the field, both contemporaneous and succeeding, shall be able to esti mate its value and arrange their investigations in accordance therewith. Too much of the basic data are even yet omitted and the mere conclusions stated. Conclusions are worth little to the investigator, unless he knows the data on which they are founded. This habit of reporting conclusions merely is probably largely due to the necessity under which entomologists have long been laboring, of stating their results in a purely non-technical manner, both for the purpose of saving expense and for rendering the publication "popular." This tendency your committee deplores as one not merely retarding the progress of our science; but as one exhibiting poor business judgment. Ultimately from the standpoint of the public, which we serve, any investigation sufficiently important to induce us to spend our time and the public. money upon it must be of enough importance to merit a report sufficiently full that our co-laborers can plainly see from perusing it the reasons for the "faith that is in us" or public funds will have been improperly expended. Your committee believes that every station where entomological investigations are pursued and the results published, should have at least two series of publications, in one of which data derived from investigations can be so fully stated that workers in other places can draw their own conclusions therefrom, and in the other of which the practical economic outcome of the investigations can be stated in nontechnical language for the benefit of the general public. The qualities of an investigation which render it usable by coworkers are: (1) clear and definite presentation of its relation to preceding work; (2) clear and illuminating arrangement of the new data; (3) a conservative interpretation of the meaning of these data. The first of these points involves a brief but lucid statement of progress along the particular line to the point where the investigator begins his work, and the writer should take especial care to make the references very definite. The second and third points need no amplification as they are already sufficiently explicit. Your committee feels that the importance of meteorological conditions is such that wherever life history studies are made meteorological records should be kept and that they should be included in the final report. Your committee believes that the percentage of investigations devoted to the discovery of general laws of reaction is too small, and that the science of economic entomology is now held back by this condition. It desires to urge upon those whose conditions permit, and inclinations adapt, the high importance of emphasizing this phase of entomological investigation. Your committee desires to commend the practice now gaining in favor of basing recommendations for control of definite insect species on extensive tests under normal field conditions, and to deplore the continuance of the early practice of basing measures of control on merely a study of life economy. ADDITIONS TO THE LIST SUBMITTED IN PRELiminary RepoRT Note. In a recent letter, Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt, the Dominion Entomologist, requests a correction in the manner of reporting dominion government projects, fearing the method used in the preliminary report might lead the ordinary reader to think he personally is carrying out all of the projects. As a matter of fact Doctor Hewitt says that those projects are being carried on by various members of the Division of Entomology of Canadian Department of Agriculture. Investigations dealing with Acarina Montana, Bozeman,-R. A. Cooley. 179. Tick investigations in Montana with particular reference to Dermacentor venustus. Investigations dealing with Orthoptera Minnesota, St. Anthony Park,-F. L. Washburn. 180. Grasshopper control. 181. Factors in the control of Acrididae of economic importance. C. W. Howard in immediate charge. 182. Life histories of Orthoptera. C. W. Howard in immediate charge. Investigations dealing with Hemiptera Montana, Bozeman,-R. A. Cooley. 183. Life history and control of the sugar beet louse (Pemphigus beta). 181. Study of the control of the oyster shell scale by use of insecticides. Peru, S. A., Lima,-Charles H. T. Townsend. 185. White scale of cotton (Hemichionaspis minor) and its parasites. About 9 species of microhymenopterous parasites are at work in force on H. minor in Piura department, 2 species of coccinellids, 1 or more species of mites, and 1 fungus, and the host shows marked signs of decrease at present in consequence. In Peru the scale is still confined to Piura department. 