271 
I know of no better way of effectually putting a stop to their depredations than by 
using unadulterated kerosene quite freely wherever the castings of the larve are 
seen protruding through the bark. As soon as the kerosene comes in contact with 
these sawdust-like castings it is absorbed and carried by capillary attraction until 
it permeates the whole burrow and comes in contact with the larve, and then, soon, 
this noted little tenant is lifeless. 
In using kerosene there is no use in cutting, digging into, or in any way mutilat- 
ing the tree to find the larva. The fluid kerosene will find it, and this is enough for 
practical purposes, and then Nature ‘‘steps in” with her “healing art” and mends 
the damage done to the tree. The amount of kerosene used for this purpose is so 
small that it endangers in no way the health of the tree. A person can visit and 
inspect many trees in a single hour, and, if necessary, apply the spout of a can and 
flow a small amount of kerosene in various places. 
The beauties of this way of killing the borers are no mutilation, quick work, sure 
death, and little expense.—[T. B. Ashton, Kansas, November 13, 1891. 
Note on the Carphoxera Herbarium Pest. 
Carphoxera ptelearia.—This moth, which is so well described in the November num- 
ber of INsEcT Lire, I became well acquainted with practically fifteen years ago, 
while collecting plants in Southern California. Dried plants are nearly all subject 
to the attacks of this insect in this country, and in two or three weeks they will de- 
stroy a nice specimen, as they attack the buds and flowers first. 
It is about ten years since I first mounted a dozen of the little moths in my ento- 
mological cabinet, and there they have remained to this day, unseen and unstudied 
by Eastern entomologists except once, about six years ago, when a prominent New 
York entomologist saw them. He thought them a species of Eupithecia. He took 
away specimens of the moth, and also of the larva which I got for him from my dried 
plants, but I never heard from him about them. 
This moth lives and breeds largely in barns where loose or unbaled alfalfa hay is 
kept. Sometimes when I walk on amow of loose hay a swarm of the moths, hundreds 
in number, will arise from the hay. In fact the moth is quite at home here. 
As of late years I have been more interested in entomology than in botany, I have 
asked Mr. S. B. Parish, a competent botanist of this place, about his experience with 
the pest in recent years. His observations indicate that a preference is shown by the 
larve for some plants while others are evidently avoided. Plants preferred are 
Stillingia, all Lupines, Vicinus, and nearly all the Composite; and those avoided 
noticeably are most of the Euphorbiacex, Crotons, all grasses, and particularly all 
ferns. 
Now as to means of defense against the pest. First, it is evident that the moths 
find their mates or pair while in flight, at night, and any means of preventing their 
pairing strikes at the root of the evil at once. To this end a tight cabinet of small 
compartments is the best remedy. Or, wrapping the herbarium specimens in large 
sheets of paper will help, if tight cabinets can not be had. Second, poisoning, and 
frequent handling of the plants.—[W. G. Wright, California. 
Treatment of the Squash Borer. 
Having seen several communications in relation to Melittia cucurbite, in INSECT 
Lirr, I would like to state my observations of the insect during the past few years. 
Living as I do in the market gardening district of Long Island, I have had a good 
opportunity of doing so. I find that the moths begin to come out by the middle of 
June and continue to do so until the middle of August or even later. During the 
past season I caught something over 200 of them and did not begin to take them 
until after the 12th of July; on the 6th of July, on my return from the Jamesburg 
convention of entomologists, in conversation with Prof. J. B. Smith he made the ob- 
