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NEWS LETTER OF THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. /
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Number 11. March, 1915.

NEWS FROM AN ENTOMOLOGIST AT LAKE VICTORIA NYANZA.

A full and entertaining report has recently been received from Mr. W. F. Fiske, who is
engaged in the investigation of the tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) for the Tropical Disease Com-
mission.

It was written on an unnamed island in Lake Victoria Nyanza on January 10, 1915. At
the outbreak of the war Mr. Fiske was called in from the field but later was given authority to
visit various islands in the lake.

He reports that the main conclusions at which he arrived before he went to Africa, and
which were published in the bulletin of Entomological Research, have been verified, although a
great deal of additional information has been obtained. He plans to remain in the vicinity
of Victoria Nyanza for the next 14 months. [W. D. Hunrer.]

HAVE ALL FOOD PLANTS ACCURATELY NAMED.

There is a great deal of confusion in the literature of economic entomology on account of
inaccuracy and a lack of definiteness in remarks about food plants. Such expressions as ‘‘taken
feeding upon Rumex sp.,” “‘in wood of Cornus,” and so on, occur altogether too frequently.

I had a letter recently from Mr. E. Ernest Green, asking me to find out for him the real
names of a very lengthy list of food plants taken from Mrs. Fernald’s Catalogue of Described
Coccide. It took me several weeks before I could straighten the list out, everi measurably,
for him. The men in the bureau should find it very simple to secure accurate determinations
by sending the specimens to Washington, or the nearest agricultural college, and it is hoped
that especial care will be taken in this respect in the future. [L. O. Howarp.]

AN INDEX OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY.

The index of economic entomology, covering the literature since 1905, is now fairly under
way. ‘Two typewriters are engaged in assisting Mr. Nathan Banks in the preparation of the
manuscript, and a third will soon be employed. More than one-half of the experiment-station
literature has been indexed, and work on the publications of the Bureau of Entomology is
nearing completion.

It is estimated that there will be at least 25,000 entries. [N. Banxs.]

RULING OF THE COMPTROLLER OF THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT RELATIVE TO LAUNDRY
CHARGES IN EXPENSE ACCOUNTS.

On October 5, 1914, the Comptroller of the Treasury Department rendered another decision
relative to laundry, in which he stated in part as follows:

I have in several decisions expressed my personal disapproval of the inclusion of such items in travel expenses to
be paid by the Government * * * , holding that they are to be charged, however, against the allowance for sub-
sistence.

The general rule which must ordinarily be followed in charging items of this character is that they must be charged
as subsistence for the day on which they are paid. This is founded on the theory that they are usually paid on the day

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when they accrue and when the bills therefor are presented. Expenses of this kind are not authorized to be prorated
for the entire period covered by the travel.
They must ordinarily be considered as being incurred on the day when paid, but when several accrued charges

are paid on one day * * * they may be regarded as expense of the days on which severally accrued.

For example, a charge of $2 for accumulated laundry, paid on a given date, would leave
but $3 subsistence (meals, lodgings, tips, etc.) for that particular day.

The agents and field men are requested to exercise care in the preparation of their accounts
with relation to the above decision, since it has been necessary in several cases to disallow
excess subsistence in the nature of laundry expenses. [L. O. Howarp.]

SOME NOTES ON THE PREPARATION OF ACCOUNTS.

That the frequent return for correction of accounts to men in the field may be eliminated,
and the number of suspensions be reduced to a minimum, it would probably be well to invite
attention to some minor details of form, the importance of which often does not impress the
agent.

The face of voucher, upper left-hand corner, provides a space in which should be written
the official station and temporary station, if assigned.

Each account should begin with a statement showing the location of the traveler, if he is
not at his official station at the beginning of the period for which the account is submitted.

Every locality indicated should mention the State, and each change of locality should be
supported by naming the means of conveyance. If by railroad, show the initials of the road.
(See par. 89(f), Fiscal Regulations.) In this connection be sure to state the fact if a change of
locality is made by means of conveyance for which no charge is made or if made on foot.

