108 PEAB. [1899 



" This discovery set me wouclering whether these insects would 

 have hybernated in the soil through the winter, or whether they 

 would have escaped on the morrow to lay another batch of eggs 

 upon the tree. 



" Early on the morning of the following day (A.ug. 22nd) I paid 

 a second visit to the infested tree in the hopes of clearing up this 

 interesting question. It was just ten o'clock, and the sun fully 

 ablaze upon the tree, and the Slugworms reflecting the rays of light, 

 like beads of highly polished jet or glass. There, almost immediately 

 in frout of me, on a young tender leaf, sat a female Sawfly, evidently 

 enjoying the hot sun. I believe now she was in the act of laying an 

 egg, but in my anxiety to procure the specimen I did not wait to see, 

 but immediately ' boxed ' it. Not another specimen was to be seen, 

 and no wonder, as all the cocoons had been removed and destroyed. 

 Miss Ormerod's description of the egg"^ enabled me to find a number 

 of them, especially on the younger leaves, and sitting alongside of 

 one of them was a newly hatched larva (' Slugworm '), and one of 

 them which I subsequently dissected (see description of egg) appeared 

 to have been recently laid. 



"By the foregoing observations we have established the following 

 important facts : — 



A. The existence of the insects in all stages in August. 



B. The exact position of the cocoons in the earth. 



C. The effects [or rather the non-effects] of a top-dressing of 



hot lime. 



D. The apparent uselessness of an application of paraffin emulsion. 



E. The result of a partial application of Paris-green. 



" It may be well to discuss these points under their different 

 headings. 



" By the existence of the perfect insect in August we may safely 

 infer the species is at least double-brooded. My friend here says there 

 are two distinct broods of the ' Slugworms'; the first appearing in late 

 May and early June, the second in August. In support of this. Miss 

 Ormerod (Annual Eeport for 1893, p. 82), quoting the observations of 

 Mr. Cornford, of Etchowe, Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, says, ' the 

 second brood is now en evidence about six weeks after the first,' which 

 Miss Ormerod (loc. cit.) thought ' attributable to irregular date of 

 pupation.' Writing later (Aug. 13th) Mr. Cornford said of the larvae, 

 ' they are still appearing on the trees, from the smallest to the full- 

 grown size.' Thus the evidence of the two observers practically 

 agrees, and it is just possible that the first brood of larvre produce 

 perfect insects in August, and will account for the specimens I have 

 obtained here. 



* See 'Repovt of Observations of Injurious Insects for 189S,' p. 81 ; also ante p. 104. 



