284 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



viii. 229). My specimen proves to be only a pale variety of 

 Proteus. It was quite an oversight of mine recording the 

 capture, as I had not previously compared it with examples 

 in my cabinet; and the plates of Proteus in Newman's 

 'British Moths' are quite different to any I have ever seen of 

 the latter species. Indeed, I should have believed the plates 

 to represent a different insect. — W. Tliomas ; Surbilon 

 Villa, Surbiion, October 6, 1875. 



[I fear that others of Mr, Thomas's captures have been 

 incorrectly named. I need hardly point out the necessity for 

 greater care. — Edward Neimnan.] . 



Answers to Correspondents. 



John Bristoiv and Arthur W. Paull. — Pear-tree Slug. — 

 This is a matter which may prove interesting to your readers, 

 and concerning which I should be glad to have information. 

 A friend of mine, living near Belfast, informed me that his 

 pear-trees were being destroyed by an insect which neither he 

 nor his gardener had ever seen before. In two large gardens 

 almost every pear-tree was attacked, while plums, peaches, &c., 

 even though their leaves withered, were untouched. On 

 examination I found the leaves covered with what at first 

 sight appeared small leeches, about half an inch long, of a 

 shining, dark olive-green colour, almost black ; the head was 

 swollen; and the tail, at its extreme point, generally slightly 

 raised from the leaf The whole insect was covered with a 

 dark slime, that gave it the appearance of a leech, neither 

 legs nor distinct head or mouth being visible. On rubbing one 

 of the insects, however, I found the slime rubbed ofl, and 

 revealed a larva, with distinct characteristics of that of a 

 sawfly. The leaves are denuded of their soft cuticle, both 

 on upper and under side, and the brown skeleton of fibre 

 alone lef^t. When feeding, the larva is at full stretch, appa- 

 rently adhering as close to the leaf as a leech or slug, and no 

 appearance of head, the shining slime covering all. Can you 

 inform me of what species this is; or if it has been observed 

 in such destructive numbers elsewhere ? — J. B. 



[The creature is the very objectionable pear-tree slug, of 

 which an account will be found in the current number. I am 

 indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Arthur W. Paull, of Waltham 



