While investigating the Anophelini of Southern Rhodesia in connection with the research on blackwater fever conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, an undescribed variety of Anopheles funestus, Giles, was taken in the dry season. Nine males and eight females were collected from May to August 1927, near Shamva, and one male and one female in July 1928, in the Fungwi Native Reserve. All were caught out-of-doors except two females, one of which was taken in a shed constructed of grass and the other in a native hut. The remainder were taken in close association with the earth; in surface drains, caves and crevices in rocks. No specimens were taken in or near European habitations, but all in undeveloped country. No adults were bred out, so that the following description is based on individuals captured “wild.” The larva is unknown.

Owing to the wide divergences of opinion at present current among those in the Sudan who are interested in leaf-crinkle of cotton, it is thought that the present paper, incomplete as it is, may be of some value in indicating what little knowledge has so far been obtained by observations and direct controlled experiments, and in outlining the more obvious and important directions in which further investigations should proceed.

In the course of some six years' work, the apparatus here described has been progressively evolved from my original apparatus, which has already been dealt with in this journal (xv, p. 49).

During the early part of 1929, a specially severe infestation of locusts occurred in the northern provinces of Tanganyika Territory, an extension of the plague already felt in Kenya. Laying was known to have taken place more or less continuously over the drier country all the way from Longido, west of Kilimanjaro, to the West Usambara Mountains. Successive broods of young locusts had to be dealt with; and in the same area it was possible to see newly hatched hoppers and insects almost full-grown and able to fly. An ample supply of extra food was therefore provided for any birds that might care to avail themselves of it, except the smallest, and certain specialists such as the Hirundines. I was anxious to get some idea of how the birds would react to these abnormal food-conditions, and by the kindness of Dr. and Mrs. R. R. Le G. Worsley, the former of whom was in charge of a sector of the locust campaign, I was able during the first week of June 1929 to make observations in a very heavily infested area between the Middle Pangani River and the South Pare Mountains. I have also to thank the Director E.A.A.R.S. for certain facilities in this connection.

♀♂. Cadmium-yellow; vertex and occiput medianly, mesonotum posteriorly in the angle formed by the notauli, black (fig. 1); scape above and flagellum very dark brown to black; hind tarsi very dark brown to black with flavescent pilosity; the apical tergites above commonly with a small dark mark; ovipositor red, the sheaths brown with flavescent pilosity; wings slightly and evenly infumated, except at apex, where they are decidedly darker, that is to say, in the forewing the apical half of the 3rd cubital and 2nd discoidal cells, and the apical fourth of the 2nd brachial cell, and in the hind wing the apical third of the radial, about the apical third of the cubital, and the extreme apex of the discoidal cells; the majority of the wing-veins dark redbrown, but black in the basal half of the forewing; in the forewing, the stigma, the costal vein (as opposed to the subcostal vein), and the medial at base, in the hindwing all veins at base of wing, and the majority of the anal vein in both wings, yellow testaceous, but often appearing rather darker owing to setae.

During a recent dry spell in the Brisbane area the canal situated at Nundah, known as Schultz's, had become silted, and various aquatic and other weeds had taken possession of the bed. Owing to pollution from a sewer, produced higher up, Culex fatigans, as is usual on such occasions, was breeding amongst the aquatic vegetation consisting mainly of Eichhornia speciosa (Water Hyacinth), Hydrilla verticillata (Water Thyme) and Jussiaea repens (Yellow Primrose). The large quantities of Characeae, usually so abundant in this canal during wet tunes, had completely disappeared.

The lac insects have, in recent years, been the object of extensive attention, partly on account of their economic importance, and partly on account of the biological interest that invests them. What the late Professor Lefroy had remarked about the Aphids in his “Indian Insect Life” may well have been said of these also but for the appearance of Chamberlin's Monograph (Bull. Ent. Res., xiv, 1923, pp. 147–122; xvi, 1925, pp. 31–42), which supplied a long-needed treatise on the subject. The weakness of this monograph, however, has seemed to me to be the insufficient treatment of the Indian forms, which was, evidently, due to lack of material, and it has therefore seemed desirable to undertake a study of the Indian lac insects in order to fill in the lacunae in this otherwise excellent monograph.

The nut gall-mite (Eriophyes avellanae, Nal.) is one of the commonest species of gall-mites that occurs in this country, and it may be found infesting the buds of hazel (Corylus avellana) in almost any hedgerow and copse where this plant grows. The species is found also in America and in Continental Europe. Its life-cycle is very similar to that of the black currant gall-mite, E. ribis (Westw.) Nal.

1. The Hemipterous fauna of the tobacco plant in Rhodesia during the growing season is confined to a Coreid, Aleurodid, Jassid and a Capsid.

2. A description of the adult and various instars of the Capsid, Engytatus volucer, Kirk., is given.

3. The habits of the insect on tobacco are discussed.

4. Attempted transmission of tobacco mosaic by Hemiptera found on tobacco plants failed.

5. Further experiments with the macerated contents of the thorax of E. volucer have proved it to cause a rolling and puckering of the leafsurface, which is termed “crinkle.”

6. Crinkle is caused by the poisonous nature of the saliva which spreads rapidly through the interior of the leaf. The salivary action does not affect localised centres to any appreciable extent so as to cause a “shot-hole” effect, as observed with other Capsids. The feeding sites are only noticeable when the leaf is held up to the light; rapid translocation currents cause its action to be spread over larger areas.

7. The injury is aggravated in weakened plants grown under adverse conditions, such as the striking of a hard pan in the sub-soil or a stone, or water deficiency.

8. Control can be effectively carried out by thorough cultivation of the soil, and the choosing of suitable sub-soils for root development. Early planting in December is recommended, or even earlier if rains are suitable, so that the plants will be well established before the height of infestation in April.

The object of this paper is to supply a means to the worker in the field for determining the Simuliidae that he may collect, with reasonable accuracy, until such time as he can have them identified by a systematist. A key to the females is given, and Mr. A. W. J. Pomeroy's figures of male genitalia and pupal filaments are reproduced. In this connection the worker is urged not to depend solely on the key to the females, which could no doubt be greatly improved upon when more materialis available, but to make use of the figures of male genitalia and pupal filaments where possible.

1. Only large game movements produce noticeable effects upon the fly community.

2. The fauna of the hills is not subjected to game concentration.

3. The country included in the N.E. Kikori round is not subjected to large game movements, as is the S.E. round.

4. A concentration of game appears to cause a considerable increase in fly density the surrounding country; when the game have dispersed the density drops.

5. In the small area of country forming the core of the concentration fly appear to be very scarce while the game are present. When the game have left the density greatly increases.

6. The arrival of much game in an area causes an increase in the activity of the females.