16 
the red bugs in force, aud'fruit dropping and rotting. I add a record 
of maximum and minimum temperature for this month to date, with 
direction of wind at noon, and character of sky, &c. The first week in 
January was cold, with frost the first three nights, and northerly winds 
in the morning. Eemainder of the month warm and dry, with south- 
erly winds and clear sky. Temperature at noon for past two weeks has 
been about 73°. There are no bearing groves in a direct line between 
Newsom and Harp. A large bearing grove, Gautier's, joins Newsom 
on the north, with some scrub and heavy timber between the two. The 
red bugs have not yet migrated to Gautier's grove. 
I think this a newly-acquired habit of the Dysdercus, and one which 
is likely to prove dangerous to orange- growers. My reasons are: 
First. The red bug is a very prolific breeder, having no special breed- 
ing season, but copulating and laying its eggs at all times when the 
weather is warm. It increases as rapidly as any insect I know of, and 
infests cotton in prodigious numbers. 
Second. In this district there are no permanent plantations of cotton. 
The acreage varies greatly from year to year, at one time stimulating 
the bugs to very rapid increase, and at another leaving vast numbers 
of them without sufficient food. This might tend to force a change of 
food, and the migratory habit. 
Third. The red bug is one of those showy insects which are probably 
protected from enemies by the possession of an acrid flavor (they do 
not seem to have any odor). I cannot yet observe any birds or other 
enemies preying upon them. Chickens, &c, do not eat them. 
Orange-growers in this vicinity are somewhat alarmed, and will, I 
think, give up raising cotton, which, moreover, has never been profit- 
able here. I have recommended to Dr. jSewsom and others to rake to- 
gether the fallen and rotting fruit into piles, as soou as the fruit on the 
trees has been gathered. These will attract the bugs, and they may be 
destroyed either with pyre thrum or, better, perhaps, with diluted kero- 
sene, which will sink into the sand and destroy the eggs also. After 
the fruit has rotted, and no longer serves to attract the bugs, little piles 
of cotton seed may be used as traps in the same way. It ought to be 
very easy with some concerted action to stamp out the pest in this its 
beginning. I have also searched in the bushes and weedy fence corners 
about Newsom's place to see whether the bugs could not be detected 
upon some oily seeds, such as cockle-bur, urena, &c. But, apparently, 
the oranges have attracted them all, ana* I cannot find a single wanderer 
outside the grove. 
Very respectfully, 
H. G. HUBBARD. 
Prof. C. V. Riley, 
Entomologist. . 