Paragraph 67, Fiscal Regulations, provides that specific written authorization should be
secured before travel is performed. When travel is performed (see par. 89(d)), state starting
point, day and hour of arrival and departure from station, points visited, and means of con-
veyance. All.expenses charged must show the locality at which the expense was incurred.

Indicate on the back of the account every transportation request used.

Prepare statement of all mileage or scrip used in duplicate on forms furnished for the pur-
pose. (See pars. 84 to 88, Fiscal Regulations.)

For the proper form of rendering reimbursement account, see pages 48-49, Fisca
Regulations.

Whenever official travel is interrupted for the purpose of taking leave, the day and hour of
beginning such leave should be stated, and also the day and hour of resuming official work.
If official work is resumed at a point other than that at which such leave began, no greater
charge for subsistence and travel may be allowed than might have been allowed in reaching
such point from the point at which official work was acquitted. [O. F. B.]

(To be continued in the April number.) °

NEW BOOKS IN LIBRARY.

American fruits yearbook and directory of nurserymen. 1915.

American museum of natural history. Bulletin, vol. 33, 1914.
p. 1-63. Wheeler, W. M., and Mann, W.M_ The ants of Haiti,
p. 391-493. Leng, Charles, and Mutchler, A. J. A prelimirery list of the Coleoptera of the West Indies as

recorded to Jan. 1, 1914.

p. 495-535. Barber, H.G. Insects of Florida, II. Hemiptera.

Fox, Carroll. Some new Siphonaptera. A further report on some Siphonaptera from the Philippine Islands. The
taxonomic value of the copulatory organs of the females in the order Siphonaptera. Washington, 1914. 31 p.
22 pl. (U.S. Public Health Service. Hygienic Laboratory Bulletin 97.)

Hindle, Edward. Flies in relation to disease; bloodsucking flies. Cambridge, 1914. 398 p. illus. (Cambridge
public health series under the editorship of G. S. Graham Smith and J. E. Purvis.) References at ends of sections.

Hood, J. D. An outline of the subfamilies and higher groups of the insect order Thysanoptera. (Proceedings of the
Biological Society of Washington, v. 28, p. 3-60, Mar. 12, 1915.)

Hutchinson, W. Z. Advanced bee culture; its methods and management. The A. 1. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. 1911.
ed. 4. 205 p.

Kraemer, Henry. Applied and economic botany, especially adapted for the use of students in technical schools,
agricultural, pharmaceutical, and medical colleges, and also as a book of reference for chemists, food analysts, and
students engaged in the morphological and physiological study of plants. 806 p. 424 pl. Philadelphia. The
author, 1914.

The library of the Department of Agriculture has recently received by transfer from the Library of Congress a number
of volumes on apiculture, among them a first edition (1853) of ‘‘Langstroth on the hive and honey bee.’’ North-
ampton, Hopkins, Bridgman & Co. These books are filed with the Apicultural Division at Drummond.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Farmers’ Bulletin No. 650, The San Jose scale and its control, by A. L. Quaintance, was issued March 30, 1915.

Farmers’ Bulletin No. 658, Cockroaches, by ©. L. Marlatt, was issued March 27, 1915.

Report of the Secretary’s Office No. 101, entitled ‘‘The Woolly Apple Aphis,” by A. L. Quaintance and A. C. Baker,
was issued March 31, 1915.

The Contents and Index number of the two papers on Aphididz, known as Technical Series 25, has gone to press.

Bureau Bulletin 94, Part II, Biology of the termites of the eastern United States, with preventive and remedial
measures, by Thomas E. Snyder. Issued February 17, 1915.

Department Bulletin 197, Home-made lime-sulphur concentrate, by E. W. Scott. Issued March 31, 1915.

BEE-CULTURE INVESTIGATIONS.
E. F. Puirures, In charge.

In conjunction with the Southern Conference for Education and Industry, to be held at
Chattanooga, Tenn., April 27-30, there will be a conference of southern bee keepers. The
meeting on the first day will be devoted to a discussion of beekeeping for teachers and others
interested in the development of beekeeping in the South. The Tennessee State Beekeepers’
Association has called a special meeting to be held with this conference on April 28-29. E. F.
Phillips is chairman of the bee-keepers’ conference.

