SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



135 



The Canadian Entomologist (London, 

 Ontario; June, 1895). The subject of beetles 

 inhabiting Canada, is treated in three articles, that 

 dealing with Notes on Collecting and Names New to the 

 Canadian List, by J. Alston Moffat, and another by 

 Mr. John D. Evans on Coleoptera of the Sudbury 

 District, are contributions to local faunas. The 

 tenth article is reached by Mr. H. F. Wickham on 

 The Coleoptera of Canada, which is illustrated ; it 

 includes part of the Dytiscidas. 



American Philosophical Society's Proceed- 

 ings (Nos. 143 and 145, 1894). The first of these 

 parts contains an account of the "Proceedings" 

 commemorative of the 150th anniversary of the 

 foundation of this society. Among the papers 

 printed in this volume are Tertiary Tipulidcc, by 

 Professor S. H. Scudder ; The Transformations' and 

 Anatomy of Lagoa Crispata, a Bombycine Moth. In 

 No. 145, Mr. R. M. Bache writes on The Secret of 

 Broivnian Movements, describing some of his experi- 

 ments on the movements of particles in aqueous 

 suspension, and Professor E. D. Cope writes on 

 The Lungs of the Ophidia, illustrated by several 

 drawings. 



La Nature (Paris, May 25th, June 1st, 8th, 

 and 15th, 1S94). In the issue for May 25th, is an 

 article by H. Deheram on Sarcopsylla penetrans, 

 commonly known as the jigger, an African flea, 

 which makes itself very obnoxious to man. M. G. 

 Pellissier writes on The Origin of Kites and their 

 Application to Military A rts. The inventor of the first 

 kite was probably the Chinese general Han-Sin, 

 who flourished b.c. 206. The " Photautographe," 

 an invention of M. Ferrer for taking automatic 

 photographs is described, and in the same number 

 M. Ch Brongniart brings to a close his series of 

 articles on Fossil Insects of Primary Times. In the 

 issue for June 1st, M. Fraissinet described the work 

 of the Observatory of Paris. M. Oustalet writes on 

 Some New Birds of Paradise recently discovered in Neio 

 Guinea. Another article deals with the scientific 

 balloon expedition, which will take place during 

 the Paris Exhibition of 1900. In the issue for June 

 8th, a description is given of the Observatory of 

 the Vatican. M. Bourdariat writes on The Reneived 

 Activity of Vesuvius. In the issue for June 15th, 

 M. Villon writes on The Production of Artificial 

 Alcohol. Mr. Ord's article in this number of 

 Science-Gossip (ante page 117) does not mention 

 the discovery of synthetic alcohol a little 

 while ago by M. Berthelot, the great French 

 chemist. Now that Professor Lewis has 

 shown us how to produce acetylene both quickly 

 and cheaply (see Science-Gossip, N.S., vol. 1, 

 page 278), it is expected that artificial alcohol may 

 be produced with the aid of acetylene in our 

 laboratories, and that this alcohol, which will be 

 considerably purer than ordinary alcohol, may 

 supersede the latter. An interesting article appears 

 in this number on The Flying Powers of Carrier 

 Pigeons, with particular reference to the possibility 

 of their conveying information as to shipwrecks. 



Natur.e Novitates. (Berlin: Friedliinder and 

 Sohn. January, February, and March.) This 

 useful compilation is published once a fortnight, 

 and includes titles and particulars of literature of 

 all nations on Natural History and the Exact 

 Sciences. The price is four shillings per annum 

 including postage. 



Reports of Observation and Experiments 

 in the Division of Entomology. (Washington, 

 1894.) This is Bulletin No. 32 of the department, 

 and contains several articles on Economic Entomo- 

 logy. One on Insects Injurious to Forest Trees is 

 by Mr. A. S. Packard ; this is encouraging as 

 regards the ravages in certain regions in the 

 State of Maine, of insects among the spruce 

 forests. Other reports of interest are printed from 

 various States. 



Insect Life. (Washington: Government Print- 

 ing Office. Vol. vii., parts 2, 3 and 4. (1S94-5.) 

 This is the well-known organ of the Division of 

 Entomology of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

 It is now edited, since the retirement of Professor 

 Riley, by the Government Entomologist, Mr. L. O. 

 Howard, with the assistance of the other members 



. of the Divisional Force. " Insect Life " is almost 

 entirely devoted to Economic Entomology and the 

 bearing of insects upon mankind, whether from 

 the point of view of usefulness or otherwise. Part 2 

 has 150 pages occupied entirely with a report on 



. the Sixth Meeting of the Association of Economic 

 Entomologists, held at Brooklyn, in August last, 

 the attendance being twenty-five persons. There 

 are reprints of some of the papers read on that 

 occasion. One of the most interesting is by Mr. 

 L. O. Howard, on The Rise and Present Condition of 

 Official Economic Entomology. He describes the 

 first meeting of this now important association, 

 which was held in 1889, nominally at Toronto, but 

 really " upon a wooded knoll at a landing called 

 Scarborough Heights, overlooking the waters of 

 Lake Erie. Professor Cook, who presided, occupied 

 a dignified position astride a fallen log. Professor 

 Smith, who acted as secretary, had climbed with 

 difficulty to the top of a tall stump and took his 

 minutes on his knee." The commencement of the 

 acknowledgment for services of an entomologist to 

 the State, in America at least, appears to have been 

 so recent as 1S42, Dr. Thaddeus William Harris 

 being the recipient between that period and 1852 of 

 the sum of #175, from the State of Massachusetts. 

 Still it was the beginning of what is now a model 

 institution at Washington, with independent 

 branches in many of the States ; a model which 

 might well be followed in this or other European 

 country. The new era in this work commenced, 

 really with the appointment, in 1S78, as Government 

 Entomologist, of Professor C. V. Riley, who, with 

 an interval caused by change of administration, 

 until last year guided so successfully the investiga- 

 tions. During that period Professor Riley 

 published twelve annual reports, thirty-one bulle- 

 tins, two special reports, six volumes of "Insect 

 Life," and a large number of circulars of informa- 

 tion. Altogether Mr. Howard's paper is admirable 

 and one from which a starting point may be made 

 by those who desire to take up the important study 

 of Economic Entomology. In No. 3 is an illustrated 

 article on The Maple Pseudococcus, by Mr. Howard, 

 which is practically its life-history. It, Pseudococcus 

 aceris, occurs in England, and was noticed by 

 Mr. J. W. Douglas, in May, 1889, in crevices on the 

 stems of lime trees. 



