ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



43 



To witness the deadly effects of oil upon an insect, apply with a feather or camel's- 

 liair brush a drop of linseed oil to the body of a troublesome hornet or bumble-bee buzzing 

 in the window. The end comes quickly ! The oil is not taken into the stomach of the 

 insect, but is spread over its body, and clogs its breathing-pores, and the insect dies. 



The aphides left to run their course, at length give rise to a generation of winged 

 insects ; and these proceed to make the preliminary arrangements for the next year's 

 (round of aphidean gatherings and festivities. 



The aphides are named according to the plants they frequent. Thus we have : — 

 The aphis of the apple, A. mali, Fabricius. 



" " plum leaves, A. prunifolu, Fitch. 



" " currant, A. ribis, Linnaeus. 



" " cherry, Myzus cerasi, "^abricius. 



" cabbage, A. brassicce, Linnaeus, etc, etc. 



An easy way of smoking a house-plant is to turn an empty 

 flour barrel over it, at the same time inserting a suitable vessel 

 containing two or three pinches of tobacco and a small live coal. 

 The smoke will soon do its work. 



For the destruction of that troublesome insect the woolly 

 aphis or " American Blight " (Schizoneura lanigera, Hausmann) 

 (Fig. 7) which is found in white patches on the apple trees, the 

 use of a scrubbing brush with diluted soft soap is recommended. 

 By this means the insects are crushed and the tree cleansed at 

 the same time. The house plants may be freed from that trouble- 

 pest, the common mealy-bug (Daeiylopius adonidum, Linnaeus) 

 by more gentle treatment of like nature. 



The aphides have many natural foes. Among them are various kinds of lady-birds* 

 the lace-winged flies and syrphus flies, all of which are predaceous upon them — destroying 

 them from without ; and an aphidius which is parasitic, destroying them from within. 



Insects even more difficult to deal with than the aphides are the scale insects. The 

 scrubbing-brush and soft soap may be used for their discomfiture. All the insects that 

 we have yet considered work in the open air. There are others that live by suction, but 

 operate under ground. The most formidable of these is the Dog-day Harvest Bug, 

 Cicada canicularis, Harris. 



Fig. 8, 



I made acquaintance with this insect many years ago, in Montreal. I was walking 

 op Mountain Street, and, when near the top of it I saw a very seedy looking individual 



