608 



Natural enemies of A. pomorum include birds, a fungus (apparently 

 Isaria sp.) which destroys many adults, and the Ichneumonid, Pimpla 

 pomorum, Ratz. The egg of the parasite is laid in or near the body 

 of the grub, on which the young larva feeds until the host is destroyed 

 [R.A.E., A, vi, 280]. Remedial measures include banding the trees 

 near the crotch, first in late March or early April (before oviposition 

 begins), and again from the end of June onwards, when the weevils 

 are seeking winter quarters. In spring the bands should be examined 

 every day ; in the summer once a week is sufficient. Jarring the 

 trees with a padded mallet causes many adults to fall, especially on 

 bright, warm days during the early part of the oviposition period. 

 Many kinds of sprays have been tried ; the only one that proved very 

 successful was an unstable paraffin emulsion composed of 0-5 per 

 cent, potash soft soap with 10 per cent, paraffin. The mixture must 

 be kept agitated during spraying, and should be applied in late March 

 to those parts of the tree where the insect is likely to be wintering. 

 When well wetted with spray, the weevils are killed within a quarter 

 of an hour. General attention to clean cultivation and keeping the 

 trees clear of rough bark, mosses and lichens will discourage the pest. 

 Collecting the capped blossoms, destroying the weevils and liberating 

 parasites will also reduce its numbers. 



Fryer (J. C. F.). A New Apple Pest. — //. Minist. Agric, London, 

 xxix, no. 8, November 1922, pp. 748-749, 5 figs. 



In the spring of 1921 a weevil was found in Norfolk on apple 

 blossoms that differed from Anthonomus pomorum (apple blossom 

 weevil), and in August of the same year it was also recorded in Kent. 

 It has been identified as Anthonomus cinctus, KoUar {pyri. Boh.), 

 which is a well-known pest in Europe, where it occurs more frequently 

 on pears than apples, but has not been previously recorded from 

 Great Britain. These weevils do not feed in the blossom buds, but 

 in the unexpanded leaf or truss buds of apple. It is not known 

 whether the pest is a recent introduction or whether it has been 

 present unnoticed for years. In Germany, eggs are laid in September 

 and October in the leaf and fruit buds of pear trees, larvae being 

 found in the buds from the middle of February and pupating at the 

 beginning of May, the adults emerging 8 or 10 days later. The beetles 

 are said to remain inactive during the summer and reappear for the 

 oviposition period in autumn. The life-history in Britain, which is 

 being investigated, will probably prove to be similar. 



CoLLiNGE (W. E.). A Local Investigation of the Food of the Little Owl. 



— //. Minist. Agric, London, xxix, no. 8, November 1922, 

 pp. 750-752. 



Since the publication of a previous report on the feeding habits of 

 the Little Owl [R.A.E., A, x, 242], the stomach contents of 98 of these 

 birds, taken in various localities in Hampshire where game birds are 

 very generally reared, have been examined, and show that the bulk 

 of the birds' food during June and July consisted of neutral and 

 injurious insects, voles and mice, and earthworms. The number of 

 voung game birds taken was infinitesimal. 



