42 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIV. No. 337 



closed by the contents of the prehistoric " kitchen-middens," and 

 the social condition of the speakers of the Indo-European parent- 

 speech according to the sobered estimate of recent linguistic re- 

 search. The resemblance is certainly very striking ; though, on 

 the other hand, it cannot be denied that archseological science is 

 still in its infancy, and that Dr. Penka too often assumes that a 

 word common to the European languages belonged to the parent- 

 speech, — an assumption which will not, of course, be admitted by 

 his opponents. 



What more nearly concerns us here, however, is the name we 

 should give to the race or people who spoke the parent-language. 

 We cannot call them " Indo-Europeans : " that would lead to end- 

 less ambiguities, while the term itself has already been appropriated 

 in a linguistic sense. Dr. Penka has called them " Aryans," and I 

 can see no better title with which to endow them. The name is 

 short ; it has already been used in an ethnological as well as in a 

 linguistic sense; and. since our German friends have rejected it in 

 its linguistic application, it is open to every one to confine it to a 

 purely ethnological meaning. I know that the author has protested 

 against such an application of the term ; but it is not the first time 

 that a father has been robbed of his offspring, and he cannot ob- 

 ject to the robbery when it is committed m the cause of science. 

 For some time past the name of " Aryan " has been without a 

 definition, while the first speakers of the Indo-European parent- 

 speech have been vainly demanding a name ; and the priests of 

 anthropology cannot do better than lead them to the font of 

 science, and there baptize them with the name of " Aryan." 



A. H. Sayce. 



THE GRAIN PLANT-LOUSE. 



The present season is characterized by one of those widespread 

 and very damaging insect-invasions that are so discouraging to the 

 farmer, this time an onslaught on the wheat-crop by the grain 

 Aphis or plant-louse, Aphis avence. This louse attacks wheat, 

 barley, oats, and rye, and is to be found in small numbers on 

 these grains every year. This year occurs one of those terrible 

 attacks that seem to threaten very serious loss, extending from 

 Ohio west to Indiana, and north to Grand Rapids, Mich. So 

 abundant are these lice, that they have attracted wide attention 

 and awakened serious alarm. For the last two weeks in June Mr. 

 A. J. Cook, of the Agricultural College of Michigan, received daily 

 numerous specimens of these lice with the inquiry, " What is to be 

 the outcome of this attack } " 



This is not the first season that this Aphis aveiia has come like 

 a destroying flood upon the grain-fields. In 1861 the lice swarmed 

 upon the cereal crops of New England and New York, at which 

 time Dr. Asa Fitch fully described it in his sixth report. In 1866, 

 and again ten years later, it did great damage in various sections 

 of the West. We see, then, that this louse does not come yearly, 

 but only at long intervals. Why is this ? It is doubtless owing in 

 some measure to the weather, but more to its insect enemies. Its 

 enormous prolificness would make it as the sands of the seashore 

 every year, except that some natural agent held it in check. Fitch 

 describes three such enemies. Even now, as we visit the oat and 

 wheat fields, we find many forms different from any previously de- 

 scribed. These have short, rounded bodies, which are of a dirty- 

 white color. The cause of this is that these are attacked by 

 parasites, which are eating them up. These little benefactors are 

 now busily engaged in the fields, laying the eggs that will destroy 

 the lice. These minute parasitic insects lay a great many eggs, 

 one in each louse, and their presence and prosperity mark the 

 doom of the lice. Thus through the agency of these minute 

 parasitic forms, aided by climatic influences, we are to be saved 

 from a raid by this grain Aphis next year, and will be greatly 

 benefited this year. Indeed, in some cases, these little friends will 

 very likely save us from serious damage. Why the parasites are 

 not able to come successfully to the rescue each year is still un- 

 known. Dry weather is a great promoter of insect productive- 

 ness. It is more than probable that the exceeding drought of 

 1887, 1888, and of the April and May just past, together with 

 the mild winter of 1888 -1889, have had much to do with the 

 present invasion. We might expect much aid from the frequent 



June rains, but they were perhaps too late. Observation shows 

 that the lice are more than holding their own : so we may conclude' 

 that the warm rains are not greatly depleting their ranks. 



