140 SHORT NOTICES. [1899 



stump. Eggs are to be found in process of laying in June, probably 

 much earlier, as I have found larvfe present on July 4th. In larval 

 state they are found with the abdomen distinctly segmented ; antennae 

 five-jointed ; and legs strong, the thighs as long as the shank and foot. 



The possession of a rostrum or proboscis, by means of which the cocci 

 suck away the juices from the trees, is a very important part of their 

 structure. They belong to the division which includes the " Scale 

 Insects," but are more nearly allied to the soft fleshy kind known as 

 the "Mealy Bug," than to those which (like the Mussel Scale of our 

 Apple trees, for instance) are covered by a horny " scale." 



The infestation is widely distributed in England, and where it is 

 allowed to establish itself is very destructive to Beech trees, singly or 

 collectively, as in Beech woods, and in the past season I had two notes 

 of the application of paraffin acting very well as a remedial measure. 



On April 8th Mr. J. Lansdell, writing from The Gardens, Barkby 

 Hall, near Leicester, informed me that the Beech trees in that 

 neighbourhood were very badly attacked by this Felt-scale (of which 

 he enclosed specimens) and many of them had been killed. In order 

 to save a large Copper Beech which had been badly attacked, Mr. 

 Lansdell made a paraffin emulsion, of two pounds of soft soap to a quart 

 of paraffin, diluted with twelve gallons of water. This was taken up the 

 tree above all the insects, and the branches and stem thoroughly washed 

 with it (applied by a new scrubbing brush). This (which was done 

 about five years ago) completely destroyed all the insects, and the tree 

 continues quite healthy. The tree being a very fine one with many 

 large branches, the work took one man nearly all one day, but Mr. 

 Lansdell estimated that in the case of ordinary forest trees a man 

 could clean four in a day ; the cost of this would be worth while, as 

 set against the serious losses of full-grown Beech in Beech woods, 

 consequently on infestation by the Felt-scale. 



On January 22nd of this year (1900), Prof. P. Hedworth Foulkes, 

 writing to me from the College, Reading, mentioned that in the course 

 of August in last summer he had a case of several Beech trees which 

 it was an object to save, being infested by this " Felt-scale." These 

 he treated by having them dressed as high up the stem as possible (by 

 a whitewash brush) with paraffin, and the following day done over 

 with clean water. The dressings proved a complete success, and the 

 bark was in no way injured. Prof. Foulkes examined the trees within a 

 week, and again a fortnight before date given above of his letter to me. 



The above recipes may probably be of service as a means of 

 stopping spread of this destructive attack, more especially as from the 

 "felty" or flocculent secretion of the insects being, so far as we know, 

 quite insoluble in water, it may be presumed that application of water 

 without some addition which would either poison the insects or destroy 