N. E. McIndoo will leave about April 1 for Roswell, N. Mex., and Grand Junction, Colo.,
to do work in cooperation with the Office of Deciduous Fruit Insect Investigations. Mr. George
S. Demuth will go to Winchester, Va., for similar work on a later date.

The taking of records for the investigations on wintering will be discontinued about March
31. The lateness of the season has made it necessary to continue this work longer than usual.

CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECT INVESTIGATIONS.
F. M. Wesster, In charge.

Mr. Irving R. Crawford has been appointed temporary field assistant, and will proceed to
San Diego, Cal. to collect parasites of a species of Hemileuca oliviz in northeastern New Mexico.
The force engaged upon this investigation will consist of Mr. D. J. Caffrey, in charge; Messrs.
Crawford and J. R. Sandige, temporary assistants; and a permanent appointee not yet selected.

Mr. Timberlake, who has been spending the winter at the Brownsville, Tex., laboratory,
engaged particularly on the hymenopterous parasites of lady beetles, will return to Salt Lake
about the middle of April, and on his return Mr. L. P. Rockwood will be transferred temporarily
to Forest Grove, Oreg., to assist in the clover-insect investigations being carried on at and from
that laboratory. é

4

Mr. Harrison E. Smith is settled in the new laboratory established at West Springfield,
Mass., and will confine his work chiefly to New England.

Mr. J. J. Davis, in charge of the laboratory at Lafayette, Ind., is making an extended south-
ern trip, establishing some cooperative investigations in Lachnosterna at Auburn, Ala.; College
Station, Tex., and other points.

DECIDUOUS FRUIT INSECT INVESTIGATIONS.

A. L. Quaintance, In charge.

Mr. John B. Gill has returned to his field station at Monticello, Fla., where he will continue
investigations in connection with pecan insects.

Mr. E. B. Blakeslee has returned to his headquarters at Winchester, Va., and will continue
his studies of certain insects injurious to the peach.

Mr. B. R. Leach will also make Winchester, Va., his headquarters as last year. His work
on the woolly apple aphis as planned for the present season requires a good deal of travel in the
Shenandoah Valley and neighboring regions.

Mr. E. H. Siegler, formerly in charge of the laboratory at Benton Harbor, Mich., in con-
nection with the project of insecticide investigations, has been placed in immediate charge of
the laboratory at Grand Junction, Colo., where, in cooperation with the Colorado Agricultural
Experiment Station, he will undertake a thoroughgoing investigation of the codling moth in
the Grand Valley. He will be assisted by Mr. E. R. Van Leeuwen. |

The laboratory in Maine has been discontinued. Mr. F. L. Simanton, formerly in charge, has
been transferred to the laboratory at Benton Harbor, Mich., where he will undertake investiga-
tions in connection with orchard insecticides and spraying machinery. He will be assisted by
Mr. H. G. Ingerson.

Mr. E. W. Geyer, who spent several weeks in Washington during the winter in connection
with the preparation of reports, has returned to his headquarters, Roswell, N. Mex., where fur-
ther experiments will be made in the control of the codling moth under arid conditions, including
an extensive series of dusting experiments.

Mr. R. J. Fiske will assist Mr. Geyer in the New Mexico work.

Mr. W. M. Davidson has returned to his headquarters, Walnut Creek, Cal., where he will con-
tinue his investigations in connection with the grape Phylloxera. During his stay in Washing-
ton the report on the biology of this insect was about completed, and another season’s observa-
tions will complete the subject in a satisfactory manner.

Mr. H. K. Plank has returned to his headquarters at Pemberton, N.J., where he will assist
Mr. H. B. Scammell in connection with cranberry-insect investigations.

Mr. A. C. Baker has returned to Vienna, Va., where he will continue his investigations in
connection with apple-plant lice.

