214 RASPEEKRY. 



have been found also, in the maggot state, clomg much harm 

 to the roots of Easpberries, Currants, Gooseberries, Straw- 

 berries, and to vegetables. 



This weevil, when recently developed, has the wing-cases 

 dotted over with spots of delicate yellow down ; these soon 

 rub off, when the beetle appears to be of a shining black ; it 

 is sometimes of a reddish pitchy colour, whilst still immature. 

 The wing-cases are united to each other, and the legs are 

 generally bright chestnut colour. 



I have not entered specially on this hind, for I am not 

 aware of reports of its ravages having been sent me more 

 than twice. 



On June 6th, 1883, Prof. Allen Harker, of the Eoyal Agri- 

 cultural College, Cirencester, forwarded specimens of this 

 species (0. tenebricosus) , which were then doing much harm 

 by eating leaves of the Strawberries in the garden of the 

 College Farm. The weevils were in such numbers that thirty 

 of them were secured in a few minutes from their daytime 

 shelter around the Strawberry roots. A female that was 

 dissected contained eggs fully developed. (This kind is about 

 the size of 0. yiciijes, figured at p. 210.) 



Also in the present year (1898) I received, from Gilliugham, 

 Dorset, on the 5th of May, a specimen of what proved to be 

 0. tenebricosus, Herbst, with the observation: — "This is the 

 third year in succession that the enclosed insect has attacked 

 a young Pear tree growing against the brick gable of a house. 

 It feeds on the leaves." 



But however destructive our different kinds of Otiorhynchi 

 may be, I can certainly say that the result of twenty years" 

 communications appears to me to place 0. jyicipcs far ahead of 

 the others as a pest to orchard, or to bush, or to ground fruit. 



Prevention and Eemedies. — The habit of the iveevils of 

 sheltering away from the light during the day is one great help 

 towards keejnng them in check. They feed by night. By day 

 they hide away, either buried in earth by the walls against 

 which their food trees are trained, or underneath small clods 

 round the stems of the trees on wdiich they feed, or in rough 

 bark ; crevices where mortar has fallen out of old garden 

 walls often swarm with them, and generally they shelter in 

 any dark nook near at hand to their nightly resort. 



Where the attack was bad enough to make it worth while 

 to " sticky-band " the trees as for prevention of Winter Moth, 

 this would be a good plan, as the weevils, being wingless, 

 must travel on foot (this plan would, of course, not be of 

 service for bush fruits such as Easpberries, nor where the trees 

 were fastened to walls). 



