77 



should be abandoned or limited. The Capri fig must be grown only 

 where it is absolutely required and then only those varieties with 

 inflorescences bearing short, recurved scales at the aperture. In the 

 Province of Naples the practice of smearing the aperture with oil in 

 August (in order to hasten ripening) is an unintentional indirect check, 

 as L. aristeUa does not attack fruit so treated. This operation however 

 injures the quality of the figs and is, in any case, inapplicable to young 

 summer inflorescences (early in July), as it would quickly cause them 

 to fall. 



SiLv-ESTRi (F.). Descrizione di una Specie di Oscinosoma (Diptera : 

 Chloropidae) osservato in Fruttescenze di Caprifico. [A Description 

 of a Species of Osci'nosoma observed in the Fruit of the Capri Fig.] 

 Separate, dated 12th December 1917, from Boll. Lab. Zool. Gen. 

 Agrar. R. Scuola Sup. Agric, Portici, xii, pp. 147-154, 9 figs. 



The Chloropid, Oscinosoma discretum, Bezzi, is described in order 

 that it may be distinguished from Lonchaea aristella, Beck., and from 

 other Dipterous larvae that may attack the fruit of the Capri fig. As 

 yet the author has observed only 0. discretum in the Province of 

 Naples. It deposits its eggs beneath the scales at the aperture of the 

 ripe fruit and the larvae penetrate to the interior and there feed on the 

 decomposed remains of gall-bearing flowers and on the parenchyma 

 of the walls. They pupate in the ground. In June and July the 

 life-cycle takes about 20 days, as is the case with L. aristella. The 

 eggs and larvae have been found only in ripe Profichi and Mammoni 

 figs. 



SiLVESTRi (F.). Contribute alia Conoscenza del Celiode del Nocciuolo 

 {Coeliodes ruber, Marsh. : Coleoptera, Curculionidae). [A Contribu- 

 tion to the Knowledge of the Coeliodes of the Hazel Nut.] — 

 Separate, dated 14th December 1917, from Boll. Lab. Zool. Gen. 

 Agrar. R. Scuola Sup. Agric, Portici, xii, pp. 155-174, 14 figs. 



In May 1914, complaints were received from the Caserta district of 

 the injury to young hazel nuts by the CurcuHonid, Coeliodes ruber, 

 Marsham. The only previous record of such injury appears to be that 

 of Trotter in 1904 from the Province of Avellino {Redia, ii, p. 54). A 

 description is given of all stages of this weevil, which is distributed 

 throughout Europe and has been observed by the author in Italy and 

 Sicily. The hazel is the only food-plant yet known. The weevils 

 emerge from the ground from mid-January to mid- April. In spring 

 they feed on the parenchyma of the leaves, on the juices of the leaf- 

 peduncles ox of the tender shoots and, later on (in May), on the juices 

 of the young nuts ; early individuals may also perforate the buds. 

 WTien disturbed they drop to the ground and feign death, but in the 

 warm hours of the day and when falling from high branches they fly 

 away instead of reaching the ground. In the second half of May and 

 early in June they migrate to the ground and aestivate at a depth 

 ranging from I to 3 inches. They emerge at the end of summer or 

 early in autumn and begin feeding again, the male catkins being now 

 attacked. Mating takes place from the end of September to mid- 

 October. Oviposition begins at the end of September and continues 



