36 



Mr. Fletcher thought that the chief difficulty with regard to these fungus 

 diseases was their cultivation so that they might be available at the time when 

 needed. One trouble with him had been carrying them over the winter. 



Prof. Hargitt spoke of a fungus disease which had attacked the canker 

 worm. 



Prof. Cook thought the greatest difficulty in ;naking use of contagions 

 diseases for the destruction of insects was the fact that the insects which it was 

 desired to treat were not always in a susceptible condition. 



Prof. Garman thought that although fungus diseases were difficult to 

 introduce, bacterial diseases would probably be more controllable. 



The meeting adjourned till 5 o'clock. 



VARIOUS INSECTS. 



Prof. Atkinson spoke on the "Injurious Insects of Alabama." A bud worm 

 had been extremely injurious to young corn, piercing the central shoot and 

 destroying its growth. JDiabrotica 12-punctata had also been injurious in the 

 same manner ; and, if there were not sufficient food in the stem, the larvae 

 descended to the roots and tunnelled out irregular channels on the surface. They 

 pupated in the ground. A new attack had been observed on the " Irish potato," 

 viz., by the Cabbage Plusia, which had attacked the leaves. The same insect had 

 been very injurious to cabbages. In the southern part of the State more had 

 been done by the Plusia than by the cabbage worm. At Mobile farmers had 

 complained that 50 per cent, of their melons had been injured by a worm. 

 Scohjiiis Tugvblosus had been very abundant at Auburn in the spring, attacking 

 trunks which appeared to be perfectly sound. Onions had been badly injured 

 by a species of Thrips. Another species had also been injurious to cotton plants. 



Prof. Cook stated that he had also seen a Thrips injuring onions in Michigan. 



Prof. Webster stated that he had studied Scolytus rugulosiis and had found 

 that it invariably attacked trees which were injured. In a single instance, where 

 the beetles had commenced operations on a sound tree, he found that they 

 afterwards left it. 



Prof. Cook made some remarks upon the effect of mild winters upon insect 

 presence. He had found cut-worms and sav^^-flies verj^ abundant in Michigan 

 during the present season. He had also bred a new borer from the black currant, 

 i.e., the small longicorn beetle Hyper-platys maculatus. He had also found that 

 the larvge of Aegeria typuliformis had been largely destroyed by a fungus 

 DTOwth like that of the white grub. The leaves of cherry, pear and quince had 

 been badly attacked by the larv^ of saw-flies, but they had been easily kept in 

 check by applications of road dust. 



Dr. C. M. Weed presented a paper upon the Oviposition of Dectes spinosus 

 upon Ambrosia trifida." He also gave some account of the insect, in all its 

 stao-es, from specimens which he had bred. 



During the meeting a most interesting set of photographs was exhibited by 

 Prof. Webster, showing a likeness of Thomas Say, his birthplace, the house where 

 he lived during the greater part of the time he was writing his works, his tomb 

 and an autograph. Prof. Webster had a few set^ of the photographs struck off 

 when his own were printed and is willing to let entomologists have them at the 

 actual cost of production. 



