The following descriptions are based upon material submitted to me by the Director of the Imperial Bureau of Entomology. These species from but a very small part of the material which has gone, through the continuous efforts of Dr. Marshall, towards the growth and enrichment of the National Collection of Coccidae, and I wish to record my very best thanks to him. To Mr. E. E. Green I am indebted for his unfailing courtesy, helpful comments and gifts of material from his private collection.

♀. Very slender, strongly resembling an Atractomorpha in general appearance.

Antennae basally somewhat dilated and slightly compressed, about half as long again as the head. Head conical, as long as pronotum. Face very strongly oblique, obsoletely punctured and with irregular subobliterate longitudinal rugosities. Frontal ridge between antennae raised, below ocellum very low, with the sulcus distinct throughout, widened at the fastigium ; margins very obtuse. Eyes strongly elongate. Fastigium of vertex (fig. 4) about as long as an eye, and about half as long again as the basal width ; its sides, seen from above, distinctly concave ; surface convex, with a faint trace of the median carinula in the hind part, the carinula being better developed on the occiput.

The work described in the following paper was undertaken subsequent to Mr. F. D. Golding's investigations (2), which established the significance of Helopeltis spp. (Capsidae) to the Nigerian cotton crop, and which showed that some study of the life-history of this recent addition to the list of Nigerian insect pests was desirable.

♀ Integument black, densely squamose dorsally; the head brown, but pale round the eyes and beneath; the prothorax brown (with a slight coppery reflection) and with an ill-defined broad sinuate pale stripe on each side, adjoined externally at the base by a very indefinite blackish patch, and another very vague pale stripe on the extreme dorsal margin, the pleurae with thinner scaling, which is blackish on the upper half and grey below; the elytra brown, usually more or less heavily mottled with black and grey, but interval 1 always brown with a strong coppery reflection, the extreme base of intervals 1 and 4 blackish, that of intervals 2 and 3 and 6 and 7 grey, interval 3 with a conspicuous small black-ringed whitish spot near the top of the declivity, interval 7 mainly grey, and the lateral area below it thinly clothed with black scales and scattered grey ones; the lower surface rather more thinly covered than the dorsum with grey scales having a coppery reflection.

In spite of the notable economic importance of the scale-insects and in spite of their extraordinary biological interest, all of which has generated a very considerable activity in their study, it cannot be said that the systematics of the group are in anything that even approaches a satisfactory condition.

1. Chrysops amurensis, Plsk. 1910 (=C. binoculatus, Szilady, 1917).

In the type of C. amurensis, Plsk., which is in the Zoological Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the colouration cannot be considered as having attained its full development. The wings are somewhat indefinitely tinged, but there is a fairly distinct preapical spot ; it is rather narrow, and is separated from the main dark part of the wing by a large pellucid portion, curving into the marginal cell ; in shape and position this incurvation is similar to that of C. dissectus, Lw., and C. ricardoae, Plsk. All other features, such as the shape and size of the facial calli, the relative proportions of the different joints of the antennae, and the colour of the abdomen, are similar to those of C. binoculatus, Szil., as given in Szilady's description. The slight difference between the figures given by Pleske and Szilady in the shape of the central spot of the second tergite of the abdomen is probably due to greasing of the lateral parts. Szilady's figure presents the more normal pattern.

Oil palms in parts of the oil palm belt in the Gold Coast Colony have suffered at intervals from the attacks of a leaf-mining beetle. Specimens of the adult beetle and full-grown larva were sent by Mr. W. H. Patterson, Government Entomologist to the Gold Coast, to the Imperial Bureau of Entomology in 1920. These were determined by Mr. S. Maulik as a new species of the genus Coelaenomenodera (family Hispidae) and described under the specific name elaeidis (Bull. Ent. Res., x, p. 171). This species is indigenous to the West Coast of Africa, and hitherto has not been recorded outside the Gold Coast, but no doubt occurs throughout the West Coast oil palm belt. According to Mr. Maulik, 32 species of this genus are known, of which four only are recorded from Africa, the remainder being from Madagascar.

1. A general account is given of the habits and distribution of Tectacoris lineola, together with a description of the adult, and some remarks on the influence of weather conditions on mating.

2. The eggs and the different instars are described, and the period of time occupied by each is given.

3. The connection between Tectacoris lineola and boll rot incidence is established.

4. A table is given illustrating the comparative effect of boll rots and bollworm damage in the past season (1924–1925) on the Cotton Research Farm.

