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The New Zealand Latrodectus. 



I take great interest in reading the periodical bulletin on " Insect Life." In Vol. I, 

 No. 7, January, 1889, 1 read an account of the spider called L. mactans, the description 

 of which tallies with a spider I used frequently to see in New Zealand, North Island. 

 I see that in your bulletin it is described as black with vermilion spot on abdomen. 

 During my stay in the above country I saw many of these spiders, some black with 

 a red triangular spot on back and some black with a yellow spot on back of same 

 shape. Whether these are of the same species I am unable to say, but they frequented 

 the same places, mostly banks of rivers, and were especially numerous on the banks 

 of the Wauganui River. The Maoris told me that their bite was not fatal, but very 

 painful. I knew of a case where a Maori was carrying wood from the river to his 

 " whare ", situated on the banks. He got bitten by one of these spotted spiders that 

 was concealed in the wood— was bitten in the hand— and during the night the arm 

 was paralyzed to the shoulder. Whisky applied externally and internally effected 

 a cure. It is said that the pain is felt for weeks after, with perhaps a month or so 

 of no pain between. I have mentioned these facts because I did not see in your bul- 

 letin any account of a yellow spotted L. mactans.— [C. Herberte Riley, Gabriella.Fla., 

 April 27, 1889. 



Chinch Bug Remedies. 



In complying with your request, I will state that as early in the spring as the 

 warmth of the season will permit the Chinch Bugs come out of their winter quarters 

 and resort to their natural place of ravages, the wheat fields. They first gather in 

 groups and burrow into the soil among the roots of the wheat, clearing the soil from 

 around them and leaving a top crust. There they cohabit, and from the 1st to the 

 15th of May deposit their eggs by thousands on the roots of the wheat. They have 

 previously cleaned the soil from the roots for that purpose. As soon as the sun shines 

 hot enough to warm the ground sufficiently, the eggs hatch and the young bugs begin 

 to suck at the roots of the wheat. As they grow and become older they crawl up to 

 the top of the soil and up the stalks of wheat, and still suck as long as there is any 

 life or sap in the stalks, when they begin to travel to other parts of the field for a 

 new supply. All go in the same direction. The old bugs injure the wheat only by 

 clearing tli6 soil from the roots. As soon as they get through depositing their eggs 

 they die. To evade their ravages I leave my wheat ground with as smooth a surface 

 as possible in the fall. Then in the spring, as soon as winter is over, I put a heavy 

 roller on my wheat ground, pack the soil firmly to the roots of the wheat, and thereby 

 prevent the old bugs from burrowing about them. Besides, this gives the wheat an 

 early, vigorous growth, and thus the bug is overcome, so far as its ravages in the 

 wheat field are concerned. I sometimes roll my ground the second time, say, about 

 the 15th of April or the 1st of May, or later. It depends upon how the bugs are pro- 

 gressing, which can be told by drawiDg the wheat and examining the roots for eggs. 

 I never fail to make good wheat. Besides, the crop of bugs is so diminished that 

 they never injure my other grain crops or grasses to any serious extent. My neigh- 

 bors failed to make wheat in 1888, while I harvested a heavy crop. I knew one man 

 who gave his crop of wheat (15 acres) to one hundred sheep in the month of April 

 and turned them off the 1st of May. His wheat came out and made good grain, while 

 all around him failed on account of the Chinch Bugs. The sheep packed the soil to 

 the roots, and thus overcame the bugs. I hope that others will try the experiment, 

 as I have done, and be convinced that the ravages of the bugs can be overcome. — [J. 

 R. Adams, Goodland Mo. June 29, 1889. 



Cut-worms. 



The Cut-worms are very bad in this section. I am putting out quite a patch of 

 sweet potato plants. I sprout largely for sale and for my own use, and also raise 

 499G- -No. 3 2 



