110 



and the sensation which followed was similar to that due to the bite of a mosquito, 

 but no inflammation took place. 



Tobacco as a remedy for grape leaf-hoppers. — Mr. Fred W. Card, Kingston, 

 E. I., writes October 19, 1901, that a Mr. Saunders found tobacco stems on the floor 

 of his grapery an effective remedy against grape "thrips" or leaf-hoppers (Typhlo- 

 cyba). Mr. Card also suggested that after thoroughly clearing out the leaves and 

 refuse during the fall the vines and houses should be thoroughly sprayed with kero- 

 sene emulsion. 



The use of harvest spiders in medicine. — A correspondent from South Caro- 

 lina sends us specimens of Liobunum formosum Wood, with the legs removed and the 

 bodies packed carefully in gelatine capsules, with the remark that he has found them 

 a sure cure for malarial fevers. 



Negro superstition in regard to stinging ants. — The negroes of Louisiana 

 have a superstition, an animistic belief in the little ant, which we call the bulldog 

 ant (Mutillid) for the reason that it is always running around hunting other insects, 

 that if they cook this in a piece of corn bread or mush and feed it to a young pup 

 that it will make a good hunting dog out of the pup. As a general thing, this has to 

 be done by some old hoodoo doctor. I went to work and did the thing myself, and 

 the results were not satisfactory. So I told him it didn't pan out, and he said: 

 " Well, that is because you didn't send for me. Give him to me, and I'll fix that 

 dog up." — E. S. Hallock, Washington, D. C. 



Successful infection of a wireworm with Cordyceps fungus. — July 6, 1902, 

 Mr. C. W. Nash, Toronto, Canada, wrote that he had been successful in infecting the 

 larva of an Elaterid beetle with a fungus disease, a species of Cordyceps. Somewhat 

 prior to the date of writing, larva? were noticed affected by this disease, and the 

 spores were confined with other larvae received from a distance, with the result that 

 several of these larva? were taken with the disease. Writing later, July 21, our 

 correspondent sent a specimen of infected wireworm which Mr. E. A. Schwarz has 

 identified as a species of Drasterius, and with little doubt dorsalis. This specimen 

 had the fungus growing from the side of the head. The fungus was described as 

 growing straight up until it reached the top of the jar in which it was confined. The 

 specimen sent measured between 4 and 4£ inches. 



Cutworm injury to ginseng. — Mr. George Adams, Detroit, Mich., writes in 

 regard to injury done by cutworms to 2,000 valuable ginseng plants {Aralia quinque- 

 folium). He states that they were all gnawed off at night, and that the plants were 

 vigorous and healthy until cut down. In Pulaski County, Mich., he states that gin- 

 seng seed is selling at from $5 an ounce to 8120 a pound, and that he had lost his 

 entire crop of seed for the year. 



The unicorn worm in a new role. — Under date of July 29, 1902, Mr. C. P. 

 Crowell, Rochester, X. Y., sent a specimen of the larva? of Schizura unicornis S. & A., 

 with report that it was devouring the leaves of plum in that vicinity, literally eat- 

 ing everything as it went, leaves and plant-lice included. This insect, as is well 

 known, is a rather general feeder on deciduous woody plants, but its habit of feeding 

 on Aphides has not been recorded to our knowledge. 



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