Mr. A. J. Ackerman has returned to his headquarters at West Chester, Pa., where he will
continue investigations of nursery insects.

FOREST INSECT INVESTIGATIONS.
A. D. Hopxtns, In charge.

Dr. Hopkins left Washington on March 6 for the purpose of visiting the series of forest
insect field stations in the West and addressing the third conference of national park superin-
tendents and supervisors which met at Berkeley and San Francisco, Cal., on March 11-13, 1915.
He has just returned. The field stations he visited included Colorado Springs, Colo.; Placer-

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ville, Cal.; Ashland, Oreg.; and Missoula, Mont. On March 13 he addressed the conference on
the subject of ‘‘Insect Depredations in the National Parks and How to Prevent Them.” Ar-
rangements were also made at this conference with representatives of the Interior Department
to train selected men for the different national parks in the practical details of forest insect
control and prevention. According to this arrangement national park representatives will be
detailed to the Bureau of Entomology to work under immediate instructions of an entomological
ranger trained as an insect-control expert.

Entomological Ranger W. G. Glendinning, attached to the field station at Placerville, Cal.,
spent about two weeks in Washington this month in consultation on practical details pertain-
ing to demonstration and control work in cooperation with the Forest Service.

Mr. H. G. Champion, the Carnegie scholar, as previously announced, left Washington on
March 14 and joined Dr. Hopkins at Missoula, Mont. He will spend the summer in the study
and observation at the various stations, returning to Washington in the fall.

PREVENTING SPREAD OF MOTHS.
A. F. Buraegss, In charge.

CONFERENCE OF OFFICIALS ENGAGED IN GIPSY MOTH WORK.

On February 13, 1915, a conference of officials engaged in gipsy moth work was held at the
Boston office of the Bureau of Entomology for the purpose of discussing gipsy moth conditions
in order to secure as much uniformity of work and general cooperation as possible among those
engaged in this project.

Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of the Bureau of Entomology, presided at the meeting and the
following officials and visitors were present:

Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt, Dominion Entomologist, Ottawa, Canada.

Mr. L. 8S. McLaine, Assistant in Gipsy and Brown-tail Moth Work, Ottawa, Canada.

Hon. W. T. Guptill, Commissioner of Agriculture, Augusta, Me.

Mr. E. J. Cady, Special Agent in Charge of Gipsy Moth Work, Portland, Me.

Hon. A. L. Felker, Commissioner of Agriculture, Concord, N. H.

Prof. W. C. O’Kane, Deputy Commissioner, In Charge of Moth Work, Durham, N. H.

Mr. Harold L. Bailey, In Charge of Suppression of Insect Pests, Bradford, Vt.

Dr. H. T. Fernald, State Inspector of Nurseries, Amherst, Mass.

Prof. A. E. Stene, State Entomologist, Kingston, R. I.

Mr. C. W. Loveland, Assistant Entomologist, Providence, R. I.

Dr. W. E. Britton, State Entomologist, New Haven, Conn.

Mr. I. W. Davis, Assistant Entomologist, New Haven, Conn.

Dr. T. J. Headlee, State Entomologist, New Brunswick, N. J.

Mr. Philip B. Ayers, Secretary of Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Boston, Mass.

Mr. E. L. Reynolds, Secretary of Massachusetts Forestry Association, Boston, Mass.

Mr. C. B. Williams, Mr. Ernest Hargreaves, and Mr. George H. Corbett, Carnegie scholars, who are studying prob-
lems in economic entomology in this country, and a number of representatives of the Bureau of Entomology engaged
in all different lines of investigation and field work which are being carried on in connection with the gipsy moth
project.

Other officials having charge of moth work in Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio were not

able to be present at the meeting.

The. meeting was called to order by Dr. Howard and a statement was given by representa-
tives from each State and the Dominion of Canada concerning the existing conditions and the
methods which were being used to control both the gipsy and brown-tail moths.

This was followed by a brief statement by Dr. Howard, in which he indicated that Federal
work on these two insects had been brought about largely because of the fact that the States
infested were attempting to control these insects. He further stated that there seemed to be

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little disposition on the part of Congress to discontinue appropriations so long as it could be
shown that the States were doing their part in stamping out these pests.

