36 CURRANT. 



" thousands of young forms (nymphs), eggs, and adults." By the 

 19th of April, and also at the date of examination in May, many of 

 the galled buds were found to have opened, and to be dead and dried, 

 and " those buds that were quite dead and dry .... were covered by 

 the desiccated bodies of the Mites, and not a living example to be 

 found amongst them." 



Where the buds were completely dead and dry, as in the above 

 instance noted on April 19th, it was to be expected that such of the 

 Mites as had not left them should have died, and this leads on to the 

 observation of the very important point of the summer migration and 

 settlement first by, then into, the young buds in their first growth. 



On June 2nd the new buds were found on the first half of the 

 newly formed shoots, still only about a line in length, just protruding 

 behind the leaf-stalk; and "between the base of the leaf-stalk and the 

 buds at the ends of the young shoots," both adult and young Mites 

 were found. No Mites were found at this date (June 2nd) in the 

 young buds, and these occurred near the terminal buds only, and at 

 this date only one of the old galled buds was found in a living 

 condition, "and this simply swarmed with adult Mites." 



On July 17th, Mites and many eggs were found between the leaf- 

 stalks and the buds ; and ten days later, terminal buds " were already 

 showing signs of being infested. On examination, these were found to 

 contain adults, nymphs, and eggs, nearly all of which were located in 

 the centre of the buds. This was the first occasion I found the Mites 

 within the newly formed buds " (R. N.). 



Later on, that is, on September 13th, the new buds were much 

 swollen, and measured up to as much as a quarter of an inch in 

 length, and contained the pest within them in all its stages ; but Mr. 

 Newstead observed: "I could not, however, find any of the Mites 

 behind the leaf-stalks as previously, so that I concluded they had 

 taken up their winter quarters for good, and had set to work in earnest 

 to ruin the crop of fruit while yet in the bud." 



Thus we have observation, at the intervals of examination, of the 

 presence of Mites in the buds from the last days of July, when the 

 first infestation was observable in the embryo buds, round to June in 

 the next year, wlien the infested buds and much of their Mite tenants 

 are dead or dying, and the living Mites are migrating and setting up 

 location between the forming buds and the leaf-stalks, as a preliminary 

 to taking possession. 



In the words of Dr. A. Nalepa, the especial observer of the Phyto- 

 ptid(B : — " In the latter part of summer and in autumn the Mites leave 

 the galls in multitudes to take possession of their winter quarters — 

 that is, the buds. This emigration also is of frequent occurrence 

 during summer when the previously inhabited buds dry up." 



