Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 183 



Beetle Larvae damaging Horse Chestnuts. — Information was 

 sent the Board that beetles were damaging the shoots of horse- 

 chestnuts in Surrey in the same way that the Pine Beetle does 

 the pine. 



It was not possible to say what beetle had done the damage ; the 

 piece of damaged shoot was not sufficient to identify the culprit by, 

 as no beetle is known to work in the way shown in the specimen. 



Giant Wood Wasp {8irex gigas). — Mr. Jonathan Davies, of Bryn 

 Eirian, Portmadoc, North Wales, forwarded an insect from Wales, the 

 common Giant Wood Wasp or Sirex (Sirex gigas). 



The larvae of this insect and the allied species — the Steel Blue 

 Sirex (-S'. juvencus) — are very harmful to pines and almost all 

 conifers in many quarters, but damage has not been reported from 

 North Wales. 



Larch Aphis {Chermes laricis). — Specimens of diseased Larch were 

 sent by a correspondent from Harlestone, Northampton, covered with 

 Larch Aphis {Chermes laricis). 



Judging from the amount of Aphis debris on not only the 

 remaining needles, but also on the stems, I should say the cause of 

 disease was the presence of this pest ; in any case, I have seen trees, 

 no worse affected, looking as if burnt owing to this Chermes. 



The specimens were sent to Kew to see if any fungoid disease was 

 also present, and none was found. 



A full account of the life-history of the Larch Aphis is given on 

 page 86. 



Damage to Indian Corn by Weevils in British East Africa. 

 — Information was sought by the Foreign Office regarding the treat- 

 ment of East African corn to clear it of Weevil damage. 



The information sent was too meagre to enable advice to be given. 

 The following communication was thus sent to the Board : — 



" It would be advisable to obtain some definite information 

 regarding this Weevil damage to Indian corn in East Africa. 



" Does it attack the standing corn, or only when harvested ? 



" Is this pest the usual Corn Weevil {Calandra sp.) ? 



" If either Calandra oryzae or C. granaria, then some plan could 

 be advised at once to remedy the evil. 



" Bisulphide of carbon for large masses in bulk would probably 

 be too costly. But until more definite information is given by the 

 Foreign Office nothing can be advised." 



