134 PEAR. 



The caterpillars, which soon hatch, feed at first in the bark, 

 but not long afterwards they make their way into the live 

 wood, where they bore galleries rather wider than themselves, 

 and as much as a foot in length. When full grown they are 

 about an inch and a half long, whitish, or yellow, or ochry, 

 with a black horny plate on the segment behind the head, and 

 the tail segment also is partially black and horny. The other 

 segments have each four raised black spots on each side, and 

 the head is black, or has two black spots. 



They feed (or feed at intervals) through the winter until 

 May or June (statements are made that they live for two 

 years), and, when full-fed, they spin a web, or form a case of 

 wood-dust, in which they change to an ochreous brown, long, 

 cylindrical chrysalis. This web is usually woven just inside 

 the bark, near the entrance of the boring, so that when the 

 time for development is come the chrysalis forces itself through 

 the opening, and, by means of the fine prickles with which it 

 is furnished along the back, it is held firmly in the web whilst 

 the moth frees itself, and leaves the empty case projecting 

 from the tree. 



Prevention and Remedies. — The caterpillars may be de- 

 stroyed (like those of the Goat Moth) by drawing them out of 

 their burrows with hooked wires, or by running a strong wire 

 into the hole, and thus crushing the caterpillar within to 

 death. If the wire, when withdrawn, is found to have wet 

 whitish matter on it, such as would result from having crushed 

 the larva, or again, if gnawed wood should have been passed 

 out of the burrow up to the time of the operation and no 

 more appear afterwards, it may be supposed the creature is 

 killed ; otherwise the operation should be repeated. 



Syringing is also of service in getting rid of these cater- 

 pillars. For this purpose a gutta-percha tube with a sharp- 

 pointed nozzle may be fitted to the syringe, and thus, by 

 placing the point of the nozzle well into the hole, it may be 

 filled with strong tobacco-water, soft-soap, or any mixture 

 that may be preferred, such as will make the hole too un- 

 pleasant or poisonous for the grub to remain in, even if it is 

 not killed by the application. 



The fumes of sulphur blown into the holes are also very 

 efl'ective in destroying the caterpillars ; and tobacco-smoke 

 has been suggested for the same purpose. 



This moth is preyed on by bats. 



