178 



THE AMERICAN 



Insect Destroyer — New Yorl; Feb.\^,'l^K — 

 " A weak solution of the chloride of lime is said 

 to preserve plants from insects if sprinkled over 

 them. Flies are also got rid of in stables and 

 otlier places by scatteriuji- chloride of lime on a 

 plank. Mixed with lialf its weight of fatly 

 matter, and a narrow band of the composition 

 smeared around the trnnk of a tree, insects will 

 not pass it." I find the above in an English 

 publication, and think it worth trying. The 

 only question is, will it bleach the leaves of (he 

 plant? AV". V. Asdkkws. 



No Planx-lick Eou."? — Warsair, Ills., March 

 \st, 1871). — On page 107 you mention the fact 

 that the apple trees in the vicinity of St. Louis 

 are remarkably free from the eggs of the Plant- 

 louse. A careful examination of my own trees 

 to-day failed to reveal a single one. If Dr. 

 Hull's theory is correct, we shall escape that 

 great scourge of the orchardist, the scab, for 

 one year at least. A. C. Hammond. 



-SOAK" IN APPLE vs. APPLE-TKEK PhAXT-hlCE. 



On page 107 of the present volume we showed 

 how Dr. Hull believes tliat the "scab'" on apples 

 is caused by tlie punctures of Plant-lice, and we 

 there expressed our opinion that the present 

 year will prove an excellent one in which to test 

 the validity of the Doctor's theory, since the 

 apple trees, wherever we had examined them, 

 were entirely free from the Plant-lice eggs. 



As this is a matter of great practical import- 

 ance, and of still greater scientific interest, we 

 earnestly ask our horticultural frieuds, in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country, to watch carefully 

 whether or not the Plant-lice appear in their 

 own orchards, and whether subsequently their 

 apples are accordingly attacked by, or are free 

 from, "scab."' AVe shall gladly record any facts 

 bearing on the subject. 



t^ We publish this mouth the first of a series 

 of articles giving instructions how to collect 

 and study insects, from Mr. F. G. Sanborn, of 

 the Boston Society of Natural History. As one 

 of the best fleld-entomologists in the country, 

 and a collector of long experience, Mr. Sanborn 

 is eminently fitted to give plain and practical 

 directions, and will win the attention and re- : 

 ceive the thanks of a great number of our sub- | 

 scribcrs who have been requesting such inform- | 

 ation. 



Microscopes. — We have received from Mr. 

 Geo. Mead, Box !,(«;") Chicago, Ills., one of his 

 Novelty Microscopes. This instrument costs but 

 if2 and will do well enough to amuse little folks. 



ON OUB TABLE. 



A Glide to the Stidy oe Insects. — By A. 

 S. Packard, Jr., M. D., Salem, Naturalists' Book 

 Agency. Part X has been on our table for some 

 time. It is about twice as thick as any of the 

 preceding pai'ts, and is embellished with three 

 full-page plates. It contains an iiccount of the 

 Neuroptera, Arachiiida and Myriapoda, with 

 an Entomological Calender, Glossary and Index, 

 and completes the work. AVe have had all the 

 parts bound together, and they form a good 

 sized volume which will be found of great value 

 and assistance to students of Entomology. AVe 

 hope before long to tind time to give a short 

 review of the work as a whole. 



ItErOKT OF THE DEPARTMENT OE AcKICULTLKJ'; 



FOR 1868. — We might say much in favor of this 

 Report had we space. Many improvements 

 have been made since the Department has been 

 under the control of its present commissioner, 

 (Jolonel Capron. There are two Entomological 

 papers in the volume before us. The first is 

 the report of the Entomologist, Mr. Townend 

 Glover, and is entitled " The Food and Habits 

 of Beetles." It is an elaborate compilation, in- 

 terspersed with some original observations, and 

 is well illustrated. It will be found of value to 

 a certain class of individuals, but, as with all 

 such tabular papers, numerous errors have crept 

 in. The author is doubtless as fully aware of 

 this fact as any one. AV'e know that Mr. Glover 

 must have been greatly occupied with other 

 matters at the time this paper was being pre- 

 pared, and in no derogatory mood, therefore, 

 we suggest that any similar paper on the other 

 Orders that may be contemplated, would prove 

 far more valuable to the class of readers for 

 which the Report is intended, if the avowed in- 

 tention, stated in the preface, were more strictly 

 carried out, namely, to give the vulgar name by 

 which the insect is known, or should be known. 

 The tyro in reading and studying such a paper 

 would also be much less confused if the author's 

 name were invariably attached to the scienlitic 

 appellation of the insect. 



The other paper is entitled " Practical Ento- 

 mology for Farmers' Sons," and though anony- 

 mously inserted, we presume it was written by 

 Mr. C. R. Dodge. It is a well prepared paper, 

 giving correct instructions how to collect and 

 prepare insects. There is at present a great 

 demand for just such infonnation as is there 

 given, and the author would render good ser- 

 vice to farmers' sous by striking otl' a number 

 of separate copies, and transposing the head- 

 ings. 