186. Coccids and microhymenopterous parasites of the same in Peru. Several hundreds of lots of coccids have been collected and thousands of parasites reared, some two or three hundred slides of latter having been prepared and studied. Many hundreds of microhymenoptera have been collected, and many mounted and studied. Washington, Pullman, A. L. Melander. 187. Resistance of the San José scale to insecticides. While it may be premature to announce that the San José is developing resistant strains in certain localities, yet it is not improbable to assume this. It is certain that the effect of standard sprays varies greatly from place to place, and that the scales of certain districts seem to be acquiring a progressive immunity. I have been working on this for quite a few years now but have withheld a public announcement up to the present. Formerly the sulphur lime was almost a panacea, certainly de stroying eggs of red spider, aphis, and the scale. It now seems to have no effect on the first and sometimes but little effect on the others. Investigations dealing with Lepidoptera Minnesota, St. Anthony Park,-F. L. Washburn. 188. Spraying experiments for codling moth and curculio. A. G. Ruggles in immediate charge. Montana, Bozeman, R. A. Cooley. 189. Life histories and means of controlling the cut worms of Montana. Investigations dealing with Diptera Minnesota, St. Anthony Park,-F. L. Washburn. 190. Problems in connection with the larvæ of Muscid flies. C. W. Howard in immediate charge. Peru, S. A., Lima,-Charles H. T. Townsend. 191. Muscoid fly reproduction investigations. Hundreds of dissections made of female muscoid-fly reproductive systems, and descriptions and drawings prepared. Papers forthcoming. Investigations dealing with Coleoptera Australia, Brisbane, Queensland,--A. A. Girault. 192. Investigations of the sugar cane grubs (scarabeids in general) of Australia. Succeeded in rearing the larvæ to maturity. Minnesota, St. Anthony Park,-F. L. Washburn and (). G. Babcock. 193. Corn bill bug. Montana, Bozeman,-R. A. Cooley. 194. Life history and control of the sugar beet silphid (Silpha bituberosa). Peru, S. A., Lima,- Charles H. T. Townsend. 195. Cotton square-weevil (Anthonomus restitus) and its parasites. About 12 species of hymenopterous parasites are at work, one in very large numbers compared with the others in the coast region of Peru, but they kill only about 18 per cent. of the host. Ants of the genus Solenopsis, very close to S. geminata, are present but do not seem to prey upon the weevil. The weevil requires marked atmospheric humidity to insure activity. It is known to exist in the cotton districts from Guayaquil south to Tambo de Mora near Pisco, in the lower coast region, but has not yet been found in the foothill cotton districts nor in the montaña. Investigations dealing with Hymenoptera Massachusetts, East Wareham, --H. J. Franklin. 196. Bumble bees. Monograph on bumblebees of the New World soon to appear. 197. Clover-seed chalcid, Brucophagus funebris. Warren Williamson in immediate charge. 198. Larch saw fly. A. G Ruggles in immediate charge. Investipations dealing with groups of insects or with insecticides or with both Massachusetts, East Wareham, H J. Franklin. 199. Cranberry insects injurious and beneficial. Progress fully reported in last two annual reports of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, and in the last annual report of Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station. Minnesota, St. Anthony Park,--F. L. Washburn. 200. Shade tree pests. A. G. Ruggles in immediate charge. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, H. A. Surface. 201. Susceptibility of varieties of cultivated plants, especially fruits, to insect and plant-disease injury. 202. Improvement of the lime-sulphur solution. 203. Prevention of peach tree borer and certain other orchard pests. Peru, S. A., Lima,-Charles H. T. Townsend. 204. Cotton insects in general. Some 38 or 39 different species of insects have been found to attack the cotton plant in Peru, counting several weevils and Heteroptera which have not actually been observed to feed upon the plant but whose presence in the squares makes this habit almost certain; and of these Hemichionaspis minor and Anthonomus vestitus are especially serious, the latter probably exceeding the former in injury, while Dysdercus ruficollis and some 6 or 7 others cause great injury. Seven of these cotton pests are coccids:-H. minor, Saissetia oleæ (or nigra), Pulvinaria n. sp., Coccus hesperidum (probably), Orthezia sp. perhaps insignis (Guayaquil), Dactylopini sp., Coccid perhaps Dactylopini. More than 40 species of enemies, chiefly parasites, aside from those of H. minor and A. vestitus, have been found to attack these cotton plagues. It may be added that there are at least three serious fungus plagues of cotton in the Peruvian coast region. These observations refer to the coast region only. 205. Transmission of verruga by bloodsuckers. Careful consideration of all available published and unpublished data seems to indicate almost certainly that verruga is transmitted to man by a tick. 206. Ticks, lice, bloodsucking Diptera and Hemiptera. Native and domestic mammals examined for ectoparasites and many species found including ticks; many bloodsucking Diptera found, especially Simulium and tabanids in the montaña. Some interesting undetermined forms of ectoparasites found on Oryzomys and bats. 207. Citrus and other fruit pests. Five serious citrus coccids occur in the coast region. Fruit-fly determined as Anastrepha sp. (not ludens). 