fis 
conducted. Empusa and Sporotrichum develop side by side in the infecting cages, 
and dead bugs sert in from fields where the bugs are dying show both fungi. At 
the close of the season I hope to present a full report of the laboratory investigations, 
which the brief monthly reports offer no space for. Prof. 8. A. Forbes, the eminent 
State entomologist of Illinois, who has experimented in his laboratory on the devel. 
opment of parasitic fungi in insects, and who early noted the bacterial disease of the 
chinch bugs, visited my laboratory last week. He expressed the hope that a series of 
field experiments such as are now being carried on in Kansas could be conducted in 
Illinois. 
In closing, I may say that the outcome of the work so far this year is highly en- 
couraging. 
Since making this report the requests for infected bugs have grown 
much less numerous. The laboratory experiments have been carried 
on with more attention paid to bacteria. So far I have been unable to 
successfully infect bugs in the laboratory from pure cultures of Sporo- 
trichum. The Sporotrichum grows readily on a medium composed of 
beef broth and Irish moss, and pure cultures are easily obtained. 
Other experiments with these cultures are necessary, however, to make 
this statement positive. Empusa will not fruit on the plates. It be- 
haves very peculiarly. Long erect filaments are sent out strikingly 
different from the customary hyphe, but no spores are produced. As 
regards the bacteria, I am assured that the forms in my cultures are 
identical with Burrill’s Micrococcus insectorum, two slides of which 
_ 
have been furnished me by Professor Forbes. This Micrococcus is found 
almost without exception in bugs which have died in the field and been 
sent in for examination. Another Micrococcus, larger and almost per- 
fectly circular in optical plane, is often present in dead and dying bugs, 
Spraying experiments with fluids containing this Micrococcus give no 
successful results in infection. 
I am not in position at present to make a full report of the season’s 
work in the field and laboratory. This report 1 shall make in the late 
fall. 
* * * * * ® # 
Other injurious insects besides the chinch bug in Kansas especially 
noticeable this year were the Hessian Fly, in about thesame abundance 
as usual. Much damage is annually done by this pest. The Wheat 
Straw Worm (Isosoma tritici) was reported from a dozen or more coun- 
ties of the state in June. It occasioned considerable alarm and really 
did some damage to the wheat in central and western Kansas. I re- 
ceived reports of the presence of the worm from twenty-seven corre- 
spondents. It appeared in wheat which had been planted on stubble 
ground, though the state of affairs shown in one or two reports contra- 
dicted this general condition. One correspondent reports the worm in 
wheat planted on sod; another in a field of 40 acres new ground, 
only grown to wheat once before, plowed last fall and after the wheat 
had come up fed off so close that the field looked quite bare. The Wheat 
Head Army Worm (Leucania albilinea) was reported in June from a 
few fields. However, little damage was done. 
& 
