Notes anp News 123 
and that was a specimen sent me for identification as 
the host of some rust. Fern foliage is sometimes dis- 
figured by desultory ravages of insects but rarely if ever 
to the serious injury of the fern plant. For this reason 
the discovery of two insects which may cause serious 
injury to ferns is worth recording as warning. 
The Florida fern moth as it is sometimes called 
(Ereopus Floridensis) has gained entrance to some 
northern greenhouses. In one large establishment, it 
threatened to destroy at least as far as salability was 
concerned the entire stock of Nephrolepis varieties. 
The damage is due to the depredations of the larvae 
Which are green, brown and black caterpillars, from 
34 to 114 inches long, and which feed on the fern leaves. 
The imago is an active nocturnal yellowish moth which 
remains carefully hidden by day. The pest was finally 
destroyed by the use of pyrethrum powder, the basis of 
Most ordinary insect powders. This was applied by 
dusting about at the close of the day and was especially 
effective when all ventilation was stopped. Pyrethrum 
Owes its effectiveness to a volatile constituent. The 
Powder as purchasable varies considerably in quality, 
due partly to adulteration with related plants and 
Partly to the use of less active portions of the pyrethrum 
Plant. The partly opened flowers are best. This same 
Pest attacked hardy outside ferns, especially varieties of 
Athyrium during July and August, but were finally got 
"id of by using a spray consisting of 14 oz. fish oil, soap, 
and 1 teaspoonful dry arsenate of lead to one gallon of 
Water, applied by very fine spray in the evening. 
The second fern pest has not reached the United 
States as yet, but has begun to do serious damage both 
to Sreenhouse and hardy ferns in Great Britain. My 
information is taken from a recent number (June, 1917) 
of the British Fern Gazette in which the experiences of 
Several fern growers are detailed. The pest is a small 
beetle, Syragrius intrudens, probably of Australian or- 
