170 
IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCES. 
it be? These are questions harder to answer. The first, how- 
ever, is really not hard to answer. Financial support is a neces- 
sity first and other things follow. Much valuable work may be 
done without very expensive apparatus, but all apparatus costs 
something. Perhaps there is no method but that of appealing 
to the state to lay the foundation by an appropriation, then per- 
haps some of the superstructure could be erected from fees. 
As an answer to the second question, regarding the control of 
the station, one that offers itself is that the State Academy of 
Sciences should have control by whatever means seemed most 
desirable. 
NOTE ON PROBABLE LIFE HISTORY OF CREPIDOD- 
ERA (EPITRIX) CUCUMERIS, HAM. 
BY P. A SIRRINE. 
During the winter of 1894 and 1895 a trouble known as 
“Pimply potatoes,” among potato growers, was brought to our 
attention. As the trouble appeared to be some skin disease, it 
was turned over to Me. F. G. Sbewart, the mycologist. At the 
time he came to no definite conclusion as to what the trouble 
might be. Early in the fall of 1895 Mr. Stewart obtained a 
quantity of “Pimply potatoes” for microscopic examination. 
It was found that the pimples covered what appeared to be a 
brown “sliver” in the fiesh of the potato. This “sliver” 
proved to be a tube lined with broken starchless cells, the 
starch grains usually occurring free within the tube. Our 
natural conclusion was that the trouble was caused by the punc- 
ture of some insect and that the pimple resulted as an effort of 
the growing potato to heal the puncture. No trace of castings 
could be found within the tube, hence it appeared that the tube 
was not the result of larval mining, nor could it have been 
made for the deposition of an egg, for in such a case the tube 
would have shown larval castings. Thus it appeared as if the 
puncture must be the work of some “ snout beetle,” or of some 
hemipterous insect. 
A close watch for the depredator was maintained during the 
past summer. I had my eye on the adult of a new seed stalk 
weevil Centorhynchus seriesetosus Dietz, of kale, turnip and 
cabbage. 
