1896.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. IF 



touching the wood, except where it was dry and withered, and on cutting 

 into the bark afterward I found that apparently no injury had been done 

 below the outer surface; in fact, except for the smudgy appearance on the 

 outside of the bark it was entirely normal. As for the scales, they had 

 been burnt away nearly clean; here and there a partial cluster of eggs 

 could be found, and occasionally a fragment of a scale still remained on 

 the surface. Had I allowed the kerosene to penetrate a little before set- 

 ting it afire, I have no doubt the scales would have been burned away 

 completely. This seems like a very heroic remedy, but after all it may 

 not be as bad as it looks. On living tissue a thin film of kerosene will 

 burn away rapidly without developing heat enough to injure the bark 

 itself, while at the same time it would probably take with it all surface 

 excrescences and attachments like scales. The method is worthy of trial 

 at any rate, and this note is published to induce those who may be in a 

 position to test it, to do so. The tree should be sprayed with pure kero- 

 sene through a Vermorel nozzle, and then, after allowing the material to 

 remain, say ten to fifteen minutes, it could be lighted at the bottom. Pos- 

 sibly some of the yet lighter and more inflammable oils might also find a 

 use in this way. A sound tree during the Winter season will stand a good 

 deal of application to the outer bark without showing injury. If any ex- 

 periments are made in this direction I would be obliged to hear of the 

 results through this department of the News. 



Scolytas 4-spinosilS. — The article in the November number of Ento- 

 mological News on Scolytus 4-spinosus Say, was of special interest to 

 me. 



There are three species of the genus found near Crafton, Allegheny 

 County, Pa., namely 4-spinosus Say, muticus Say, and rugulosus Ratz. 

 The injury done by the former and latter of these species in this locality 

 is such as to warrant the belief that unless some practical and efficient 

 method for checking their ravages is adopted, that it will not be long be- 

 fore the several varieties of hickory about here, as well as certain kinds 

 of fruit trees in young orchards, will be extirpated. 



In this locality hickory is not very abundant; just one here and there as 

 it were. In March, 1S94, I selected several trees conveniently located, 

 and deadened a greater or less portion of each for the purpose of rearing 

 insects. Among the trees was a large hickory, the upper twenty feet or 

 so being deadened, but not cut down till about the first of April of this 

 year, when I placed it in tight barrels with a piece of muslin serving as 

 the top, it being held down by the hoops. For more accurate observa- 

 tion I placed the twigs, large branches and trunk in separate barrels, 

 which afterwards proved of some significance — more particularly with 

 other kinds of wood, such as ash and butternut, in which it is even advi- 

 sable to separate the trunk where the rough bark ends and the smooth 

 bark begins. It might be well to state that none of the wood has ever 

 been moistened since being barreled, or rather since being taken in. 



I do not intend to enumerate the various species so far emerged, but 



