﻿455 
  

  

  rule 
  can 
  be 
  laid 
  down 
  on 
  this 
  matter, 
  as 
  this 
  varies 
  with 
  the 
  climate, 
  

   the 
  plant 
  and 
  the 
  insect 
  to 
  be 
  destroyed. 
  On 
  an 
  average 
  a 
  4 
  per 
  cent, 
  

   solution 
  will 
  not 
  harm 
  the 
  foliage 
  of 
  non-deciduous 
  trees, 
  even 
  at 
  the 
  

   period 
  of 
  active 
  growth, 
  while 
  6-8 
  per 
  cent, 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  without 
  

   danger 
  during 
  the 
  resting 
  period 
  ; 
  for 
  deciduous 
  trees 
  8 
  per 
  cent, 
  and 
  

   more 
  may 
  be 
  safely 
  used 
  after 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  the 
  leaves. 
  The 
  author 
  gives 
  

   an 
  example 
  of 
  his 
  own 
  experiences 
  with 
  the 
  lime-sulphur 
  spray 
  on 
  

   tangerine 
  trees 
  at 
  Mentone 
  ; 
  the 
  trees 
  were 
  infested 
  with 
  Ceroplastes 
  

   sinensis, 
  and 
  were 
  treated 
  unsuccessfully 
  in 
  February 
  with 
  a 
  4 
  per 
  cent, 
  

   solution. 
  A 
  month 
  later 
  the 
  same 
  trees 
  were 
  treated 
  with 
  an 
  8 
  per 
  

   cent, 
  spray, 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  insects 
  were 
  destroyed, 
  but 
  the 
  foliage 
  was 
  also 
  

   damaged. 
  An 
  intermediate 
  strength 
  of 
  6-7 
  per 
  cent, 
  would 
  have 
  

   possibly 
  given 
  equally 
  good 
  results 
  with 
  less 
  damage 
  to 
  the 
  trees. 
  

  

  SiRRiNE 
  (F. 
  A.) 
  & 
  Fulton 
  (B. 
  B.). 
  The 
  Cranberry 
  Toad-bug.— 
  lYew; 
  

   York 
  Agric. 
  Expt. 
  Sta., 
  Geneva, 
  Bull. 
  no. 
  377, 
  March 
  1914, 
  

   pp. 
  91-112, 
  4 
  figs., 
  8 
  pis. 
  

  

  The 
  Homopterous 
  insect, 
  Phylloscelis 
  atra, 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  

   family 
  Fulgoridae, 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  previously 
  recorded 
  as 
  in- 
  

   jurious 
  to 
  cranberries. 
  EarHer 
  accounts 
  show 
  that 
  this 
  insect 
  was 
  

   described 
  from 
  migrants 
  collected 
  on 
  plants 
  other 
  than 
  cranberry 
  

   and 
  no 
  economic 
  importance 
  was 
  attached 
  to 
  it. 
  The 
  cranberry 
  

   growers 
  on 
  Long 
  Island 
  have 
  been 
  troubled 
  by 
  a 
  pecuHar 
  withering 
  

   of 
  the 
  new 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  vines, 
  which 
  the 
  authors, 
  after 
  inspecting 
  a 
  

   cranberry 
  bog 
  at 
  Calverton 
  in 
  July 
  1912, 
  diagnosed 
  as 
  being 
  caused 
  by 
  

   this 
  insect. 
  It 
  apparently 
  feeds 
  only 
  on 
  the 
  cranberry 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  

   widely 
  distributed, 
  many 
  bogs 
  being 
  free 
  ; 
  on 
  two 
  Long 
  Island 
  bogs 
  

   the 
  crop 
  of 
  fruit 
  has 
  been 
  reduced 
  from 
  50 
  to 
  75 
  per 
  cent, 
  during 
  the 
  

   past 
  three 
  years. 
  Statistics 
  are 
  given 
  showing 
  the 
  decreasing 
  output, 
  

   with 
  a 
  marked 
  increase 
  after 
  treatment. 
  A 
  detailed 
  description 
  of 
  

   the 
  egg, 
  the 
  5 
  instars 
  of 
  the 
  nymph 
  and 
  the 
  adult 
  stage 
  is 
  given. 
  The 
  

   life-history 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  was 
  followed 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  and 
  in 
  breeding 
  

   cages 
  until 
  adults 
  were 
  obtained, 
  which 
  were 
  identified 
  by 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  P. 
  

   Van 
  Duzee. 
  Under 
  natural 
  conditions 
  the 
  insect 
  baffled 
  all 
  attempts 
  

   to 
  study 
  its 
  habits 
  during 
  the 
  egg-laying 
  period, 
  but 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  

   breeding 
  cages 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  deposited 
  from 
  September 
  

   1st 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  October. 
  During 
  this 
  period 
  the 
  females 
  were 
  

   constantly 
  dropping 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  running 
  over 
  it 
  to 
  another 
  

   branch 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  or 
  another 
  plant, 
  dragging 
  an 
  egg 
  by 
  its 
  stalked 
  end, 
  

   so 
  that 
  small 
  particles 
  of 
  sand 
  adhered 
  to 
  it, 
  often 
  completely 
  covering 
  

   it. 
  The 
  egg 
  was 
  usually 
  lost 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  the 
  particles 
  of 
  sand 
  

   undoubtedly 
  help 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  eggs 
  floating 
  when 
  the 
  bogs 
  are 
  

   flooded 
  as 
  they 
  usually 
  are 
  between 
  mid-November 
  and 
  1st 
  May. 
  So 
  far 
  

   as 
  was 
  observed, 
  no 
  eggs 
  hatched 
  until 
  25th-30th 
  Jmie, 
  nymphs 
  being 
  

   found 
  on 
  29th 
  Jime 
  ; 
  while 
  observations 
  after 
  flooding, 
  detailed 
  below, 
  

   indicate 
  that 
  a 
  large 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  hatch 
  after 
  15th 
  July. 
  When 
  

   hatched 
  the 
  young 
  nymphs 
  crawl 
  up 
  the 
  vines, 
  insert 
  their 
  beaks 
  

   into 
  the 
  bark 
  and 
  begin 
  to 
  feed 
  : 
  they 
  are 
  usually 
  found 
  in 
  groups 
  of 
  

   2 
  to 
  6. 
  After 
  the 
  3rd 
  or 
  4th 
  moults 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  more 
  active 
  and 
  are 
  

   more 
  frequently 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  new 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  vines. 
  As 
  the 
  

   nymphs 
  grow 
  they 
  secrete 
  a 
  pulverulent, 
  cottony 
  substance, 
  so 
  that 
  

   the 
  body 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  covered 
  with 
  tufts 
  of 
  white 
  hairs 
  : 
  these 
  break 
  

  

  