Statements were then made by members of the Federal gipsy-moth force in regard to the
different lines of work which were being carried on and the results which have been accomplished.

The parasite and other experimental work was briefly outlined by the writer, and the silvi-
cultural work, scouting work, and quarantine work, were discussed by Messrs. Clement, Worth-
ley, and Rogers.

At the afternoon session a general discussion was taken up in regard to the desirability of
more uniform legislation in the different States and suggestions were made relative to changing
some features of existing laws so as to bring about better results. Sufficient time was available,
so that different men in attendance had an opportunity to discuss features of the work with
which they were most interested, and it was the opinion of those present that much benefit and a
better understanding of conditions in different parts of the infested territory would result.

During the conference it was brought out that a change in the gipsy moth quarantine regu-
lations was pending and that the Federal Horticultural Board expected to permit the shipment
of Christmas trees and Christmas greens in the fall of 1915 after they had been inspected. The
present regulations do not permit the shipment of material of this sort outside the area under
quarantine for the gipsy moth. It was the opinion of those present that Christmas trees and
greens could not be satisfactorily inspected, owing to the large amount of material which is
moved in a short period of time.

On motion of Dr. Hewitt, the thanks of the meeting were extended to Dr. Howard and the
writer for calling the meeting and it was voted to hold a similar meeting next winter.

SOUTHERN FIELD CROP INSECT INVESTIGATIONS.
W. D. Hunter, In charge.

B. R. Coad has been placed in charge of the boll-weevil laboratory at Tallulah, La. G. D.
Smith, formerly at this station, has been located at Thomasville, Ga., where he will conduct
studies of a number of cotton pests.

T. C. Barber recently of the experiment station at Tucuman, Argentina, has been engaged
as an agent attached to the Tallulah laboratory.

D. L. Van Dine has returned to his field station at Mound, La., for the summer.

- A. H. Jennings, who has been engaged for some time in the study of the possible trans-
mission of pellagra by insects, will be detailed to the investigation of malarial mosquitoes.
After the 1st of May he will be located at Mound, La.

In January, W. V. King received a degree of doctor of philosophy from Tulane University
at New Orleans.

During the month a conference regarding the plans for boll-weevil work was held at Tal-
lulah and W. D. Hunter and A. C. Morgan attended the conference. Both of these men later
visited the laboratory at Audubon Park, New Orleans.

Messrs. R. W. Wells, M. J. Stanley, and G. H. Cowan have been appointed in connection
with the spotted-fever tick work in Montana.

SUGGESTIONS TO FIELD MEN ON THE PREVENTION OF MALARIA INFECTION.
D. L. Van Dinu, Southern Field Crop Insect Investigations.

The men of the bureau engaged in the work relating to the malaria mosquitoes have spent
two seasons in a region where malaria is widely prevalent without a single case of the disease
developing in any member of the party. Since the nature of this work subjects the men engaged

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upon it to daily contact with the malaria mosquitoes, it can be assumed that these men encoun-
ter the maximum difficulty in avoiding infection. The fact that infection was prevented with-
out any important personal inconvenience or serious interference with the field work has led
to the idea that suggestions on “‘how to avoid contracting malaria” would be of interest to the
field men of the bureau and others whose work necessitates spending all or a portion of the
season in regions where malaria occurs.

Malaria is not confined to any particular regions of the United States. It is more preva-
lent in some regions than in others, but it may occur in any locality where suitable conditions
exist for the development of the particular species of mosquitoes which act as the. conveying
agents. It is to be suspected in any rural region during the season of higher temperatures
where collections of surface water occur in any extent.

When going to a new field station, or returning to a former station if the question has not
been considered previously, a field worker should consult some well-informed physician of the
region as to the prevalence of malaria in that region. It is important to determine the foci of
the disease, the types of the disease, and the seasonal rate of the disease that obtain for that
particular region. This information will enable the person to avoid unnecessary exposure
in those localities where the disease is more prevalent, to recognize the disease from the symp-
toms, and to know the seasons when particular care should be taken. The centers of infection
should be avoided in the selection of living quarters and laboratory room.

