50 



Tent Caterpillars on Hop in "Washington. — A species of the genus Clisiocampa, 

 allied to the eastern Tent Caterpillar of the orchard, has been doing considerable 

 damage to the hop vines in one or two localities in the State of Washington, as we 

 learn from Mr. Giles Farmin. In one restricted locality they reduced the crop one- 

 half. 



An unusual Occurrence of Cicada. — Our old-time correspondent, Mr. B. H. 

 Brodnax, of Brodnax, La., wrote us last May that he had heard the song of the 

 Periodical Cicada on May 3, and asked us to identify the brood. After a careful 

 survey of the field we arrived at the conclusion that the specimens occurring at 

 Brodnax this year must be the precursors of iredecim brood xviii which is due in that 

 locality in 1894, the last appearance having been in 1881. These precursors or strag- 

 glers are not uncommon and we often hear of them one year before or one year after 

 the regular year, but an advance of two years is more unusual and is well worthy of 

 record. 



The "Stink Bush." — We recently published a note in Insect Life relative to 

 the insecticide properties of the bush which is known in the Southern States as 

 '^ Stink Bush." We Avere unable at the time to give a proper identification of this 

 plant, but through the kindness of Mr. S. B. Mullen, of Harrisville, Miss., we have 

 received specimens, and are able to state that this plant is IlUcium floridanum. It 

 is an aromatic shrub belonging to t he Magnolia family, and is known perhaps more 

 commonly as Wild Anise. We have h ad as yet only hearsay evidence concerning the 

 insect-killing properties of this species, but have asked Mr. Mullen, in whose vicin- 

 ity it grows abundantly, and who is fitted for careful work, to conduct some well- 

 planned experiments and to report. 



Further Success of Vedalia in Egypt. — Rear-Admiral Blomfield, to whom we 

 sent several consignments of Vedalia for use against Egyptian Fluted Scale, and 

 whose letters announcing the success of the later consignments we have pub- 

 lished from time to time, has written us that the beneficial Australian insect has 

 recently made its appearance in a garden in Ramleh, a distance of more than three 

 miles from the original trees upon which the first specimens were reported. The 

 experiment is evidently turning out very successfully. 



The Colorado Potato-beetle in the South. — We received in the early part of 

 the season specimens of the Colorado Potato-beetle from Port Royal, S. C, with the 

 report that they are abundant and threatening damage. We wrote the correspondent, 

 Mr. H. D. Elliott, that the locality was too far south to anticipate much injury, that 

 the insect had made sporadic appearances at difterent points in the same locality, 

 and had disappeared almost immediately, so that he had not much to fear. Within 

 a month from the date of our communication the insect disappeared and it has not 

 been seen since. 



The Rascal Leaf-crumpler in Texas. — This insect, which frequently does great 

 damage to orchard trees, has recently made a most destructive appearance in the 

 vicinity of Houston, Tex., a locality from which it has not heretofore been reported 

 in numbers. 



Extraordinary Abundance of the Oak Pruner. — Mr. .Jno. B. Watson, of Phil- 

 adelphia, has sent us specimens of twigs of Black Oak from Bucks County, Pa., 

 which have been cut off in great numbers by the Oak Pruner {Elapliidion villosum). 

 Mr. Watson writes that cartloads of branches can be gathered up from the ground 

 through the oak forests. We do not remember to have known this insect to be so 

 abundant before. The remedy, however, is simple, and if the fallen branches are 

 collected and burned at this time of the year, or later, the forests will not be harmed 

 to anything like the same extent next season. 



The Stalk-borer on Cotton. — That widespread and polyphagic insect, the Potato 

 or Tomato Stalk-borer ( Gortyna nitela), has recently been doing considerable damage 

 to Cotton in the vicinity of Macon, Tenn. While this destructive species has been 

 reported as affecting almost every cultivated plant which has a stalk big enough to 

 be bored, we have never known it to be injurious to Cotton before to any extent. 



