EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 287 



his work has been published. In the spring of 1897 E. W. Nelson and 

 E. A. Goldman made an expedition to the Tres Marias, and the results are 

 embodied in No. 14 of the Memoirs devoted to the North American Fauna 

 published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Washington. Mam- 

 mals, Birds, Reptiles, Crustacea, and Plants are described by Nelson, 

 Steineger, Rathburn, and Rose. The number of species of animals and 

 plants now known for the Tres Marias are 11 Land Mammals, 83 Birds, 

 18 Reptiles, 2 Fresh-water Fish, 1 Fresh-water Shrimp, and 6 Land 

 Molluscs. The plants enumerated are 136. The surprising result is in 

 the number of species peculiar to these islands, which are clearly continental 

 islands from the absence of a deep separating channel. Thus in species 

 and subspecies, 7 Mammals, 23 Birds, and 1 Reptile appear to be peculiar 

 to the islands. Mr. Nelson also adds a bibliography of the Tres Marias 

 Islands. 



America is still the head-quarters for Economic Entomology. We 

 have just received a lengthy and well-illustrated memoir published by the 

 University of Kansas, and forming the sixty-fifth contribution from the 

 Entomological Laboratory. It is entitled "Alfalfa, Grasshoppers, Bees; 

 their relationships," by S. J. Hunter. Melanoplus differential^ is the 

 destructive locust which is particularly referred to, and its anatomy is well 

 illustrated. " In alfalfa culture,if the Grasshopper proves an incentive to 

 proper cultivation, the insect is a blessing in disguise. Disking alfalfa 

 fields in the early spring, after the frost has left the ground, and before 

 vegetation has well started, increases the yield of the first crop one-third ; 

 matures the second crop earlier, and brings from it an equally increased 

 yield ; destroys the native Grasshopper eggs placed therein, and kills the 

 native grasses which frequently threaten to reclaim the field." 



The Royal Mail steamer ' Stola,' according to the * Aberdeen Journal,' 

 has just had the not unique experience of running down a Whale. The 

 steamer was on her passage on Wednesday, April 26th, between Stromness 

 and Scapa, in the Orkney Isles, when a violent shock was felt abreast of 

 Swanbister. Immediately afterwards a large Whale rose under her quarter 

 with a fearful gash in its body, and throwing up blood and water from its 

 blowhole to a height of fifteen feet. The ' Stola ' was steaming twelve knots, 

 and must have nearly cut the Whale in two. As the captain had the mails 

 on board he could not stop, but as long as the Whale was visible it was seen 

 to be lashing the water furiously. 



The 'Daily Chronicle's' Liverpool Correspondent says: — "A gem 

 of French colonial protectionist policy reaches me from Loango. The 



