97 

 NOTES FROM CORRESPONDENCE. 



Remedies against ants. — Mr. J. B. Blandy, of Funchal, Madeira, writes that 

 the following remedy is used in houses in Funchal against ants: Tartar emetic, 10 

 grams; white sugar, 100 grams; water, 1,000 grams. Mix the sugar and water well and 

 put on the fire until it boils, then let it cool, add the tartar emetic and dissolve it 

 equally. Set about in tins or other receptacles covered with wire netting for fear of 

 injuring cats or dogs. 



Mrs. Conklin, Perris, Cal., writes under date of October 27, 1900, that in her 

 experience an application of corrosive sublimate applied with a brush to the edges, 

 back, sides, and crevices of shelves in what is known as an adobe cool room, van- 

 ished ants for an entire season. Nests in gardens were destroyed with bisulphide of 

 carbon, as recommended by this Division in Bulletin No. 4, on household insects, 

 and Circular No. 34. 



A troublesome ant.— Mr. John F. Wielandy, a fruit grower of Santa Fe, N. Mex., 

 and an old correspondent of this Division, wrote under date of June 14, 1900, that a 

 red ant, known as Pogonomyrmex barbatus, specimens of which were inclosed, was a 

 most pugnacious and ill-natured insect; that its bite was far more painful to many 

 persons than the sting of a bee or hornet. It is locally known as lire ant, and has 

 never been known to foster aphids, as is the case with so many other species of ants. 



Migration of the Western willow fiea-beetle. — Concerning the flea-beetle, 

 Disonycha quinguevitlata, of which Mr. Herbert Brown, Yuma, Ariz., wrote some 

 months ago (see Bulletin No. 18, n. s., p. 100), our correspondent writes under date 

 of December 21, 1899, that these beetles were again observed migrating in that year, 

 this time coming down the Gila River and going in the direction of the 5 Colorado. 

 They moved November 3 and 4 in a belt apparently not more than 100 yards wide, 

 and continued doing so during the two days mentioned. When observed they were 

 usually flying about 4 feet above the earth and never more than about 20 feet high. 



The grapevine Fidia in Illinois. — Writing May 11, 1900, Mr. J. L. Lampe, jr., 

 Bloomington, McLean County, 111., states that the grapevine Fidia (Fidia viticida 

 Walsh. ) in his part of the State had done serious injury to vineyards. Damage was 

 attributed by many growers to the severe winter of 1898 to 1899, which they thought 

 killed the vines, but our correspondent was certain that this was a mistaken idea 

 and that the vineyards were in reality ruined by this beetle, as he had observed con- 

 ditions closely and had been in correspondence with Mr. F. M. Webster, of the Ohio 

 experiment station. What was left of his once fine vineyard he stated he would 

 experiment on with arsenate of lead, other insecticides seeming to have no effect. 



Beetles occurring about smelting works. — October 18, 1900, Mr. Carroll 

 Fowler, of the agricultural experiment station at Berkeley, Cal., sent specimens of 

 the Buprestid beetles, Melanophila longipes Say and M. computet Lee, with the accom- 

 panying information that they were reported to him to have been collected at Cala- 

 veras, Cal., September 2 of that year, in the immediate neighborhood of smelting 

 works. These beetles were said to rest frequently on the hot slag and appeared to 

 delight in the fumes of the smelting works. 



A snout-beetle injuring guava in Porto Rico. — Writing July 30, 1900, Mr. 

 J. W. Van Leenhoff sent specimens of the snout beetle Diaprepes abbreviatus with the 

 information that they were met with in considerable numbers attacking the young 

 plants of guava grown for shade, and according to report were attacking also young 

 coffee plants. The young plants of guava were eaten bare of their leaves. They 

 were kept in subjection by hand picking, the beetles as fast as caught being placed 

 in a wide-mouthed bottle and afterwards burned. 



This beetle is a rather striking species and plainly exotic from its appearance, not 

 being known to occur in the United States. It measures, with the short snout, 



4670— No 30—01 7 



