TABLE II. PERCENTAGE OF PARASITISM AMONG C. capitata LARVE DEVeloping in KamaNI NUTS (Terminalia catappa) GROWING IN HONOLULU, T. H.

TABLE III. PERCENTAGE OF PARASITISM AMONG C. capitata LArve DevelopinG IN VARIOUS HOST FRUITS GROWN IN HONOLULU, T. H.

While it is far too early to draw any conclusions regarding the ultimate effectiveness of these introduced parasites, data for 1914 and 1915 show that all four parasites have successfully established themselves, and are already promising much as a factor in the control of Hawaii's worst fruit pest, and form a basis for the study of the relationship between the parasites in their struggle for existence during the years to come.

SOME GRASS-FEEDING MEALY-BUGS (COCCIDE)

By T. D., A. COCKERELL, University of Colorado

I am indebted to Mr. P. H. Timberlake for some beautiful mounts of certain grass-feeding mealy-bugs, which he wishes to mention by name in an account of the parasites raised from them. They prove to belong to the group of Pseudococcus neomexicanus (Tinsley), but to differ from any previously described.

Pseudococcus timberlakei n. sp.

FEMALE. Body elongate, 2,016 microns long and 800 broad, as mounted; scattered hairs and many small round glands, but no lateral patches of bristles; caudal region with many glands, of two sizes, large and ring-like, and small with a distinctly cylindrical form; antennæ wide apart (167 microns), 8-jointed; labium 112 microns long and 72 broad at base; legs with long hairs, on under side of middle femur are seven long hairs (75 microns), in two rows; no denticle on claw; anal ring with six bristles, 145 microns long; long bristles of caudal lobes about 195 microns. The following measurements are in microns: middle leg, femur with trochanter, 250; tibia, 187; tarsus (without claw), 80. Antennal joints: (1) 45-47, (2) 50, (3) 42, (4) 32–35, (5) 35-40, (6) 32-35, (7) 37, (8) 80.

Mr. Timberlake's field notes are as follows:

"On salt marsh grass, Millbrae, California (near San Francisco), Oct. 14, 1915. Half-grown specimens or larger were found in exposed situations on blades or at axils of the blades, and females with egg-masses on the same parts of the plant. The lateral and caudal secretions of the active females closely resemble those of Pseudococcus citrophilus Clausen figured on p. 20, Calif. Exp. Station Bull. 258. (I made comparison with figure given as soon as I got back from the field.) The egg-mass or sac is rather compactly matted, about 4 mm. long and 1.5 in diameter, and the exhausted female lies exposed at one end."

The antennæ agree with those of P. neomexicanus, but the other characters are distinctive. The species is easily known from P. salinus Ckll. (which may be found in quantity on grass at the edge of the low cliff at the Scripps Institution at La Jolla, California) by the much longer bristles of anal ring and caudal bristles, as well as by the shorter first three antennal joints.

Mr. Timberlake sent for comparison a slide marked "Pseudococcus smithii (Essig), on Elymus, Ventura, Calif., Oct. 20, 1914 (C. P. Clausen)." This is said to be the species described from examples with 7-jointed antennæ as Ripersia smithii Essig; Mr. Clausen found that a considerable proportion of the specimens had 7-jointed antennæ, but 8-jointed specimens were not rare. The insect is a true Pseudococ

cus, but very distinct from P. timberlakei, especially in the character of the antennæ. The following measurements in microns are from the specimen sent to me: hind tibia, 375; hind tarsus (without claw) 117; hairs of anal ring, about 125; long caudal bristles about 180; antennal joints, (1) 80, (2) 80, (3) 60, (4) 57, (5) 62, (6) 55, (7) 47, (8) 107. This is certainly not salinus; it appears to be related to P. maritimus (Ehrhorn).

Pseudococcus neomexicanus var. utahensis n. var.

FEMALE. Length 4.5 mm., width 2 mm; claws without denticle, all the digitules slender. Agrees in general with neomexicanus, but third antennal joint much shorter than second, and equal with 4, 5 and 6. The following measurements are in microns: hairs of anal ring about 107; long caudal bristles about 150; middle leg, femur with trochanter, 195; tibia, 160, tarsus (without claw), 75; width of femur, 40; antennal joints, (1) 42, (2) 42–45, (3) 25, (4) 25–27, (5) 25–27, (6) 25, (7) 35, (8) 72. Collected Sept. 3, 1915.

