150 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
ill founded. We have just received the first Report, which extends 
to nineteen pages, and clearly shows that the venture has by no 
means been unsuccessful. Miss E. A. Ormerod, the author, herself 
tells us “ the request has been responded to far more cordially than 
could have been expected.” 
It is said that Economic Entomology is to a certain extent a 
useless work in this country, from the immunity we enjoy from 
the attacks of noxious or hurtful insects. Certainly in this respect 
we are not afflicted to the same extent as many other countries. 
We have not the “hoppers” or “tater-bugs” of our American 
friends, nor is a great industry threatened, as is vine culture to our 
continental neighbours through the ravages of the Phyllozxera. 
But we know from experience and hearsay that great damage is 
wrought to many of our products by the effect of insect “ blights.” 
The removal or abatement of these losses seems to be the aim of 
these ‘ Notes,’ and we can only wish that, as the work seems to 
have been so well taken up by competent observers in such varied 
localities, it may eventually lead to good results. To show its 
practical bearings, we cannot do better than quote the Report 
itself, the second paragraph of which runs as follows: — 
‘“Whether much or little, those who will give the benefit of their 
knowledge in diminishing the great yearly loss from insect waste are doing 
good service to the country; and this first year’s return shows how much 
may be gained by continuing the observations for the time which would 
be requisite to form fairly complete notes of treatment found successful 
generally, with the modifications required by each year's peculiar weather, 
or by soils and climates varying as widely as the range from Banff to South 
Devon.” 
The details of the Report need not be specified here further 
than to say that information has been received respecting fifteen of 
the sixteen insects specially recommended to be observed. ‘The 
species unobserved is the Corn Sawfly (Cephus pygmeus). Of 
those mentioned the first eight are the most important, viz.:—The 
Turnip Fly (which, by the bye, seems to be a little beetle), Onion 
Fly, Carrot Fly, Cabbage Moth, Cabbage Butterfly, Wireworm, 
Celery or Parsnip Fly, and Turnip Sawfly. The remaining eight 
appear to be a somewhat miscellaneous collection, but in it are 
contained two notable species—(1) the Wheat Midge or Red 
Maggot (Cectdomyta tritici), that very destructive little gnat 
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