NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



891 



Saxifraga Cotyledon in the Palmhouse (Gartenflo a, March 1, 

 1904). — Herr L. Wittmack mentions the use of this Saxifrage in a cool 

 palmhouse at the gardens of Baron Rothschild at Ferrieres-en-Brie in 

 France. It seems to have grown to extraordinary dimensions under such 

 treatment, and threw a flower-stem of over a yard in length, covered with 

 flowers from top to bottom. — B. C. B. N. 



Scale Insects of the Orchard (U.S.A. Exp. Stn. Connecticut, 

 Bull. 143, pp. 1-10, figs, and two plates, 1903). — Two species are con- 

 sidered, viz. the American Scurfy Bark-Louse (Chionaspis furfurus, 

 Fitch), and the almost universally distributed Mussel scale (Mytilaspis 

 pomorum, Bouche). " Spraying the trees during the first two weeks in 

 June, or while the young are crawling, with soap and water (1 lb. in 

 8 gals.) or with kerosene emulsion, will readily destroy the newly hatched 

 larvae." In Great Britain the spraying should be done not later than 

 the first week in June, as the larvae hatch in May. — B. N. 



Scale Insects of the West Indies. By H. Maxwell Lefroy, M.A. 

 (Jour. Imp. Dep. Ayr. W.I. vol. iii. No. 4, pp. 295-319). — This is a con- 

 tinuation of the paper published earlier in the volume. The observations 

 refer to the seventy-four species found in the Lesser Antilles. The 

 following are the subjects here dealt with : native and introduced species ; 

 species likely to be introduced to foreign countries from the West Indies ; 

 wild and cultivated species ; coccids and ants ; habits ; food-plants ; 

 males ; enemies (predators) ; parasites ; diseases ; the place of Coccidce 

 among economic insects ; plant species ; control. 



The paper concludes with the details of a new compound of crude oil, 

 naphthalene, and whale-oil soap, which has been recently tested and gives 

 very good results in all but Lecanii and some Diaspince. Excepting the 

 " whale-oil soap and rosin compound " and the very useful " crude oil and 

 soap compound " no new mixtures have been devised, and the ordinary 

 " summer washes " used in America are equally useful here. 



The proportions used were : 10 lb. whale-oil soap, 5^ pints of oil 

 (crude Barbados oil), 4 oz. of naphthalene. The soap is heated in a 

 metal vessel, and if it contains much water is boiled till the water is 

 reduced. The naphthalene is dissolved in the oil by stirring, and the 

 two are thrown into the soap and well stirred. On cooling a practically 

 solid body is produced. The emulsion is made by rubbing this com- 

 pound up by hand in water. This emulsion has been tested at the rate 

 of 1 lb. to 10 gallons of water, and then is effective. — M . C. C. 



Scent or Colour, Are Insects guided by ? By Eugen Andreaa 

 (Beih. Bot. Cent. xv. pp. 427-470). — The author has again taken up the 

 experiments of Plateau and subjected them to an extremely destructive 

 criticism. Many original experiments are detailed recording a great 

 many visits of insects to artificial flowers (one such visit of course 

 invalidates all Plateau's conclusions). Thus, with Papaver orientale, he 

 arranged three sets of flowers : (a) natural flowers so covered that only 

 the scent and not their colour could be perceived, (b) natural flowers 

 easily visible, and (c) larger artificial flowers. He found that no insect 



