces- 

 sible to him. Thus the very complete life-history of the Strawberry 

 weevil published in " Insect Life" has been overlooked, and all the infor- 

 mation taken from the rather incomplete account published at the Dela- 

 ware Station. There are several other instances of this character; but 

 nevertheless, if the book be not taken too literally, or as being up to date 



* in all respects, it will be a very handy one for practical use. 



