84 
nivorous intentions” are doubtful. All the lady bugs and tlieir larvae 
feed upon the chinch bug, as also a common ground beetle (Agono 
derus comma), the larva of the lace-wing fly, and one of the rob¬ 
ber-bugs (Harpacior cincius). The ground beetle mentioned was 
found by dissection to have derived about one fifth of its food 
from chinch bugs, and about eight per cent, of the food of Coc- 
cinellidre captured among them consisted of these insects. A few 
common birds feed upon chinch bugs occasionally, but do not, 
search for them. More important than insect and bird enemies, 
are certain obscure fungus parasites (one, Micrococcus insectoram, 
Burrill) which give rise to fatal epidemics. As the possibility of 
propagating such diseases artificially has been proven, much may 
be hoped from this class of enemies. Dr. J. L. LeConte is men¬ 
tioned as having suggested this possibility in 1873. Dr. Shimer 
is credited with the first published account of disease among 
chinch bugs,—quotations being made from his paper describ¬ 
ing it,—and Dr. Cyrus Thomas’s remarks thereupon are given 
with observations of his own upon epidemics among house flies 
and grasshoppers. Personal observations and studies on this sub¬ 
ject began Aug. 3, 1882, and a series of careful experiments was 
instituted on- the 5tli. From the fact that these fungus parasites 
found to be extremely abundant in the fluids of speci- 
were 
mens from a field where the bugs were rapidly dying, and rela¬ 
tively few in adjacent fields, they were apparently related to the 
destruction, this view being confirmed by the fact that they were 
more abundant in old bugs than in young ones, while the mortal¬ 
ity referred to was greatest among the former. It was found 
easy to cultivate the bacterium artificially, and an article by 
Metschnikoff is translated and quoted as bearing upon the proba¬ 
bility of rearing this parasite successfully. No opportunity was 
afforded to apply the artificial infection to healthy insects. Some 
evidence is adduced of the possibility of artificially cultivating an¬ 
other parasite observed, belonging to the genus Entomophthora; 
and there is reason for believing that this was the active agent in 
the chincli-bug epidemic of 1865, reported by Dr. Shimer. Under 
the head of topical applications an article by Dr. Riley is quoted, 
giving the method of preparing kerosene emulsions; and experi¬ 
ments with emulsions of different strengths variously diluted and 
applied to infested hills of corn in the laboratory and in the field 
are described, the general result, as stated, being “that a simple 
mechanical mixture of water and three per cent, of kerosene is 
deadly to bugs of all ages and does not injure half-grown corn 
if the fluid is kept well shaken up. Data as to cost of mixture, 
quantity required, and mode of application are given, and it is sug¬ 
gested that possibly such preparations might be made useful in 
fields of small grain. 
Fobbes, S, A.—The Regulative Action of Birds upon Insect Oscil¬ 
lations. (Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., v. 1, No. 6 , 1883, 
p. 9.) J 
A few chinch bugs were found in the food of the house wren. 
