17 



NOTES OF THE PAST SEASON. 



By W. Satjndeus. 



The Currant Worm (Ntmatus ventriconas, Klug). 



This troublesome pest has beea in most localities as abundant as ever during the past 

 iummer. Whatever checks nature may have provided to prevent its excessive increase, they 

 iieem, as yet, to avail but little, for the larvae continue to swarm in hundreds and thousands on 

 currant and gooseberry bushes throughout the summer, demanding constant vigilance and 

 liberal supplies of hellebore if the foliage is to be preserved. 



For the henetit of those who may not possess copies of our previous reports we have in- 

 troduced again figures of this insect with such additional notes on this species in its various 

 stages as we have been able to gather during the summer. 



Fig 7 shows the eggs as they are In id on the 

 under side of the leaves. These eggs (described from 

 specimens found on the 2Sth June) are when first 

 laid about y^^ths of an inch long, nearly cylindrical, 

 rounded at the ends, white, glossy and semi-trans- 

 parent. Eggs found on the same bushes, the same day, 

 but probahly laid some days before, measured ^■y^ths 

 of an inch in length with a corresponding increase in 

 diameter. From this it is reasonable to infer that 

 the eggs increase in size before hatching, the elastic 

 membrane which forms their covering e.xpanding with 

 the development of the enclosed larvas. The eggs, 

 of which we have examined large numbers, we have 

 never found embedded in the substance of the leaf 

 (as some have stated they are) to any perceptible 

 extent; careful examination under a powerful micros- 

 cope has failed to reveal any abrasion of the surface 

 after the egg has licen forcibly removed. 



Fig. 8 repre.scnts the larvae nearly full grown, 

 and Fig. 9 tlie perfect insects, the smaller one being 

 the male, the larger one the female. 



On the 19th of June, on going into the garden 

 about 7 A.M., we noticed these perfect insects flying 

 about in scores in sunny spots, around and under 

 irooseberry bushes ; in about an hour afterwards 

 when visiting the same spot for the purpose of 

 capturing some, only one here and there could be 

 found, and these had settled on the bushes. A male 

 and female were captured an J enclosed in a gauze 

 bag, which was tied so as to enclose a small branch 

 of a gooseberry bush, with several leaves on it, all 

 quite free from eggs. When examined in the even- 

 ing of the same day, the female was seen laying her 

 eggs; the next morning, on opening the bag, it was 

 found that 48 eggs had been deposited during the 

 interval, the female being still very active. On the 



