Annual Report ' for 1913 of the Zoologist. 379 
are very considerable. Many experiments are now in progress 
to determine what varieties are self-sterile and what other 
varieties are most suitable for inter-planting. 
Another case of some general interest could not be 
investigated as thoroughly as could be wished for. This was 
concerned with the damage supposed to have been caused to a, 
wheat crop by fumes from a neighbouring factory. The ears, 
soon after clearing the sheaths, began to wither at the tips and 
finally died down to empty chaff. Too little material was sent 
for examination, and this unfortunately was received at too 
late a stage of growth to be of much value. What information 
could be obtained pointed rather to an attack of the “ take-all ” 
fungus. 
Reports were also sent on, amongst others, the following 
subjects — a botanical analysis of the contents of a wood-pigeon’s 
crop, weed impurities in Chilian oats, the botanical constitution 
of a food mixture, the effects of waterlogging on crops, 
varieties of wheat suitable for “ dry land farming,” fungicides 
for wheat-steeping, varieties of sainfoin, and on the malting 
value of several kinds of barley. 
R. H. Biffen. 
School of Agriculture, 
Cambridge. 
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1913 OF THE 
ZOOLOGIST. 
The mild winter of 1912-13 caused the very early appearance 
of many of the ordinary spring pests, and appeared to be 
especially favourable to aphis attacks, which were much 
complained of during the early part of the year. The general 
character of the more prevalent insect attacks, and of the 
investigations carried on by the department may be gathered 
from the following report : — 
Forest Tree Pests. 
Many complaints were received of some of the commoner 
forest pests during the season, especially of the Pine-shoot 
tortrix and of the two Larch moths, Goleophora laricella and 
Argyresthia laevigatella. Some cases occurred of injury to the 
roots of young trees by Cockchafer grubs, and as usual the 
Wood wasp, Sirex gigas , was often the subject of enquiry. 
It is seldom that box suffers from insect pests, but one case 
was brought to my notice in which the leaves were greatly 
disfigured by the work of a fly grub which proved to be of the 
