191 . 
suggested. Another insect which I had not previously noticed was 
also unusally abundant in the onion patches. I refer to a small yellow 
Thrips, which was present in countless numbers on the leaves of the 
plants, sucking the juices; or more correctly, perhaps, scraping small 
portions of the outer skin, which became yellow-spotted. In a great 
many fields the insects were so abundant, and these yellow spots so 
close together, that practically the leaves were killed. This was aided 
by the fact that in this region there was an excessively severe drought, 
which checked the growth of the onions and prevented their recover- 
ing from the effects of the injury. Before the middle of July these 
insects had practically disappeared. It is probable that this insect has 
been present previously, but that the onions, in ordinary seasons, are 
able to withstand the drain without trouble. About the time that the 
bulbs were matured, a bacterial disease made its appearance here and 
there in the field, and these bulbs, even when only slightly affected, 
were covered with innumerable quantities of mites. I have, as yet, 
made no attempt to ascertain the species, and know nothing about 
the creature, except that it is white, and has chestnut-colored legs. 
Besides mites, certain fly larvae also attacked these onions, and these 
were at first supposed to be onion maggots. As soon as I found egg- 
masses, however, I realized that there was probably an error, because 
the eggs were beautifully ribbed, which, I believe, is not a character- 
istic of Anthomyiid eggs. I succeeded in breeding a considerable num- 
ber of the flies, and find that it is a species belonging to the Ortalidce 
or Trypetidce. I have seen the flies only in the breeding jar, and there- 
fore can not give any more definite information concerning them. I 
bred also, from other onions, two or three species belonging to the 
Muscids, which are also yet in the breeding jar, and have not been 
examined with the view of identifying them. 
The Strawberry Weevil (Anthonomus signatus) was troublesome in a 
few localities in southern New Jersey; but did not injure any very large 
proportion of the crop. I did not learn of the appearance of the insect 
until it was too late to make personal investigations, hence depended 
upon hearsay for estimates of injury caused. 
The Twelve-spotted Asparagus-beetle (Griocerls 12-punctata) was 
again found in considerable numbers in Gloucester County, where I 
had taken it last year. It was also taken by me much further south in 
Cumberland County, and was taken by the Philadelphia collectors near 
Camden. The insect thus has covered a considerable proportion, 
embracing nearly the whole of the sandy plains, of the State; even 
where it was most abundant, however, it is in no sense a rival to the 
older G. asparagi. I found this year one of the growers practicing a 
method of destroying the larva? in his young plantations which had 
the merit of extreme simplicity, combined with the utmost effective- 
ness. He simply went over the entire patch in the middle of the day 
with a long stick, with which the plants were gently brushed in such 