Mr. Timberlake's field notes are as follows:

"On Elymus. Salt Lake City, Utah. This species was first noticed by me about the middle of July, but no collection was made until Aug. 14. Other collections were made Sept. 3, Sept. 20 and Nov. 23. All the larger specimens were found concealed between the sheaths and the stem, and hence they could not be observed in an undisturbed condition. Apparently when the females reached a fairly large size (about half grown) they became enclosed in rather thin cottony sacs of rather close texture. A female that was removed from its situs and placed in a vial, soon entirely enclosed itself in a cilindrical cottony mass about 6 mm. long and 2 mm. in diameter. This sac was apparently much more abundantly developed and certainly considerably more fluffy than in specimens taken from the stems. Those in stems were of course much flattened and the cottony secretion pressed together. A female with egg-mass of 103 eggs, collected on Nov. 23, was found at one end of sac, and not covered up, at least when leafsheath was torn away; neither were the eggs entirely covered up, but the cottony fibers being sticky (but not viscid) tenaciously held the eggs in place. The body coloration was not noted, certainly not striking, and if I remember right pale yellowish. The females removed from their sacs were covered with a thin white meal, and nearly destitute of the usual lateral and caudal secretions. The exhausted female found on Nov. 23 turned dull, dark, crimson-brown when boiled in KOH. The egg was described as pale yellowish-brown, darker at one end, about .4 mm. long by .2 mm. diameter."

True P. neomexicanus, common in northern New Mexico, lives underground on roots of grass, and is tended by Lasius.

Scientific Notes

New Jersey Mosquito Association Meets. This organization, which has for its object the elimination of the mosquito from the standpoint of human comfort and the attendant property values, held its third annual meeting on the 17th and 18th of February. As might be expected from its purpose the membership is composed of business and professional men of all sorts. To become a member it is merely necessary to inform the proper persons that one wishes to become connected with the movement. No dues or assessments are levied upon the individual members and the necessary expenses are borne by the organizations which belong to it.

The program of this meeting included five speakers, who were professionally connected with the practical work; eleven, who were identified with it as members of directing boards; two who were responsible for the state work and the correlation of the work of the county units; three who represented the taxpayers who receive the benefits and pay the bills; one, who represented the Interstate Anti-mosquito Committee; and one, who represented the mosquito work of the country as a whole.

One member of the first group, Mr. James E. Brooks, showed that dikes, tide gates, and trenching, drain shut-in areas of salt marsh, which the ordinary trenching will not protect, in such a fashion that no serious emergence of mosquitoes takes place. Another member, Mr. William Delaney, pointed out that pumps are necessary on certain enclosed marshes that have shrunken below the sea level, and that a twelveinch, low-head, motor-driven, centrifugal pump with necessary trenching removed the water from 800 acres of bad breeding marsh in such a fashion that no serious emergence could occur.

Another member of this group, Mr. Harold I. Eaton, showed that the average acre cost of salt marsh trenching for 12,000 acres drained in the last three years was $4, and that the price exclusive of administration expense had been reduced from $5.22 in 1913 to $2.75 in 1915. Another member, Mr. Russell W. Gies, showed that the average per capita cost of county-wide mosquito control work was about 12 cents. Another, Mr. John Dobbins, pointed out the methods, which four years' experience in the practical work had proven to be best for fresh water mosquito control.

The members of the second group, Dr. William Edgar Darnall, Mr. E. B. Walden, Mr. Joseph Camp, Mr. Spencer Miller, Dr. H. H. Brinkerhoff, Mr. Charles Deshler, Mr. Ira Barrows, Mr. Walter Hudson, Mr. Robert F. Engle and Mr. Louis J. Richards, confined their statements to the status of the practical work in the counties which they represented.

The first member of the third group, Dr. Jacob G. Lipman, pointed out the tremendous agricultural and urban development which awaits the satisfactory control of the mosquito pest. The second, Dr. Thomas J. Headlee, pointed out the various problems of the New Jersey mosquito's natural history and control that have been recently solved and some of those which still await solution.

The members of the fourth group, Mr. Thomas Mathias, Mr. E. Morgan Barradale, and Mr. John N. Cady, devoted their attention to the results of the work (which they said were good) and the esteem (which they said was high) in which it is held by those who pay the bills.

Dr. Haven Emerson, commissioner of health for New York City, and member of the fifth group, outlined the work of this committee as one of correlating the mosquito control work of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

Dr. L. O. Howard discouraged the use of bats as a means of mosquito control in New Jersey on the ground that natural conditions did not favor the attempt. He set forth the work of King connecting Anopheles punctipennis Say. with the carriage of malaria and gave a brief account of the Bureau's work against the malarial mosquito in the lower Mississippi valley.