1896.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 137 



DEPARTMENT OF EGONOMIG ENTOMOLOGY. 



Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, ScD., New Brunswick, N. J. 



Papers for this department are solicited. They should be sent to the editor, Prof. John 

 B. Smith, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N. J. 



Transplanting Insects. — The spread of the San Jos^ Scale has been al- 

 luded to in this department on several occasions, and also the methods 

 of treatment recommended and other details concerning the species. At 

 the last session of the New Jersey Legislature, in response to a request 

 by the State Board of Agriculture, an appropriation of one thousand dol- 

 lars was made for the purpose of introducing into the State of New Jersey, 

 if possible, such predaceous insects as are proving useful in California to 

 check the increase of this pernicious scale. In the effort to carry out this 

 intent with the best chance of success, the writer will go to California 

 during the early days of May,, with the view of studying the habits of the 

 predaceous insects which keep this species in check in that State. Send- 

 ings will be made to the East of all species found feeding upon the San 

 Jose Scale, in all their different stages, to increase the chances of their 

 safe arrival and of becoming used to their new surroundings. To add to 

 the chances of success the cooperation of Prof P. H. Rolfs, in Florida, 

 and of Mr. L. O. Howard, Entomologist to the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, has been secured. Prof. Rolfs has agreed to look after cer- 

 tain colonies of these insects in Florida, and will place them in the regions 

 infested by the scale to the best advantage. Mr. Howard will receive 

 other sendings and will place them in orchards in Virginia or Maryland 

 as seems to him most desirable. In New Jersey there will be from eight 

 to twelve orchards in which the insects will be received and liberated and 

 where they can be watched to the best advantage. It is intended to ob- 

 tain specimens from as many different localities in California as po.ssible, 

 and particularly to secure them from the most Northern localities at which 

 they occur. 



Whatever the outcome, this experiment wall be a most interesting one. 

 The climate of the Pacific coast differs so radically from that on the At- 

 lantic that it would seem as if the experiment was foredoomed to failure, 

 yet we can never tell what possibilities of adaptation an insect contains, 

 and it is not at all impossible that some of the species will develop an 

 ability to become completely dormant during the Winter and yet reap- 

 pear in good condition and ready for work the following season. One of 

 the great drawbacks to our eastern predaceous insects, is the slowness 

 with which they breed. This puts them at a great disadvantage as against 

 species like the San Jose Scale which has generation after generation 

 during the entire season and where the number of young seemed to be 

 practically unlimited. What is most needed is an insect that will become 