208. Pests of cane, coffee, tobacco and general crops. Seven serious cane pests occur, including montaña forms. Many pests of crops in general collected and observations noted. Porto Rico, Rio Piedras,-D. L. Van Dine. 209. General entomological survey of the sugar cane areas of Porto Rico. We have now a list of some twenty (20) injurious species together with many associated species. The most of this material has been identified by the specialists of the United States Bureau of Entomology at Washington. The character of the injury of these species is understood and so is the comparative amount of damage. A great deal of information has been obtained on the local distribution of the species and the factors that regulate such distribution. 210. General breeding work. The breeding work has been in progress for only a year but some work has been done on practically all of the species affecting cane and quite a little work on a few of the more important species. At the present time the breeding work relates to the species of Lachnosterna affecting cane in Porto Rico and their local and introduced · parasites. 211. Laboratory and office work. An important start has been made towards building up a general collection o named material. 212. Field work. A card index record is kept of all plantation inspections with cross references to the field notes on the species observed and to the individual reports sent to the plantations. The results of the coöperative experiments are filed under the species to which they relate. 213. Experimental work. In the experimental work on the May-beetles an effort has been made to introduce natural enemies from abroad. An agent is working at the present tine in Illinois on the parasites of Lachnosterna in that locality. Various fungi have been introduced from Hawaii, the United States and France. The direct measures, in coöperation with plantations, have included the use of insecticides, repellents and picking the white-grubs behind the plows and the adults from their food plants at night. As regards the sugar-cane moth stalk-borer, Diatræa saccharalis, the egg parasites of the same in Louisiana, Mexico and British Guiana are sought. An agent visited Mexico last season but was forced to return to the United States on account of the political disturbances. The direct measures against this borer include experiments on seed selection, seed treatment, covering of seed, plucking out of "dead" hearts, and the destruction of the trash after harvest. The experimental work on the mole-cricket, Scapteriscus didactylus, includes different systems of planting the cane, cutting to prevent injury and trap light experiments in capturing adults at night. The work under this heading against the sugar-cane mealy-bug, Pseudococcus sacchari, relates to the treatment of seed before planting and seed selection. The ladybird beetle, Cryptolamus montrouzieri, a mealy-bug feeder, has been introduced successfully from California, through the Audubon Park, New Orleans, laboratory of the United States Bureau of Entomology and has been bred and liberated throughout the cane areas in large numbers. Washington, Pullman,-A. L. Melander. 214. Endoparasitism. Substantial progress. Not yet ready to report. 215. Bud weevils. Quite lately a series of over a dozen species of weevils has been troubling the fruit growers of the Columbia River basin, and elsewhere, by destroying the buds of young trees early in the spring. The damage often has been serious. A concern near Brewster has been manufacturing tree collars of enameled tin to protect against the weevils ascending. Muscoid flies Taronomic Directory Charles H. T. Townsend, Lima, Peru, S. A., will classify as time permits. Will send names in return for specimens. Correspondents please await further notification regarding permanent address. Empide A. L. Melander, Pullman, Washington, will classify. Will classify other dipterous groups by special arrangement. Chale dowed A. A Giralt, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, will classify H. J. Franklin, East Wareham, Mass., will classify to limit of his spare time. T. J. HE ADUFF, Committee. |