6 APPLE. [1900 



The above observations convey the more important part of the life- 

 history ; but, so far as I am aware, we do not yet know where the 

 eggs are hiid, or the locality of feeding of the quite young caterpillars 

 up to the date (as mentioned by Herr Miihling (see ante, p. 3) of their 

 hybernation under the bark of an Apple twig close to a bud. If we 

 knew where they were open to attack, it would help greatly as to early 

 preventive measures. 



As this attack has been so little noticed in the detail of condition 

 of the infested Apple twigs, I give the following notes, although they 

 do little more than confirm such amount of observations as we 

 possessed. It may be remarked in passing that the tunnels are 

 very short, even down to less than three-quarters of an inch in 

 length. 



The first specimens of infestation of the Pith Moth caterpillar 

 which I received in the past season were sent me on May 23rd, from 

 "Pomona," Wyld's Lane, Worcester, by Mr. J. Lansdell, F.R.H.S., 

 with the remark : — 



" I am forwarding you some specimens of caterpillars of the ' Pith 

 Moth ' ; they appear to be causing considerable injury to the Apple 

 trees in this country." 



Two days afterwards — that is, on May 25th — Mr. Lansdell for- 

 warded me a further supply of shoots attacked by the same species of 

 caterpillars ; all of these shoots, and of those previously sent, being 

 from young Apple trees which had only been planted in the autumn of 

 the year 1898. 



Of eleven of these shoots which I examined, all but one showed 

 tunnellings of the caterpillar of Laverna — in some instances deserted, 

 in some still containing the larva — the burrows sometimes varying 

 slightly in length and position of the outside exit-hole (where empty), 

 as shown in the following notes : — 



Specimen 1. A slight tunnel just below blossom buds. 



2. A short upright tunnel below buds, turning at almost right 

 angles to an opening at the outside of the twig. 



3. Upright tunnel below buds, with upright gnawing on one side 

 of shoot (continuing above); this much filled with frass. 



Specimen 4 was of a side bunch of buds, beneath which I found 

 the small caterpillar in its tunnel, together with " frass," which is 

 described at p. 4, preceding. 



Terminal bud in same shoot with small deserted tunnel be- 

 neath it. 



5. Gnawing beneath extremity of shoot deserted. 



6. Tunnel beneath buds containing larva; this injured in extrac- 

 tion, but so much as remained similar to larva in No. 4. 



7. Side shoot with tunnel containing larva. 



