In the course of studies on the insects of rose hips Dr. W. V. Balduf, of the University of Illinois, reared and sent me for identification two species of Opius, both parasites of Rhagoletis alternata (Fall.). These are distinct from all described American species, and so far as I have been able to determine, they are different from all species of Opius known in Europe, where the host also occurs. Accordingty, both are described here as new.

During the Thirteenth International Congress of Zoology which closed at Paris on Tuesday, 27th July, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, holding its first meeting since the close of the war, put forward a comprehensive programme for the reform and development of Zoological Nomenclature.

Measures taken to reform procedures are designed to enable the Commission to reach decisions much more rapidly than has been possible in the past.

While it is said, with some truth, that man's greatest conflict is with man, and although that conflict shows little indication of soon abating, he faces other conflicts which are also very real and immediate. Man is one of the many competing species in the world's interdependent fauna and his very existence is inextricably interwoven with that of the other animals in his environment. Man's progress may be measured largely by the degree to which he has been able to shape his environment to meet his needs and few would deny that in so altering his environment he has made human existence more tolerable and consequently, more satisfying. At least few of us would elect to return to a more primitive stage of human history.

A general requirement of most biological research laboratories is suitable compact storage space for microscope slides. This is particularly true where space is required for storing deeper preparations such as whole mounts in a horizontal plane with their identification labels in full view. Of the many commercial cabinets now available few appear to be entirely satisfactory. Although some are constructed to hold the slides horizontally, in these the slide holders are in the form of trays with a capacity of not more than one dozen slides and the trays are carried in grooves nne above the other. In others, thin drawers are used in which the slides are laid side bv side on the bottom. In the former, considerable handling is required to expose the labels of the slides. In the latter, slides easily become disarranged, and are exposed to an accumulation of dust; and though considerable space is required, the capacity of the drawers in most cases is limited to less than 100 slides. A cabinet in which a number of desirable features is incorporated has recently been developed at this laboratory, and a description of it constitutes the basis of the present paper.

Incisalia hadros Cook and Watson, and Incisalia Henrici, G. & R., new variety, solatus Cook and Watson, were described in The Canadian Entomologist, 1909, volume 41, pages 181-182.

In the description of hadros it was stated that the types (♂ and ♀) and two paratypes (♂ and ♀) would be sent to the United States National Museum. The description of solatus did not mention the disposition of the types.

While on a short visit in northern Maine during the summer of 1946, I collected a new and interesting ant of the Microgyna group of the genus Formica. The description follows below:

Formica dirksi sp. nov.

Deälate queen, total length 5.1 mm. Head, maximum width through eyes 1.2 mm., at base of mandibles 0.78 mm., length to anterior border of clypeus 1.3 mm. Thorax, Weber's (1938: 155, footnote) measurement 2.1 mm. General characters of the Microgyna group. Mandibles 7-toothed. Clypeus evenly rounded in front, with uneven surface and carina just barely distinguishable as a line anteriorly, but becoming a low blunt ridge through the mid-region and disappearing posteriorly. Head, excluding mandibles and eyes, somewhat longer than broad; narrower in front than in behind, with posterior corners evenly rounded, posterior border and sides slightly convex. Antennae of medium size, scape slightly stouter apically than basally, bent slightly and gradually in basal half, joints 2 and 3 of funiculus distinctly longer than broad; the apical joints only slightly longer than broad. Frontal area distinct, subtriangular, and about twice as broad at base as high. Frontal carinae diverging posteriorly, about as long as width of frontal area. Eyes black, more or less oval, strongly convex, remote from mandibular insertions and close to posterior corners of head. Ocelli medium-sized, round, white and forming an isosceles triangle with a base, which is situated posteriorly, equal to 0.24 mm. Ratio of base to the shorter sides is 10 to 7.

In examining a long series of several species of blackflies collected in Algonquin Park, Ontario, it was found that characters, often key characters, used in identifying adults as well as pupae showed variations from those described by previous authors.

Checking some North American genera of bark-beetles I found a series of Alniphagus Sw. which does not agree with the common species Alniphagus aspericollis from California and British Columbia and doubtless represents a new species. The genus therefore comprises now three distinct species, Alniphagus alni Nijs. from Japan and the Far East, A. aspericollis from British Columbia down to California and the new species A. hirsutus from Alnus sitchensis in B.C.

Keeping a supply of paradichlorohenezene or naphthalene in insect boxes for protection against dermestids has always been a problem. Small cloth bags or wire screen boxes are frequently used hut are a nuisance to fill and require several pins to hold them in place. The method used for protecting the collections at the Vineland Station Laboratory appears to be more convenient.

Rolls of dental cotton, which are about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, are cut into pieces two inches long and mounted crosswise on ordinary office pins. Paradichlorobenzene is melted (M.P. 53° C.), most conveniently in a can placed in a vessel of hot water, and the pieces of cotton are dipped into it. The cotton becomes saturated almost instantaneously and is laid on a board until the paradichlorobenzene solidifies.

Lygus campestris (L.) was a major contributing factor in a disastrous reduction of carrot seed yields in the district of Grand Forks, B.C., during 1947 and 1948.

Knight (1941) lists this species as “common in the northern states and Canada; Holarctic in distribution”. Of its food plants he reports: “Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) and other plants of the family Umbelliferae; Illinois specimens have been collected on wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) and cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum). Reported in Massachusetts and New Brunswick as a pest on celery plants”.

The following list contains eighty-six species of spiders collected in the Mackenzie District. The greater portion of species were collected in the vicinity of Great Slave Lake; however, a few of these were from Fort Smith, close to the southern boundary of the Mackenzie District, and Great Bear Lake.

The collection was made during the summers of 1945, '46 and '47. The major portion of the collection was due to the efforts of Dr. D. S. Rawson, Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan; Dr. J. G. Oughton, formerly of the Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology, Mr. J. R. Vockeroth of the University of Saskatchewan, and Dr. W. A. Kennedy, of the Biological Board of Canada.

During the course of revisional studies of the tribe Larvaevorini, a number of undescribed species were received from outside sources. Rather than delay the return of specimens, and on the chance that the final revision will not be published for some time, the descriptions of these new forms are given below.

Juriniopsis aurifrons new species

Until the present only one species of Juriniopsis, adusta Wulp. (floridensis Tns.) has been recognized from the United States. The new species, which ranges in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah differs from adusta Wulp. in the following characters: female front tarsus slender (widened and flattened in adusta); male vertex 0.35 head width (0.27 head width in adusta); parafrontals subshining yellowish with yellowish or brownish-yellow pollen (subshining bluish-grey with greyish or yellowish-grey pollen in adusta), and in the structure of the genitalia.

It is a well known fact that the flight of moths and some other insects is affected by barometric pressure, but it is not well known how this phenomenon affects other insect activity. In a study of the ecology of insects in vegetable gardens at Brandon, Man., in 1948, the relationship of barometric pressure to insect activity was recorded.

It was noted in the field that the imported cabbageworm adults behaved differently under varying weather conditions. During warm, clear days they did little but move about freely and feed, but on days that were overcast, particularly preceding rain, they became active about the plants and appeared to be engaged mainly in egg laying.