5. The effect of bug punctures on cotton seed and its infection with Fusarium moniliforme are briefly discussed.

In a previous paper, “ On the use of experimental plots when studying forest insects ” (Bull. Ent. Res. x, pt. 2, Jan. 1920), the author emphasised the necessity of using every effort in order to obtain accurate records of the degree of infestation and amount of injury of forest trees. During recent years the author has developed a method of recording and graphically illustrating the part played by different insects in killing a tree. This method having yielded very good results, he proposes here to bring it to the notice of other entomologists, especially those interested in forest insects.

Although Myzus cerasi is sometimes a serious pest of the cherry, and is therefore of economic importance in Great Britain, the life-history has never been completely worked out in the Eastern Hemisphere. A good deal of work has been done upon the species in America, and the life-history is recorded by W. A. Ross1 as it occurs on that continent.

The coffee berry-borer (Stephanoderes hampei, Ferr.) was first recorded as a pest in Uganda during the year 1908, and an account of the life-history was given by C. C. Gowdey in his report for the year 1909–10. There is very little doubt that the beetle is indigenous to this country and that its original food-plants were wild species of Coffea. The other parts of Africa in which it is known to occur are Tanganyika Territory, the Belgian Congo and French Gabun. It has also been accidently introduced into Java, Sumatra and Brazil.

For some years past, when using insecticide dusts on a small scale, we have employed a very simple, improvised apparatus as a distributor, which has given such satisfactory results that we venture to describe it.

Human experience in the past has often been crystallized into homely saws, of which the one that states that “ Prevention is better than cure ” should be regarded as one of the foundation stones of all work in economic entomology. We see this put into practice in such routine measures as the destruction of mosquito and fly larvae, ploughing fields in the dry weather to destroy grasshopper egg-masses, the destruction of weeds and stubble, the collection of egg-masses, caterpillars and hoppers, the enforced removal of cotton-plants after harvest, legislation against the introduction of pests into new countries, and similar measures which are so familiar that they need not be enlarged on here. Such measures are directed to and, if applied consistently, are largely effective in keeping within bounds insects which, if not thus checked, normally attain to destructive numbers, and by “ normally ” I mean that on the average they occur in such numbers every year, or for a series of years. There are, of course, fluctuations, due to natural causes, in the pest-status of many insects, which may be insignificant in normal years and occasionally rank as bad pests, or vice versa ; of such causes we know as yet very little, beyond the pious ascription of them to the effects of parasitic control or climate. But, after eliminating these fluctuations, we still often find our expectations upset by outbreaks for which it is very difficult to invoke any adequate explanation other than that they are the effect of a large influx into the area affected of the insect concerned. Such a theory may appear far-fetched at first sight, especially as it is very difficult of proof in most cases, but we find in India an accumulation of cases for which such an explanation seems the only one possible.

During the summer of 1924 the writer was engaged in research upon the feeding habits and the structure of the mouth-parts of Diptera. Among the families of Diptera that were studied were the Empidae, and one of the most interesting members of this family is Tachydromia minuta, Meigen, since it is among the few British Diptera, other than the Asilidae, that are entirely predacious.

The following note records the Ceratopogoninae found in two collections of small insects made by Dr. J. F. Corson at Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika Territory, East Africa, 1st to 20th September 1925. All the insects were taken between 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. on the windows of either the Bacteriological Laboratory or of a bungalow. We have pleasure in dedicating to the collector the single new species found.

A few larve of Tabanus fasciatus niloticus were obtained on 4th March 1925 near Renk, on the White Nile, their habitat being the Nile cabbage (Pistia stratiotes, Linn.). They were by no means common, a search of a couple of hours yielding but seven specimens. They were lying submerged in the water, supported on the bases of the lower leaves in such a position that their caudal respiratory siphons could be extended to reach the surface of the water, and never more than a single larva occurred on an individual plant. In appearance they were typical Tabanid larvae, except as regards colour ; the normal colour is white to yellowish, but the larvae in question were bright green, similar to the green of the leaves among which they were situated. They were placed in a glass jar with water, plant débris and some Nile cabbages, and taken to Khartoum, the journey occupying ten days. When the contents of the jar were examined in Khartoum two larvae were recovered and removed each to a test-tube containing a roll of filter-paper and water. They fed readily on earthworms.

The following new species was reared from the eggs of a Pentatomid bug, Tectocoris lineola, F. (banksi, Don.), which attacks cotton. It occurred in company with Hadronotus nigricornis, Dodd, and was more abundant than that species.

