Inconsistencies in larval habits of the Nearctic Calocalpe population have been known to lepidopterists of eastern North America for over a decade, at least since the publication of The Lepidoptera of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard Islands, Massachusetts by Dr. Frank Morton Jones and Mr. Charles P. Kimball (Nantucket Maria Mitchell Assoc., IV, 1943). In writing of the occurrence of undulata on Martha's Vineyard, Dr. Jones mentioned “solitary larvae, identified by breedings, occasional on Azalea”. Since only the common gregarious larvae on cherry were known up to that time and always considered as representing an American variant of undulata, the report of a solitary larva on a totally different food plant sounded interesting. This was drawn to my attention by Mr. Laurence R. Rupert of Sardinia, N.Y., who did so much to inspire my interest in Lepidoptera in earlier years. On a collecting trip with him to Martha's Vineyard in 1947, one of the things sought for was the Calocalpe mentioned by Dr. Jones. We did not find any, but since that time Dr. J. McDunnough and I on a number of occasions have bred specimens from solitary larvae on Rhodora at Halifax. Since Rhodora and Azalea are closely related, I assume this to be the same as the Martha's Vineyard species. Dr. McDunnough bred one from a larvae on Spiraea, the specimen emerging just in time to be mentioned in this paper. On another occasion I bred one from a single larva on willow, undoubtedly also the same species, and this provided the first clue to its relationship with the Palaearctic willow-feeding undulata.

MacGillivray (1952) listed aphids of the genus Aphis from the Maritime Provinces. Following are further records, from this region, of species of the tribes Aphini, including additional species of Aphis, Panaphini, and Lachnini. Slides of most of the material are at the Fredericton laboratory.

Logging slash constitutes an environment supporting a particular association of insects and other arthropods. At first, the species in the community are governed by the character of the slash, but with the passage of time the condition of the slash changes, the rate of change being directly affected by bark beetles and other wood borers that facilitate entry of wood-destroying fungi. As the environment changes, those species for which the habitat is no longer suitable drop out, leaving in the association only those that can exist under the new conditions. Insect communities in slash, logs, and dying trees have been studied by Hopkins (1893, 1899), Clemens (1916), Blackman and Stage (1918, 1924), Graham (1925), DeLeon (1934), Beal and Massey (1945), Howden and Vogt (1951), and others. The succession of communities of animals inhabiting slash, logs, and dying and dead trees has been shown by Adams (1915) and Savely (1939) to continue until the wood has disintegrated completely.

Occasions frequently arise in entomological work when it is necessary to handle large numbers of insect eggs. If the eggs are to be counted or treated, it is often necessary that they be held in a fixed position. A technique has been devised at the Ottawa laboratory by which many eggs can be handled and held with great ease. The eggs to be treated are placed on a sheet of Saran Wrap (Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich.). The static charge on the plastic is strong ennugh to hold the eggs securely. After treatment the eggs can be removed by means of a moist brush. This method is ideal for topical application studies and, if the Saran Wrap is backed with aluminum foil, it may be used to make excellent micro weighing dishes with adhesive qualities.

For many years, the black fly Simulium venustum Say has been considered to be the chief vector of Leucocytozoon simondi M. & L. (=L. anatis Wick.), a protozoan parasite infesting the bloodstream of ducks and geese and causing a malarialike disease that is usually fatal to immature birds. The organism undergoes part of its life-cycle in the stomach of the fly, which transmits it, through its bite, to the primary host. Its development in the latter results in the rupture of blood cells, with extensive destruction of tissue of the spleen, liver, and other organs. Although, superficially, the case against S. venustum appears to be already proved, recent studies of this species in Eastern Canada have indicated that some aspects of its supposed relation to L. simondi cannot readily be explained on the basis of what is known of its life-history and habits. My attention was focussed on this problem when I discovered in 1953 that the Simulium species reported by Walker (1927) as causing wholesale deaths in a flock of goslings at Fredericton, N.B., was neither Simulium bracteatum Coq. (a synonym of S. (Eusimulium) aureum Fries), as reported by Walker, nor S. venustum Say, as suggested by Twinn (1933).

The importance of predators in the natural control of mosquitoes has been suggested by a number of workers. Comprehensive reviews have been presented by Hinman (1934) and Gerberich (1946). The conclusions are open to some question, however, since the investigations were confined for the most part to studies in laboratory aquaria. These environments create conditions such as crowding, absence of prey shelter, and lack of alternative prey, which prevent an analysis of predation in terms of field conditions. An accurate assessment of predation in nature requires a technique to identify predators that have consumed prey. This is a report on an attempt to analyse the predator-prey relationships of animals in a natural mosquito pool in a woodland swamp near Chatterton, in Hastings County, Ontario, in April and May, 1953, by means of a radioactive tracer.

As part of a comprehensive investigation on insects affecting the low-bush blueberry in New Brunswick, a study has been made since 1950 of the saw-flies present in blueberry fields in Charlotte County. Of the 19 species collected by sweeping, onIv three Neopareophora litura (Klug), Pristiphora idiota (Nort.), and Pristiphora sp., feed on blueberry; the remainder feed on other plants growing in or near the blueberry fields. Blueberry sawflies are common in New Brunswick but do not cause any serious injury. However, in Maine, Phipps (1930, pp. 107-232) reported complete defoliation of 50 acres of blueberries by sawfly larvae.

In investigations on the life-history of the onion maggot, Hylemya antiqua (Mg.), at St. Jean, several types of emergence cages were devised and tested. The composite emergence cage described below was found very satisfactory for the collecting of adults.

The following records of Canadian Siphonaptera are supplementary to those detailed in Fox (1940), Ewing and Fox (1943), and Holland (1949, 1952). Records of fleas from the Maritime Provinces are particularly lacking in the literature, being limited to the following species:

NEW BRUNSWICK: Ceratophyllus gallinae (Schrank); Epitedia wenmanni wenmanni (Rothschild); Hoplopsyllus glacialis lynx (Baker); Nearctopsylla genalis laurentina Jordan and Rothschild; Orchopeas caedens durus (Jordan); Oropsylla arctomys (Baker); Stenoponia americana (Baker).

During the period April 13 to November 10, 1953 the writer conducted a survey of calyptrate flies of medical importance at London, Ontario, and its vicinity. The flies were trapped in twelve traps baited wit11 malt extract and set out in twelve localities such as garbage dumps, the border of swamps and the premises of meat packing plants, sewage disposal plants, dairies, restaurants and industrial properties. During the course of the survey 142,975 flies in the families Anthomyiidae, Muscidae, Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae were collected. From these were chosen twenty species for counting. The daily catch of these flies from each of the twelve traps was kept separate and the flies were sorted according to species and sex and a record was kept of the numbers of each species captured in each trap. Tn making the identifications it was necessary to examine each specimen under a binocular microscope and during this process the specimen was also examined for the presence on it of parasites or other organisms clinging to it. Three such organisms mere found on several flies: mites, pollinia of milkweed and fungi of the genus Empusa.

Attempts to rear plants and animals under aseptic conditions have led to the development of special cabinets in which the atmosphere can be sterilized and the experimental materials manipulated without fear of contamination. The mechanical design, instrumentation, and principles upon which the development of such equipment is based have been admirably discussed by Reyniers (1943). House and Patton (1949) made an ingenious modification of Reyniers' cabinet whereby it can be used to anaesthetize, handle, and weigh cockroaches aseptically.

The mailing date of the July 1955 number was erroneously given as July 15, 1955. This should be changed to August 26, 1955.