389 



STUDY OF THE BIRD LICE. 



Mr. Vernon L. Kellogg, in No. 1, Volume XII of the Transactions of 

 the Kansas Academy of Sciences (1889), pages 46 to 48, announces that 

 he has noted and described twenty-four species of Mallophaga repre- 

 senting ten genera taken from Kansas birds. Among these are two new 

 genera. He publishes a figure of Tetrophthalmus showing the respira- 

 tory system and gives a table of the genera. He has not named his 

 new species, but has given them numbers. We see from this notice, that 

 Mr. Kellogg has gone at this work in the right way, and we hope he will 

 continue his studies. 



THE TROPICAL SUGAR-CANE BORER IN LOUISIANA. 



Never before have complaints of the tropical cane-borer been so pro- 

 nounced over so extensive a territory as the present season. It is to 

 be feared that, should the winter prove an open one, they may do very 

 serious damage to the next crop. In 1857 they were so abundant along^ 

 the lower coast as to have about destroyed the crops on one or two 

 plantations. They again appea red in the same locality, and in As- 

 sumption and St. Mary, in large numbers, in 1880, after the open winter 

 of 1879. They attack sorghum and corn in the same manner as cane* 

 and are known near the coast throughout the Gulf States. The moth 

 is of a light, grayish brown color, with about lj-inch spread of wings. 

 This lays its eggs upon the leaves of the cane, near the axils, the young 

 borers hatching in a few days. The borer penetrates the stalk at once r 

 usually just above a node, working up ward through the soft pith. The 

 full grown borer is about 1 inch long, slender, cylindrical, and cream 

 white in color, with yellow head and black mouth. Several broods are 

 hatched in the course of a season. It is believed to hibernate almost 

 exclusively in the larva or worm state. Those which find shelter in the 

 stubbles, discarded tops and seed cane, alone escape destruction during 

 the harvest of the crop. Fortunately, few are found to burrow near the 

 extreme butt of the cane. If cut at the surface of the earth very limited 

 numbers will, therefore, be preserved in the ratoons. A speedy burn- 

 ing of the tops, after removal of the crop from the ground, will destroy 

 those which would be carried over to the next season by these. An 

 immediate plowing under of all tops seems the next best alternative^ 

 but undesirable. They certainly should not be allowed to remain on 

 the surface of the ground until warm spring weather. 



Borers present in seed cane are not so easily dealt with. It is prob- 

 able that from canes planted in the autumn and rolled the moth is un- 

 able to escape. The same is true in less measure of seed put down in 

 windrow, if as heavily dirted as is compatible with the canes' safety. 

 This should be dropped and re-covered as soon after removal from 

 windrow in the spring as possible. Mats, both flat and round, are es- 

 pecially to be avoided for affected canes. It will be safest in all cases 

 to put down as seed such canes as are least attacked. No abandoned 

 lorage sorghum should be allowed to go over the winter and corn 

 25852— Nos. 11 and 12 5 