If the disease is contracted, it should be remembered that it is not a dangerous malady
to combat under proper treatment but it is important to have the services of a well-informed
physician. The most important point is the diagnosis. Many derangements of the system,
aside from an infection of the malaria parasite, produce a chill, and very often a person experi-
encing a chill when located in a region where malaria is prevalent is apt to diagnose his own
case and pronounce it malaria. Very often under the impression that the disease has been
contracted, or as a preventive, a more or less continued and irregular use of quinine is begun,
which is seldom of benefit. Under no treatment at all the chronic type of the disease is apt to
develop, and so it is important to learn as early as possible, if any of the symptoms of malaria
develop, whether or not it is really malaria. The finding of the organism in the blood is the
proper method of diagnosis. The physician will advise the proper treatment as to laxatives,
quinine, and diet. There is one important point that it would be well to mention. The phy-
sician will always advise but the patient will seldom take several days of complete rest after
the malarial attack has been arrested. The impulse is to be up and about after the active
symptoms of the disease have disappeared. The course of quinine should be continued after
the chills cease, to obtain complete sterilization of the blood, and rest also is of decided assist-
ance.

A primary requisite in avoiding an infection of malaria is a clear understanding of the
nature of the disease, of the causative organism, of the manner of its transmission, and of the
mosquitoes that are the vectors. There are several publications of the Bureau of Entomology
which provide this information. Bulletins 78 and 88 give the foundation of the subject. A
special discussion of malaria is found in Farmers’ Bulletin 450, which also figures the malaria
mosquitoes. A more concise arrangement of Bulletin 88 is found in Farmers’ Bulletin 444.

In a malaria region the living quarters and the laboratory room should be properly screened
with wire cloth. During the season when mosquitoes are active a person should always sleep
under a mosquito bar or bed net, irrespective of whether the house or room is screened or not.
If the house is screened already, attention should be given to its condition and to the size of
the mesh. Not less than a No. 16 mesh should be used. The dealers do not carry this size
mesh as a rule, but it should be insisted upon, as it can always be secured by them from any

8

of the wire-cloth manufacturers. If the wire is in place and in good condition, it will be found
difficult to induce the landlord to change from a 14 or 12 mesh to 16. The 12 mesh should be
changed but the 14 can be made effective in turning mosquitoes by the application of a coat
of paint. The paint should be thinned for this use or otherwise it will fill many of the openings
entirely and needlessly cut down the circulation of air. The composition of the wire depends
upon the location. In the dryer atmospheres, and especially inland locations, a good grade
of galvanized-iron wire will last for several seasons. It usually pays to purchase one of the
higher grade nonrusting wire cloths.

The screen doors should open outward, should be hung with spring hinges, should be
fitted with a spring lock, and should fit closely all around the door opening. As wide a margin
of contact with the door casing as possible should be provided. This requires a fairly heavy,
well-braced door frame. The window screens are most efficient when the wire cloth is placed
on frames to cover the entire window opening and fastened snug to the window casing on the
outside with hooks and eyes or with screws which permits their being removed for repair or for
cleaning the windows. The windows may be raised or lowered from the inside. If the living
quarters have a gallery or veranda, the same should be screened in, which may be accomplished
by placing uprights between the gallery posts to suit the width of the wire cloth. This extra
cost of screening the gallery is offset by the saving in not screening the door and window open-
ings leading onto the veranda and by the added protection in possessing an out-of-doors room
for use during the warm summer season. During the season when fires are not a necessity,
the flues of the fireplaces should be screened by covering the top of the chimney with wire
cloth, held in place by an extra course of loose bricks. This is an important point which is
frequently overlooked.

To prevent as far as possible mosquitoes seeking shelter around and beneath the living
quarters or laboratory, the building should be raised well off the ground to permit free entrance
of light and air beneath. Tall grass, weeds, and undergrowth should be kept down for a liberal
space about the building.

