REPORT 0I< THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 217 



Depredations by this insect have been reported to me many times during the past 

 three or four years ; but I have held the matter back, hoping to be able to work out the 

 life history. So far, however, I have been unable to obtain eggs or any definite informa- 

 tion in Canada, except with regard to its injuries. An interesting account of Paria ater- 

 rima, Oliv., which seems to be extremely similar if not identical with this species, occurs 

 in Prof. Porbes's Insects affecting the Strawberry, 1883 ; but as there are certain dates 

 in that account, that I cannot reconcile with our Canadian observations, I had hoped 

 to obtain material to breed the species through all its stages and compare them : but so 

 far I have been unsuccessful. If Paria sex-notata proves really to be a distinct species 

 from Paria aterrima, there is little doubt that, like that of the latter, as described by 

 Forbes and Cook, the larva feeds on the roots of strawberries and raspberries. Atten- 

 tion is drawn to this insect now at the request of some of the members of the Fruit- 

 Grow ers' Association of Ontario. The Spotted Paria does not attack the raspberry 

 alone; for in 1874 Mr. John McGrady, of Gatineau Point, Que., suffered a disastrous 

 attack upon his strawberry beds, many of the plants having the leaves completely devour- 

 ed and the crop ruined. It was found that hellebore was quite useless against the 

 enemy, and later experience has shown that much stronger poisons are necessary 

 against this beetle than for many others. The beetles appeared suddenly and dis- 

 appeared again as suddenly about ten days later. For three seasons past, the Spotted 

 Paria has been the cause of much loss in some raspberry plantations in the Grimsby, 

 Ont., district. On May 1st, Mr. Linus Woolverton wrote: — "I send you some speci- 

 mens of a little beetle occurring here in large numbers in our raspberry plantations 

 eating up all the buds. Please say what it is and prescribe a remedy. We fear some 

 plantations will have no fruit left." The following letters from Mr. Martin Burrell, of 

 St. Catharines, Ont., a careful experimenter and successful fruit-grower, will show how 

 difficult an insect this is to combat : — 



" May 13, 1891. — Will you kindly give me the name and general habits of the in- 

 closed beetles 1 My raspberry canes are literally infested with them and I think I am 

 not overstating when I say that one-half of the buds have been eaten and nearly all 

 the young leaves punctured. 



"Their very objectionable method of work seems somewhat similar to that of the 

 Grape-vine Flea-beetle, but this, apparently is no flea as far as jumping goes ; for, when 

 detected, he immediately turns over on his back and rolls on to the ground curculio 

 fashion. I sprayed my patch yesterday morning at the rate of 2 ounces of Paris green to 

 40 gallons of water, but the beetles are still in great force ; though possibly 24 hours is 

 not long enough for the poison to take effect. Some blackberry canes adjoining the 

 raspberry patch are scarcely touched by them." 



" May 2G, 1891. — Many thanks for your kind letter of the 16th inst., identifying 

 the Paria beetle for me. They are most troublesome, and were apparently quite as 

 cheerfully active after two sprayings with Paris green as before. I have given them a 

 third spraying — 4 ounces to 40 gallons — and even this did not completely rout them, 

 tho' a slight rain 24 hours after spraying may have prevented the poison doing its 

 work fully. The raspberry canes are so far advanced now, however, that I fancy the 

 beetles can do little harm, unless in the way of providing another crop of the pests for 

 1892." 



"Dec. 30, 1891. — I found that Paria sex-notata, which you kindly identified for 

 me, very difficult to destroy ; the little villains very seriously injured my raspberry crop 

 and it would certainly take as much as 4 ounces of Paris green to 40 gallons of water 

 to affect them." 



"Feb. 17, 1892. — With regard to your inquiry as to my spraying for the Paria- 

 beetle last year, I find in my note book : — 



" Mav 11. — Sprayed raspberries for beetle with 2 ounces of Paris green to 40 



gallons of water. 

 "May 14. — Beetles still thick ; only found two dead. Sprayed again 3 oz. 



to 40 gallons, comparatively ineffective. 

 " May 20.— Sprayed again 4 to 40, as the beetles were still very thick.' 



