Reports to various Coin'cspoinients. 47 



surface, but sometimes the upper. < )ne favourite place for them was 

 wliere leaves liaJ been united (and sometimes the blossom) by "VViuter 

 Moth larvte. From observations made it seems that a single larva 

 entering a tender blossom bud uuder certain circumstances stops its 

 proper development or may entirely destroy it. This depends on the 

 weather. If the nights are warm and the buds open rapidly, then 

 the damage is slight ; but if frosts keep back development the larval 

 Psyllse work protected by the buds, and have so much longer time to 

 damage the tender growth. It is tlierefore very important to check 

 the entry of this pest into the bud. This action upon both blossom 

 and leaf buds is, I am sure, frequently put down to the work of 

 caterpillars, the small Psyllse not being noticed by growers. 



The larvte were first noticed this season in the opening buds in 

 the beginning of May, and the last I noticed were seen on the 2nd 

 of June ; by that time they had all pupated. 

 The fiat pupal forms (Fig. 7) are pale yellow- 

 ish green, the rudimentary wings being the 

 same colour ; when any pupai occurred 

 between two leaves stuck toErether with 

 silk of Winter Moth larvie, they were much 

 yellower than those free on the leaves. The 

 dark markings on the tips of the antenme 

 are rather variable in extent. Like the 

 larva, the pupa passes out little oily 

 globules and waxy threads of a white colour. 

 The first mature or winged insects a])peared 

 on the first of June, and continued to hatch ^^^'a' u 



out until the end of the month. They only 



occurred in small numbers on the apple trees, and, in spite ot 

 frequent search, I failed to obtain a supply for exhibit at the Royal 

 Agricultural Show, l)ut when beating a neighbouring hawthorn hedge 

 great numbers were found, they apparently flying to the hedge for 

 shelter, for later on a warm day I observed numbers upon the apple 

 trees. These adults appear to take food by drawing out the sap of 

 the leaves; but they apparently take but little, for they do no 

 damage to the leafage. They continued upon the apple trees and 

 hawthorn hedge without undergoing any change during the rest of tlie 

 summer, and commence egg-laying in September. Whether this 

 species normally breeds on hawthorn I do not know, but tlie adults 

 certainly exist upon tliat plant as well as upon apjile. 



Blossom has been attackct-l by them during the past year, the 