Where the lice are very numerous, as they seem to be over a 

 widespread area of our country, they must do great injury. Where 

 ten or twelve lice are collected about a single kernel of wheat, 

 there is little hope for that kernel. Mr. Cook has counted one- 

 hundred and sixty lice on a single head of wheat. It is hoping 

 too much of the little parasitic flies to expect them to save the 

 present crop. We can but expect much injury, especially where 

 the lice are in such countless numbers as are now seen in many of 

 the wheat-fields of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. 



The excellent specific against plant-louse ravages, the kerosene 

 and soap mixture, cannot be used without much injury to the 

 crop. To apply it might be like the jump from frying-pan to fire. 

 Again : the lice are so protected by the close cluster of the kernels, 

 that very likely the remedy vifould not be fully effective. 



The name " green midge," which is going the rounds of the 

 papers, is very incorrect, and should not be used. The Hessian- 

 fly and wheat-midge are very different insects. These midges are 

 two-winged flies, whose larva are footless maggots. They belong 

 to the great two-winged fly order, Dip/era, while these are plant- 

 lice or Aphides, and belong to the order of bugs, or Hemiptera.. 

 Let all speak of this as the grain Aphis, or plant-louse, and not as 

 the green midge, which is entirely wrong, as they are not always, 

 even green in color. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 

 A SPECIAL limited Pullman train with dining and composite* 

 cars will leave the foot of Chambers Street, New York, via the 

 Erie Railroad, on Monday, Aug. 5, at 9 o'clock A.M., for the ac- 

 commodation of the members of the National Electric Light Asso- 

 ciation and their friends, who will attend the convention at Niagara 

 Falls, Aug. 6, 7, and 8. One car will be reserved for gentlemen 

 accompanied by ladies. Tickets on this train, including Pullman 

 service, will cost ten dollars each. Return tickets (to be obtained 

 at Niagara Falls), including Pullman service, will cost four dollars 

 and sixty cents each. As the cost of this train must be guaranteed 

 the road, all members are urged to remit ten dollars to the secre- 

 tary at the earliest possible moment, for which they will receive their 

 railway-tickets and Pullman seat-checks by return mail. Tickets 

 may also be obtained at the offices of the Electrical Review, 13 

 Park Row, and the Electrical World, Times Building. 



— The Boston Herald says that " some figures presented at the 

 meeting of the United States Brewers' Association show a won- 

 derful growth of the business during the last twenty-five years. 

 For instance, receipts of the government from the internal revenue 

 tax on fermented liquors amounted to about $1,500,000 in 1863, 

 when the tax was first imposed. In 1866 the figures rose to 

 $5,000,000; in 1879, to $10,000,000; in 1882, to $15,000,000; and 

 last year the tax amounted to $23,000,000. The quantity increased 

 in the same ratio from 2,000,000 barrels in 1863 to over 24,000,000 

 in 1888. At this rate of growth, it is small wonder that English- 

 men think they see a chance of making money by buying up 

 American breweries." 



— The San Franciscci Chronicle says that " some of the New 

 York dealers in California wines assert that the reason why the 

 price of our wines in the East is so low is that growers dump 

 quantities of sick wine on the market, and spoil the tone of the 

 California product. They say that the grower sends on several 

 hundred barrels of wine, which arrives in New York sick with the 

 voyage, if not altogether sour, necessitating rest and new barrels 

 before it is salable at all. These dealers go on to say, ' Perhaps 

 the grower has no warehouse, no time to wait, no change of 

 cooperage, no other wine to mix with : therefore he puts his wine 

 on the market at a ridiculous price below what cooperage, freight,, 

 and insurance cost. He makes no money, and the buyer is dis- 

 gusted with California wine." " 



— The French minister of commerce has appointed a committee 

 for the purpose of organizing an international photographic con- 

 gress to be held during the Paris Exhibition. The committee,, 

 headed by the well-known astronomer, Professor Janssen, have 



