146 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



to find any eggs corresponding to those of the female he had dissected. 

 Renewing his search with greater care in the early part of December, 

 when all the leaves were off, he succeeded in finding the object of his 

 search. These were found in the little crevices and under the little scales 

 around the buds, but not on the buds themselves. They were naked, 

 without any cottony covering, disposed without order, sometimes isolated 

 and sometimes aggregated. They were ovoid, furnished on the side near 

 the larger end with a short curved beak. When seen in position the beak 

 is not apparent, as it is on the under side and forms the attachment to the 

 bark ; they are also sometimes furnished with a minute filament, and are 

 of a reddish-yellow color. 



It is very probable that a careful examination of the eggs 'of the 

 Peach-tree Psylla will show that they are similar to those of the Fig-tree 

 Psylla ; also, that they pass the winter in the egg state, aud that their eggs 

 are placed on the branches or bud stalks. It is more than probable that 

 this method is somewhat varied for the summer brood. 



As before intimated, this is an imported species, brought from Europe 

 on imported pear trees, and was first observed in this country in 1833. 

 I have no positive knowledge that it has yet reached Illinois, still I think 

 it more than probable that hhas. So far as observed in this country, the 

 following appears to be their mode of operating : they insert their short 

 beaks in the bark of the twigs and small branches, and pump up the sap 

 to such a degree that the fluid oozes from their bodies, and mingling on 

 the bark with their castings, forms blackish rusty patches. The presence 

 of these pests on pear trees is generally indicated by swarms of flies or 

 ants, which are attracted thither by the sweetish fluid which issues from 

 the Psylla. 



As a rule, young trees appear to be more liable to their attacks than 

 old trees. 



Remedies. — Wash the twigs with a brush which has been dipped in 

 strong soap-suds, or some noxious mixture of this kind. Harris recom- 

 mends a mixture of strong soap-suds and flour of sulphur. This must be 

 done before the buds expand. 



A better remedy will be, perhaps, to wait until after the eggs are 

 hatched, then apply ordinary soap-suds, whale-oil soap-suds or lime-water, 

 as strong as the plant will bear without injury. 



Spec. char. — The young are usually of a dull orange-yellow color ; short and 

 obtuse behind ; and, as they advance to the pupa state, acquire little wing-scales. 



The perfect, or winged individuals, are about one-tenth of an inch long from the 

 front to the tip of the closed wings; the eyes are large and prominent; the head and 

 thorax are of a brownish-orange color, the abdomen greenish ; the wings are trans- 

 parent, ample, and marked with very fine dark veins. 



6. Psylla rubi, W. and R. The Blackberry Flea-louse. 



I know nothing further of this than the short notice given of it in 

 the American Entomologist. The writer, a resident of New Jersey, 

 describes its operations as follows: "The suckers upon which this 

 insect occurs in the spring commence to twirl round, and, when not inter- 



