61 



material sent him for the privilege of retaining such specimens as may 

 be needed for description or for completing the collection of the IT. S. 

 National Museum. We earnestly hope that those of our readers who 

 are sufficiently interested will, by complying with this request, help 

 themselves, Prof. Smith, and Lepidopterology ; for every encouragement 

 should be given to those who have the time and the ability to do good 

 monographic work, which is the chief means by which our science is 

 0;dvanced along systematic lines. 



PH^ISM IN INSECTS. 



In connection with the exhibition of dark specimens of Zygoena 

 mlnor^ at a recent meeting of the Entomological Society of London, 

 which were not representatives of complete melanism, Mr. J. Jenner 

 Weir suggests the use of the word phseism as a correct term to apply 

 to such departures from the normal coloration of the species. 



CAUTION TO HOP-GROWEKS. 



Apropos of what has recently been said in these pages regarding the 

 superiority of the kerosene emulsion over the quassia chips, we quote 

 the following editorial from the California Fruit Grower of August 6: 



Smooth agents are said to be reaping quite a harvest from tlie Washington hop- 

 growers in the sale of quassia chips and other alleged remedies for the Hop Louse. 

 Hop-growers would do well to seek such information as they need from responsible 

 sources, such as the experiment stations, or reputable journals, rather than give 

 their confidence and good money to wholly irresponsible traveling agents. 



A NEW SIMULIUM. 



A new Simulium allied to the notorious Buffalo Gnat of the South is 

 reported' from southern New Mexico by Mr. C. H. T. Townsend, who 

 states that it breeds in the Eio Grande, issuing during May and June. 

 These gnats are a great annoyance to man, more so apparently than to 

 animals, and many persons are stated to be so susceptible to them as 

 to j)reserve through the gnat season a chronic inflammation of the ex- 

 posed parts of the face and neck resulting from the repeated bites which 

 iu some instances give rise to sores. The inclination of the gnats to 

 flight increases with the advance of the season, but they disappear with 

 the falling of the water to its normal level in the rivers. The habits 

 and early stages have not been investigated, and the female fly, com- 

 prising the biting swarms, only has been studied. The species is de- 

 scribed as Simidimn occidentaUs. 



NOTES ON ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 



Entomological Xews for September (vol. iii, pp. 181-183) has just 

 reached our table as we go to press, and we are i)leased to notice a de- 

 liarture in the establishment in this number of a new department, that 

 of Economic Entomology. 



