Quarterly Report of the Hon. Consulting Entomologist. 135 
entomologist of Russia, of the first observation of this infestation in 
that country, in stores in Moscow, to which it had been demonstrably 
and beyond doubt transmitted from I/ondon. There, as in Canada, 
being at once taken under supervision, the infestation was stamped 
out, or kept in check, but here I am only able to offer suggestions, 
and to do the best 1 can under the circumstances. I have prepared 
an account of the nature of the attack, and of the remedies found 
serviceable, for disti’ibution to such as may desire it. 
A good deal of application is being sent from Ireland for infor- 
mation as to measures for prevention of warble attack. 
Amongst the inquiries occasionally received from members re- 
garding insect injuries to colonial produce, an important application 
has lately been made regarding a small beetle, which I am informed 
was first observ^ed a few years ago in the Island of St. Vincent, and 
which is now spreading to others of the West India Islands, and is 
causing very serious injury to the sugar-cane. Specimens, both of 
the infested canes and of the insects, were forwarded to me from the 
Agricultural Society of Barbados, and, through the assistance of 
Canon Fowler, Hon. Sec. of the Entomological Society, I obtained 
identification of the beetle as being the Xyleborus perforans, of 
Wollaston (synonymous with the Xyleborus affinis of EichhofiT). This 
is a small brown beetle, only about the twelfth of an inch long, 
which bores into the cane, and from the efiect of the number of these 
tunnels, and the feeding of the multitude of maggots which continue 
the borings, the destruction to the canes becomes a very serious 
matter. After consulting (in an interview) with Mr. Geo. Hughes 
(Consulting Chemist of the Bai’bados Agricultural Society) as to 
practical remedial measures, it appeared that cutting out and burn- 
ing the infested canes, which the specimens sent showed to be ab- 
solutely swarming with maggots, would certainly get rid of an 
enormous quantity of (otherwise) coming mischief. Also, it appeared 
that measures for the destruction of infested cane rubbish, and also 
for spraying the canes with a mixture sold under the trade name of 
“anti-pest” (which I have knowledge of as being serviceable in 
checking sugar-cane attack in Mauritius) would be likely to do much 
good. I am giving the most careful attention (with the assist- 
ance of specialists) to this sugar-cane attack, as, though not exactly 
British, urgent application has been made to me by members of this 
Society. Moreover, as I find, besides the very bad beetle attack, 
other insects present, in one case highly beneficial, and in another 
highly injurious, I think that by co-operation with Mr. Hughes and 
Mr. d’ Albuquerque, the Island Professor of Agi’iculture, we may 
together do much to check the evil. 
Eleanor A. Ormerod. 
February 26, 1892. 
