28 
vert them all into ‘‘pools of death.” It must be remembered that the pools must 
contain stagnant water. 
The application of this means of exterminating the Tabanide may entirely free a 
locality from them, especially if the pools are prepared as soon as the insects appear 
and are maintained until their total disappearance. 
The habit of the Tabanide of taking up water in AS al and particularly from 
stagnant pools may have great importance in determining the part which they 
play in the matter of transmitting disease-producing principles ee into the 
blood of animals. 
Lastly, the ‘‘ pools of death” will enable the collection of Tabanide in large num- 
bers and so further the study of rare species and lead to the discovery of new ones. 
It must be added that though kerosene affects the color of the insects, the normal 
color is restored as soon as the kerosene volatilizes. A month after the insects had 
been taken from the ‘‘pool of death,” they did not differ in any particular from those 
that had been well preserved and caught on the flowers or while flying. 
In conclusion the author recommends the use of kerosene in combating Culex.as 
applied in the United States. 
Mr. Marlatt called attention to the great difficulty heretofore experi- 
rienced in attempting to deal with this class of insects. Their life his- 
tory had not offered a vulnerable point and Mr. Porchinski’s discovery 
would doubtless prove of practical value in*many parts of the United 
States. He referred to the abundance of Tabanids on the marshy shore 
strip, especially in New Jersey, and where the use of oil for the destruc- 
tion of these flies would be on the same basis as its use for the control 
of the mosquito pest already instituted in one or more localities. 
Mr. Osborn inquired concerning the probable limitations of the remedy, 
particularly if it would be applicabie to large bodies of water. 
Mr. Hopkins expressed the opinion that Tabanids would not be found 
frequenting bodies of water of the size of the Great Lakes. 
Mr. Scott spoke of the abundance of gadflies around small, stagnant 
pools in Georgia as offering good opportunities for experimentation. 
Mr. Webster announced the inability of the committee of which he 
was a member to arrange for a joint session with the Society for the 
Promotion of Agricultural Science. 
On motion of Mr. Johnson it was voted to invite the above society to 
meet with the Association on the afternoon of August 19. 
On motion of Mr. Johnson, it was voted to attend the meeting of the 
Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Science from 10 to 11 a. m. 
August 19. 
The following paper was then read: 
THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE CAPRIFIG EXPERIMENTS IN 
CALIFORNIA. 
By L. O. Howarp, Washington, D. C. 
As late as 1895 a writer in Garden and Forest (June 26) gave expres- 
sion to the following statements, which appear to accurately sum up 
