REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTAXIST. 217 



for such an extremely small insect, it can travel fairly fast. I have timed them, when 

 nearly an inch per minute was covered. As a matter of fact, I have found newly set 

 scales 1 3 inches from the mother insect, and I see no reason why in many cases the dis- 

 tance should not be much greater. One can readily see, therefore, how rapid would be 

 the spread among nursery stock. In stating that the spread, as far as new trees were 

 concerned, was not very marked, it must, of course, be borne in mind how difficult it is 

 — indeed almost impossible — to detect a fresh case where a few isolated scales only are 

 on the tree. Quite recently I saw an English Damson tree some eight years old with 

 one of the upper branches slightly atttacked, the fruit also showing scale. This tree 

 was not contiguous to any infested trees, nor were the scales present on the trunk or 

 lower limbs. The scale had evidently been carried by birds or other insects. This sort 

 of thing may exist undetected in many instances, and the following season witness tho 

 usual rapid spread of the pest on all such trees. In a favourable season it is probable 

 that four broods would occur in this latitude. They probably commenced breeding 

 here about the middle of June, and although the cold weather of the last day or two has 

 checked any activity on the part of the larvae, there are any quantity of them so 

 recently hatched as not yet to have developed the waxy scale. Only this morning I 

 took 15 young ones in various stages of development from the body of one female. 

 Taking June 15 as the date of the first brood's appearance, and assuming 39 days as the 

 time for one generation (in the breeding case here, the time occupied was from 36 to 39 

 days) the fourth brood would commence emerging on October 10 and under favourable 

 autumn conditions doubtless many of this last brood would develop sufficiently to winter 

 over as half-grown females. I have watched carefully for any sign of the little lady- 

 bird (PentUia misella) which has done such good work on the San Jos^ Scale in Cali- 

 fornia and even in the Eastern States, but have failed to see a single specimen. The 

 Twice-stabbed Lady-bird (Chilocorus bivulnerus) I have found on infested trees, both in 

 the larval and adult forms, but not in sufficient numbers to render it of any economic 

 importance this season. The food plants upon which I have seen scale in this district 

 are : the pear, the peach, the plum (both of the domestic and Japanese types) and the 

 red currant. 



" In conclusion, I may express my belief that the scale is liable to be a serious 

 menace to Canadian horticulture, unless the most stringent measures are adopted to 

 stamp it out of the few orchards where it exists, and the strongest precautions taken to 

 prevent the sale and the planting of infested nursery stock. 



" November 20. — I send a few additional notes on the orchard infested by San Jos^ 

 Scale near here ; — 



First saw the trees on July 3. Breeding had probably been going on for some time 

 prior to this ; scales of all ages were found and the larvae were commencing to set on 

 the young fruit. 



July 10. — By this date some of the plums and many of the leaves were almost 

 covered with scales. 



July 26. — Some of the badly infested leaves dropping, and fruit and leaves showing 

 marked red discoloration. 



October 9. — Frost enough to shrivel a large proportion of the grape foliage. 



October 13. — Warm and sunny. Breeding very active. Found from 20 to 30 

 Pentilla misella beetles on one badly infested tree, and over 30 on another. First time 

 of observing these beetles. One PentUia larva also apparently full grown. 



Sprayed one badly infested tree with pure kerosene — a good soaking. 



October 17. — Hard frost, quarter of an inch of ice. 



October 18. — Breeding still active. Sprayed tree, apparently uninjured. Cut bark 

 from four different parts of the tree, and a microscopic examination showed that every 

 scale was dead. 



October 28. — Breeding still going on. Peniilia beetles and Chilocorus bivulnerus 

 both seen. (Have never found more than three or four of the latter on any one tree.) 



November 19. — Cold and wet lately. No larvae moving and no beetles. 



" Now about the spread. These Abundance trees were planted in the spring of 1895. 

 I should infer that at time of planting ten trees were infested, because there were just 