Each bed should be provided with a mosquito bar. There are several kinds of material
on the market for use as mosquito bars, but the cheaper materials not only vary in the size of
the mesh but pull apart in use, allowing the mosquitoes entrance to the bar. The cheaper
materials having an irregular mesh are sold under the name of ‘‘mosquito bar.” That sold
under the trade name of ‘‘bobinet”’ has a regular mesh and is the most durable and the most
efficient. While the first cost is greater, considering its longer wear and the protection it
affords, the bobinet is the more economical. Bobinet is manufactured in widths from 72
inches to 90 inches and above and in three size meshes—fine, medium, and large. The fine-
mesh bobinet excludes the greater amount of air and the large mesh allows entrance to a cer-
tain proportion of the unfed mosquitoes seeking a blood meal. The medium size mesh bobinet
is, therefore, the most desirable. An efficient bar can be constructed by gathering the bobinet
liberally to a piece of muslin (usually sold under the trade name of ‘‘domestic”) about 3 feet
by 5 feet in size. A wooden frame of light material may be constructed the same width and
length as the muslin and hung lengthwise over the bed from the ceiling by means of cords. The
bar is held to the frame by tape sewed to the margins and to the corners of the muslin. The
bar can be constructed circular as well as rectangular and hung to a wooden or wire hoop.
The frames on the market for supporting mosquito bars over beds are usually circular, though
the rectangular bar is the more roomy. The length of the mosquito bar must be sufficient to
allow for a liberal air space over the bed and for folding beneath the edges of the mattress at
the bottom. The 90-inch bobinet provides a liberal length and 10 yards gathered to the muslin

g

will make a roomy bar for a double bed. The 90-inch, medium-mesh bobinet should retail
for from 30 to 35 cents a yard, depending upon the quality.

The mosquito bar should be drawn about the bed before nightfall and should be tucked
beneath the mattress inside the head and foot boards. Care should be taken that no mosquitoes
are inclosed in the process. Then mosquitoes resting beneath the bed can not find an entrance
to the inside of the bar.

With attention to screening the living quarters and the laboratory and providing an effi-
cient bar over the bed, the danger of exposure to infection will depend upon the care taken
in entering and leaving the house, in the places visited after nightfall, and especially upon the
protection found when spending the night away from headquarters. When traveling, a field
man may carry a mosquito bar with him to good advantage. The size of the bar for use in
travel can be greatly reduced from that given for use at headquarters. Eight yards of the
72-inch bobinet gathered to a smaller piece of muslin will make a practical bar. The weight
is not an item, as the bar adds little to the luggage to be carried. The frame is not important.
Two light strips of wood crossed in the middle and reaching from corner to corner of the muslin
and hung by the middle with a cord to a small hook in the ceiling can be used, or extra lengths
of tape can be sewed to the corners of the muslin and used to hold the bar over one’s bed by
attachment to the head and foot boards, backs of chairs, light fixtures, or fastened to the walls
with small tacks. If a bar is not carried by the traveler he should by all means have in his
bag a needle and thread for use in repairing the nets he finds in the hotels.

If mosquitoes make their way into the screened house through carelessness of servants
or otherwise, they should be searched for and killed. If the covering of the walls is of a light
color, the mosquitoes are more readily observed.

In riding after nightfall, especially in buggies or in autos, a person is liable to exposure
from the mosquitoes resting in the vehicles, the attack being usually about the ankles. For
this reason, and on general principles, it is best to wear high-top shoes during the summer
season in a malarial region.

In some cases the circumstances may make it necessary to depend upon repellents. A
number of these are described in the bulletins referred to earlier.

Frequently Anopheles mosquitoes make their way into sleeping cars when they are opened
for cleaning and are imprisoned when the screens are lowered. Throughout the season when
Anopheles are active it is a good plan to turn on the berth lights before retiring and find and
destroy any mosquitoes that may be present.

It will probably be impractical for field men to attempt the prevention of the breeding of
mosquitoes over any wide area in the region in which they are located, but often a great deal
can be done and relief secured by attention to the breeding places in the immediate vicinity of
the living quarters or laboratory.

TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL INSECT INVESTIGATIONS.

C. L, Martarr, In charge.

Dr. E. A. Back and Mr. C. E. Pemberton are hoping to practically complete their research
work on the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wied.) in Hawaii by June 30. A good deal
of time has been spent this spring studying the fruit-fly conditions, especially from the stand-
point of temperature, at different elevations on the island of Hawaii, where a total elevation
of 14,000 feet above sea-level is reached. In connection with this study other insects damaging
coffee in this district have been investigated. It will be interesting to members of the Bureau
of Entomology to know that one of the fruit-fly parasites introduced by Dr. Silvestri, working

10

under the auspices of the Territorial board of agriculture, has been extraordinarily successful.
This species, Opius humilis, on the authority of Dr. Back, has already caused a considerable
decrease in fly abundance in Honolulu, and particularly in the Kona coffee district on the island
of Hawaii. The parasitism among larve developing in coffee berries is sometimes nearly com-
plete, the records often ranging about 80 per cent. The parasitism of the larve of the fruit fly
in other host fruits varies from 0 to 100 per cent, and involves a very considerable list of host
fruits. This is, therefore, another apparently very successful parasite introduction in Hawaii,
where so many previous successes have already been recorded.

Mr. J. R. Horton, in charge of the Louisiana citrus work, made a visit of two weeks to Wash-
ington and worked up reports and matured plans for the continuation of work at his station.

Mr. E. W. Rust, assistant in the inspection work of the Federal Horticultural Board, is now
in California on leave for the purpose of taking a civil-service examination.

Mr. E. R. Sasscer, of the same service, is about to become the possessor of a sterilizer made
for can sterilization for use in canneries, which is being provided by the Federal Horticultural
Board for fumigation in partial vacuum of much larger quantities of material than has hitherto
been possible. The first test with this apparatus will be the fumigation of an entire bale of
Egyptian cotton to determine the depth of destructive penetration of the gas in relation to the
pink boll worm. The Department of Agriculture will probably shortly issue orders and regula-
tions governing the entry and utilization of foreign lint cottons to protect the United States from
the pink boll worm, which is very apt to enter with the seed which is left in such cotton on
account of faulty ginning.

TRUCK CROP AND STORED PRODUCT INSECT INVESTIGATIONS.
F. H. Currrenpen, In charge.

Mr. F. A. Johnston, entomological assistant, has closed his office at Riverhead, N. Y., and
will take up work on truck-crop insects, especially the pea aphis and root maggots, at Hart,
Mich.

Mr. H. O. Marsh, scientific assistant, has returned after a short trip to Arizona, to his
regular headquarters at Rocky Ford, Colo., where he will resume work on sugar beet and truck
crop insects.

Mr. Frank R. Cole has been appointed scientific assistant, to work temporarily at Pasadena,
Cal., and vicinity.

Mr. F. M. Wadley, of Manhattan, Kans., will return to Garden City, Kans., where he will
assist Mr. F. B. Milliken in work on sugar beet and truck crop insects.

Mr. C. E. Smith has been engaged to assist Mr. Thomas H. Jones in work on truck crop
insects at Baton Rouge, La., and vicinity.

Mr. Neale F. Howard, a graduate of the agricultural college, University of Wisconsin, will
work with this branch of the bureau on the pea aphis, root maggots, and other insects affecting
truck crops, with headquarters at Green Bay, Wis., in cooperation with the University of
Wisconsin.

Mr. C. H. Popenoe has recently returned from Texas, where the new self-propelled onion
sprayer was being tested. It was found that the operation of the machine in onion fields was
quite successful and certain slight modifications as to tire width, etc., will render the machine
somewhat more effective. This machine will also be tested by Mr. M. M. High against the
melon aphis at Mission, Tex., since it is believed that through the pressure obtainable in a
machine of this character the aphis may be readily controlled. The machine has proven to be
applicable to the control of many truck-crop pests other than those on the onion.

WASHINGTON ; GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ; 1015

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