1900] PITH MOTH. 7 



8. Upright tunnel as before, about a quarter of an inch long ; larva 

 alive within. 



9. Tunnel (with caterpillar within) running right up to the base of 

 stems of Apple buds. 



10. Similar to 9, and with caterpillar present. 



On May 28th specimens of Apple shoots showing attack, which 

 proved on examination to be that of the Pith Moth caterpillar, were 

 forwarded to me by Mr. F. W. Thomas, from Wannock Gardens, Pole- 

 gate, Sussex, with the following notes : — 



" By this post I am sending you a box of fruit-spurs, which are 

 attacked by some maggot. I am sorry to say the trees are very badly 

 attacked, mostly on the young trees of seven or eight years old. I 

 have (I am sure) cut off quite two bushels of the twigs, same as sent, 

 from about one hundred and thirty trees. I noticed it last year, and 

 cut off every little twig that I saw, but the pest has increased to a very 

 great extent this year. I have also seen the same thing in an orchard 

 about one and a half miles from here. All the specimens sent have 

 drooped and withered since last Thursday, when I went over the 

 trees and cut out all I could find ; but to-day I find lots of shoots 

 affected." 



The specimens forwarded, of about two dozen or more shoots with 

 clusters of Apple blossoms, proved to be very characteristic of the 

 L. ntra attack. The knots of blossom- buds were killed, but none of 

 the leaves of the cluster or the ruined flowers, of which the petals were 

 now turned brown, were at all spun together. 



The method of injury in all the shoots which I opened resembled 

 that of those sent by Mr. Lansdell mentioned above ; but there was a 

 greater variety in the size, and, as mentioned before, also in the tint 

 of colouring of the caterpillars. The tunnelling appeared to be always 

 in this year's soft growth of shoot, just below the cluster of Apple 

 blossoms or blossom-buds. 



On June 5th a further supply of injured Apple shoots was 

 forwarded to me from Oakleigh, Boss, Herefordshire, by Mr. H. F. 

 Getting, showing injury to the clusters of blossom-buds by tunnelling 

 of the Pith Moth caterpillar in the shoots similar to those previously 

 mentioned, and with the caterpillar present in one instance. Mr. 

 Getting remarked of the infestation : — 



" It appears to me a very serious pest, and I am afraid, judging 

 from this neighbourhood, that it is on the increase." 



Prevention and Remedies. — So far as we know at present, our 

 only preventive measure is to cut or break off the ends of the shoots 

 (which the withering of the cluster of blossom-buds show to be in- 

 fested), and to burn them. It is no use merely throwing them aside, 



