THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



573 



Fig. 115. — The branch and twig borer, Polycaon confertus Lee. Adult male and female 

 and their work on olive twigs. (After Essig, Mo. Bui. Cal. Hort. Com.) 



On August 2, 1887, at St. Plelena, Cal., a large number of the nearly 

 grown apples upon trees in a private garden were observed to be dead 

 and yellowish brown. One of these, taken to Alameda and examined, 

 proved to contain a small whitish Coleopterous larva. This was living 

 and thriving on the dead and diy apple until April 16, 1888, when it 

 transformed to a pupa, from which the mature beetle issued on 

 April 28. Since then no inf&sted apples have been observed, nor have 

 I seen any of the large fruit in the condition described above. The 

 work of these beetles was witnessed in the Santa Cruz Mountains 

 May 25, 1888, chiefly upon grapes and plums, yet they will attack olives 

 and other trees as well. In many cases the shoots of grapes are cut off 

 entirely and fall to the ground, where either one or both sexes may be 

 found at work. In one case I noticed a plum tree the northern 

 branches of which were entirely destroj-ed. The beetle will often make 

 several holes into the center of a branch before entering; no doubt 

 being compelled to leave on account of the copious flow of sap. Seven 

 such holes were found in one branch, in the lowermost of which the 

 beetle had entered and formed a tunnel of about three inches in length. 

 On the other branches, aside from the many holes started, but two 

 tunnels were found and no insects were present. This will show that 

 one of these beetles alone is capable of disfiguring an entire tree, while 

 two or three specimens can destroy a tree. 



As a remedy, the recommendation of clearing and burning the dead 

 Madrona wood alone would certainly have a most remarkable effect in 

 reducing the numbers of this beetle." 