1. The Nzega sub-district of Tabora contains old savannah wooding (mostly Brachystegia), younger savannah wooding (in part Brachystegia, in large part Acacia) and grassy “ culture steppe,” or open settlement. There is also a large, natural, open grassy steppe, uninhabited, on the Wembere.

2. The younger wooding has grown up as the result of depopulation caused by clan and tribal warfare that pre-dated the entry of the Germans, though a little has been produced since by oppressive or unpopular chiefs.

3. The older bush is for the most part infested with G. morsitans, and the younger is in part infested, in part in course of becoming infested, by tsetses that appear to be advancing on several fronts. The largest bush area in the district as yet uninfested is that of Mwambiti, south and west of Gulube.

4. Much of the settled culture steppe being itself still very bushy, the advance of the fly to its borders would appear to constitute a serious threat, and the cattle and their owners are already beginning to be driven by G. morsitans out of culture steppe in north Makarundi and Nzega Ndogo, at a point south-east of Kiguhumo.

5. G. swynnertoni has recently passed into the sub-district from Shinyanga, is spreading, and, being particularly adapted to dry thorn-bush conditions, is probably capable of infesting all portions that are as yet uninfested, as well as all of the culture steppe excepting parts of Makarundi. G. swynnertoni is already in contact with the great thorn-bush area, Arusha to Dodoma, to the east of the Nzega sub-district, for it occupies areas in Mbulu and Mkalama.

6. The advances by G. swynnertoni and G. morsitans into the Mwambiti bush area are of somewhat special interest, for they are representative of what is happening in much of South East Africa.

7. The possibility of dealing with this situation by means of measures against the game has been carefully considered. The only effect such measures could have here would be to accelerate the advance of the fly owing to the movements of man and game that they would bring about and to divert the population from development of their country to hunting. Both these situations are already existing in East Mwanza and are proving difficult to remedy.

8. Means of producing and consolidating cleared barriers are under experimentation, but it would seem that at present the above-mentioned advance can be met, if at all, only by judiciously planned and organised late grass-burning.

9. Grass-fires in any case have for hundreds of years burned off the country. Their discontinuance, unreplaced by settlement and immediate heavy stocking with animals, leads to a vicious thicket growth that gradually suppresses all pasture, continues to harbour tsetse and is clearable only at the greatest expense. As, then, burning does and must take place, surely it is far better that in tsetse areas (not in cattle-areas) the fires should be organised in such a way that they will damage the fly and in a limited number of years replace the patchy, scanty humus of the thickets with well-distributed manure resulting from the grazing of cattle, than that the present indiscriminate and harmful system of burning should be allowed to continue.

10. The administrative difficulty is a very real one. A man who is over-busy in other directions, or easily imposed on, can never enforce the postponement of burning. Someone should, if possible, be in special charge during the critical months and be aided by legislation, energetic native guards and the co-operation of the headmen.

11. Postponement of burning was effected last year on these lines in nearly the whole Mwambiti-Mwansimba area with success. This area comprises both the advance by G. swynnertoni and two of the three most threatening advances by G. morsitans. The fire, as regards its carrying out, was most successful also. It will take three or more such burnings before the probable effect on the tsetse can be clearly seen, and work on the more extensive thickets may also first be needed.

12. On the west of the area bush-clearing is necessary to hold the fly back. The natives have already carried out a first instalment of this clearing near Kiguhumo and, near “ Stoke's Camp ” and Ndambire's, made a small beginning with the splitting up of the fly-belt on the lines indicated on the map. Their efforts (Ibologelo, Nzega and North Makarundi) that are immediately threatened by G. morsitans.

13. In Nzega, as in Shinyanga, the value of using the tribal organisation was well proved. The natives still follow their chiefs and headmen as their natural leaders, and there can be no doubt that where this system has been allowed to weaken and headmen have lost their prestige, measures against the tsetse are going to be far more difficult to carry out.

14. South Makarundi offers a fine example of what can be done in the way of making culture steppe (and freedom from fly) permanent by getting the natives to dig up stumps for firewood instead of making journeys to the bush.

A new species of Triphleps has been received by the Imperial Bureau of Entomology from Mr. E. Ballard, who reports it as attacking the eggs of Heliothis obsoleta, H.S., in Queensland. Although there are already forty-four species of Triphleps described from all parts of the world, this is the first species to be recorded from Australia. Garman & Jewett have previously (1914) reported Triphleps insidiosus, Say, as feeding on the eggs of H. obsoleta, H.S., in the United States.