The attacks of injurious insects in the United States are of course of great 

 interest to us in Canada, not only on account of our own liability to suffer from 

 the same species, but also from the benefits we derive directly from the labours and 

 experience of the large staff of trained economic entomologists at work in the 

 Union, who immediately investigate any new attack upon its first appearance. 

 Although from time to time there occur serious outbreaks of injurious insects, 

 most of these conform in their main characters to attacks which have already 

 been studied carefully, and for which remedies based upon broad, general principles 

 can be applied. Frequently, however, new pests appear and demand prompt 

 action, but concerning the habits and treatment of which nothing is known. An 

 outbreak of this nature which has not yet been observed in Canada, but which 

 has lately attracted much attention in the agricultural press, is by a small fly, 

 known as the Horn Fly, which is a fly belonging to the Stomoxis group of the 

 muscidae. The mature insect, which is about half the size of the ordinary house 

 fly, is very troublesome in worrying cattle in the pastures. The name of horn fly 

 has been given to this insect on account of a habit exhibited early in the season of 

 clustering in large numbers, when at rest, upon the horns of cattle, particularly at 

 night. During a recent visit to Washington I had an opportunity of accompany- 

 ing Mr. L. 0. Howard upon an expedition into Virginia, to investigate the habits 

 of this insect. We found it in large numbers upon cattle at Calverton, Virginia. 

 The animals were considerably reduced owing to the attacks of their innumerable 

 enemies, which worked their way down between the hairs and sucked their blood. 

 The bite of these flies seems to cause much irritation, for some of the cattle had 

 rubbed themselves against trees or licked themselves where bitten until they had 

 large bare, or even raw spots, in some instances, of several inches in extent. Mr. 

 Howard has succeeded in working out the complete life-history of this insect from 

 the time the egg is laid upon freshly dropped cow-dung to maturity. He finds 

 that the growth from the egg to the perfect insect is very rapid, only twelve days 

 being required for it to pass through all its stages from the time the egg is laid. 

 At page GO in Vol. II. of " Insect Life," an account of the work of this insect is 

 given, with the best remedies. These are : (1) thoroughly liming the droppings 

 in places where cattle preferably stand at night, so as to kill off the larvae, or (2) 

 remedies tor the protection of the animals from the attacks of the fly. Three 

 applications for this purpose are suggested. (I) Fish oil and pine-tar with a little 

 sulphur. (2) Tobacco dust when the skin is not broken. (3) Tallow and a small 

 amount of carbolic acid. The last application, it is stated, will have a healing 

 effect where sores have formed. This attack was first noticed on the coast in 

 New Jersey, where it has been studied by Prof. J. B. Smith, who has found the 

 tobacco dust the most successful remedy. From New Jersey the attack has 

 gradually spread through Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and North Virginia. 



Another attack by an insect hitherto unknown on this continent, is a serious 

 occurrence in Canada of the Mediterranean flour moth (JEpkestia Kuhniella),which 

 was probably introduce 1 from Europe in small numbers some two or three years 

 ago, and heinof unnoticed has been allowed to increase to such an extent that one 

 large mill has been actually obliged to shut down on account of the caterpillars 

 spinning their webs in the machinery and infesting the produce. This outbreak 

 of a serious pest which has been known to be the cause of much damage in Europe, 

 has caused much apprehension lest it should spread to our large mills, and means 

 are being taken in the city where the mill is located to stamp it out thoroughly. 

 The only literature upon this subject which I have been able to find, is the last 

 valuable report of our esteemed corresponding member, Miss E. A. Ormerod, who 

 details some occurrences of the insect in mills in England. The means there 

 adopted were, to clean and wash the mills as thoroughly as possible, and then to 



