364 
and a host of others. Why should not the same process take place 
with insects? In California everyone knows the "leery a," and in the 
South many cotton planters know the " Aletia." In the latter case, 
however, the term cotton caterpillar or cotton worm had come into pre- 
vious use, and there is really no necessity for the adoption of Aletia. 
Professor Riley, when he began the publication of his reports on the 
insects of Missouri, obviously appreciated the importance of this ques- 
tion of popular names very strongly. He saw the desirability of the 
restriction of a single popular name to a single species of insect, and 
wherever confusion existed, he made an effort to reduce the confusion 
by the suggestion of new names for all but one of the species concerned. 
His names for the commoner of our cutworms, for example, were good 
and descriptive. The greasy cutworm; the glassy cutworm; the speckled 
cutworm, are very good, popular terms. We commend the question, as 
a whole, to the serious consideration of all persons who are writing 
upon entomological subjects for the benefit of farmers. 
Australian Ladybirds in the East. — Through the kindness of Mr. J. F. 
Mclntyre, of Fillmore, Cal., we have received a sending of Ehizobins 
centralis, one of the Australian ladybirds sent over by Mr. Koebele on 
his second Australian trip. The insects were packed in a tin box con- 
taining living specimens of Lecanium olece for food on the journey. On 
arrival in Washington they were found to be in excellent condition, 
only one having died. They were liberated a few days later on purple- 
leaf plum trees in the grounds of the Department of Agriculture 
which bore upon their branches many specimens of a species of Leca- 
nium. The ladybirds made themselves at home at once, and one indi- 
vidual was observed to begin feeding immediately upon a half-grown 
Lecanium. There were two larvae and several pupa3 in the box, 
which gives hope that the species will breed, the carriage of adults 
being sometimes disappointing from the fact that they may have laid 
all their eggs before having been collected. 
Credit for Divisional Observations.— We have had frequent occasion in 
the pages of the present volume of Insect Life to refer to the " notes 
of the Division" or the " notes of the office." In all such cases it must 
be remembered that Professor Riley was in charge of the office from 
June, 1878, to May, 1879; that Prof. J. H. Comstock was chief ento- 
mologist from May, 1879, to June, 1881 ; and that Professor Riley at that 
time resumed charge, remaining the chief officer of the division until 
June 1, 1894, when he resigned. As a result the office notes were accu- 
mulated under the direction of the individuals named for the periods 
mentioned. References to notes in Insect Life have always been 
accompanied by dates, so that the reader of this paragraph will readily 
be able to give personal credit, if he desires to do so. 
