120 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



Household Insects, (U.S. Bulletin No. 4. New Series.) 



During the year 1896 several most useful publications were issued from the United 

 States Division of Entomology under the direction of Dr. L. 0. Howard. Of particular 

 interest to the general public was Bulletin No. 4, entitled " The Principal Household 

 Insects of the United States." The main part of the volume is prepared by Dr. How- 

 ard and his assistant Mr. C. L. Marlatt, and at the end is a chapter by Mr. F. H. Chit- 

 tenden on " Insects affecting cereals and other dry vegetable foods." To entomologist?, 

 who know the literary and scientific work of these gentlemen, it is only necessary to say 

 that this volume is up to, or perhaps even a little above, the usual excellent standard of 

 the papers issued from the U.S. Division of Entomology at Washington. A very few 

 minutes' examination of the different articles in Bulletin 4 will convince anyone of the 

 extreme value of this concise, practical treatise on all the commoner insects which are 

 likely to be found troublesome inside houses. It is almost impossible for one who has 

 made a specialty of entomology to speak in moderate terms of these publications. There 

 is nothing to compare with them published in any other country. When we consider 

 the matter treated of, and the practical way in which it is presented, the manifest care 

 to secure accuracy of statement, the exquisite work of the artist as well as the arrange- 

 ment and general get-up of the pamphlet, one is tempted to use so many superlatives 

 that any opinion expressed might be thought to be unduly biassed. 



A special feature of value in this publication is that it is entirely made up of original 

 American observations, most of them prosecuted in the Division of Entomology, and, as 

 is pointed out by Dr. Howard in the introduction, the very curious but not unexpected 

 condition of affairs was shown in the preparation of this bulletin that of some of our 

 commonest insects the life history is not known with any degree of exactness. The insects 

 treated of are such as are found in houses and which either annoy the occupants by their 

 direct attacks or are injurious to household goods and provisions. These are described in 

 eight separate chapters. J. F. 



Miss Ormerod's Twentieth Annual Report, 1896. 



One of the pleasantest events of the year for the economic entomologist is the 

 arrival of Miss Ormerod's Annual Report. The liberality with which the distinguished 

 authoress distributes these treasuries to students and public institutions all over the 

 world brings them within the reach of all who may wish to profit by their perusal.* 



It is seldom that any series of publications upon a single subject can show year after 

 year such a steadily maintained, and even gradually increased, interest, as has been the 

 case with these reports — new infestations of crops are being constantly investigated, old 

 attacks restudied, and additions made to the previously recorded methods of treatment or 

 prevention. It matters little in what part of the world a student may be located, he 

 will always find something of value which may be profitably applied to his special work 

 in fighting against the crop pests of his own country. The present report is no excep- 

 tion to the general rule. We congratulate our highly esteemed corresponding member 

 on the practical and serviceable manner in which the subjects she treats of are pre- 

 sented to the public. As a writer in the Queen newspaper of late date says, " Miss 

 Ormerod's work does not consist in playing with entomology, but is true, valuable, 

 practical, scientific observation, and she enjoys the proud privilege of being regarded as 

 one of the most reliable scientific observers." 



On opening the report one is sadly reminded by the frontispiece, an excellent like- 

 ness of the late Miss Georgiana E. Ormerod, of the irreparable loss the authoress has 

 suffered in the recent death of her much loved and highly talented sister, who has 

 been her life long companion and able assistant in the grand work she has done for 

 economic entomology in England. The late Miss Ormerod was a naturalist of no mean 



*These repoi ts are also for sale by the publishers, Simpkin, Marshall & Co., London, at the almost 

 nominal price of Is. 6d. 



