340 
cinchona in Java and Ceylon. Mr. King states that the adult insects 
fly and tonch nearly every branch of a tree, after which the branches 
turn black, wither, dry up, and fall off. It is his opinion that the 
insects lay their eggs in the branches and multiply there. Their off- 
spring are little brown insects which do not fly, but mostly injure the 
fruit. All efforts to destroy them have failed. The insect proves to 
be ReUopeltis bradyi Waterhouse, but careful examination of the 
branches, leaves, and fruit-husks failed to show any trace of the egg. 
Eggs were, however, taken from the body of one of the females and 
were very slender, about 1.4 mm long by 0.2 mm in diameter, and having 
a threadlike appendage of about 0.6 mm in length. According to the 
observations of Mr. J. Wood-Mason, of Calcutta, published in 1884, the 
eggs of H. theivora are laid singly in the substance of the tenderest 
shoots of the tea plant, in the internodes or portions of the stem between 
the pepoe and the two or three leaves succeeding from above down- 
wards, and in the buds developed in the axils of the plucked leaves and 
in the parts thereto; that the presence and position of each egg is from 
the first indicated on the exterior by two unequally long glistening, 
bristle-like prolongations of the shell and later by discoloration of the 
pierced point. While the blasting of the tender twigs so characteristic 
of the work of this insect is largely accomplished by this process of egg- 
laying, it is also brought about by the puncturing of the stem by the 
beak of the insect in the process of obtaining food. Therefore the mere 
fact that the twig is blasted does not necessarily mean that it contains 
eggs, and at the wrong time of the season much labor might be wasted 
by the plucking and burning of the blasted twigs, as recommended by 
Mr. Wood-Mason and one or two other Ceylonese and Indian writers. 
The point is to ascertain the time of year (if there is a definite and 
restricted time of the year) when oviposition normally takes place. If 
the plantation is small, hand-picking of blasted twigs might accomplish 
some result. A much better plan, in our opinion, however, will be to 
await the hatching of the bulk of the eggs and at that time to apply a 
kerosene emulsion spray in order to kill the young bugs before they 
have acquired wings. 
BED-BUGS AND RED ANTS. 
It will be remembered that in our article on this subject in volume 
ii of Insect Life we explained the propriety of considering these two 
insects together, on the ground that the red ant nuisance is mitigated 
by the fact that these insects kill bed-bugs. We had never seen this 
statement in print before, and are consequently pleased to see published 
testimony of the fact from Mr. F. C. M. Boggess in the Farmer and 
Fruit Grower (Florida) for February 10. The habit is so well known 
to Mr. Boggess that he heartily recommends the introduction of red ants 
into houses for the purpose of exterminating bed-bugs. He advises 
the owners of infested establishments to place a piece of meat in an 
