351 



discovered a cure for rheuinatism in the sting of a bee. Those who 

 have hands which refuse to catch hokl of a thing properly through that 

 painful disease, listen. He says he has tried his remedy upon 173 pa- 

 tients and been unifonnlv successful. As we have no means of cotitra- 

 dieting him, his word must be accepted till we can disprove it. Hear 

 •ye, therefore, the words of the learned doctor. Herr Tere says, to the 

 above 173 patients he applied 39,00!) stings. The number seems to us 

 rather appalling, but the doctor endeavors to inspire courage by saying 

 that after the first sting the pain is felt less and less, till at last it is 

 gone. When the pain of the sting is gone the rheumatism departs 

 with it. Though I have had no experience of rheumatism, and there- 

 fore no need of cure, I can vouch for the pain getting less and less, 

 after each sting, in my own case. Before dismissing the subject we 

 might say that we have frequently heard cottagers, who have had 

 rheumatism, and been stung accidentally, say that as the pain of the 

 sting subsided, so did the rheumatism follow suit." — [ W. Ghitty. — Gar- 

 deners' Chronicle, jMarch 30, 1889, Yol. V, p. 401. 



THE BLACKBIRD AND THE BOLL WORM. 



We learn from the April number of the American Garden that Secre- 

 tary^ Bonham, of Ohio, on learning, a few years ago, that the Blackbirds 

 were destroying the green-corn ears, and that his neighbors were all 

 shooting the birds, investigated the matter, and found that wherever 

 the Blackbirds had been at the corn they had extracted a Boll Worm. 

 He thereupon told his hired man that the neighbors could drive all the 

 Blackbirds over into his corn-field if they wanted to ! This is an inter- 

 esting experience, but was the evidence sufficient, the observations 

 detailed enough, or the possibilities of error sufficiently guarded against 

 to make it thoroughly reliable '? 



SWARMS OF A GNAT IN IOWA. 



We learn from the Daily Gate Citi/, of Keokuk, Iowa, March 28, 1889, 

 that immense swarms of the little gnat known as Chironomus nigricans 

 ai)peared in that vicinity within the few days previous, coming from the 

 Mississippi and forming in the air in immense clouds, covering every- 

 thing with which they come in contact. 



NEW REMEDY FOR STRIPED BUGS. 



Yields Magazine states that a little calomel mixed with flour or ashes 

 sprinkled on encumber or squash vines will keep them comparatively 

 free from this insect. 



THE EUROPExVN RIBBON-FOOTED CORN-FLY. 



We notice in the Rural JS'ew Yorker of April 13, under the head of 

 '* A New Insect Pest," an account of the damage done Barley and Rye 

 by Chlorops Ueniopus—thQ common Ribbon footed Corn-fly of Europe — 



