CURRANT MITE. 145 
In regard to the Ribes alpinum we have no record, so far as I am 
aware, of the Phytoptus infestation having been found on this species 
in this country; but as the plant does occur with us, it might be 
worth while to make some investigation. In ‘English Botany’ * this 
species is stated to be found “‘in woods. ‘Truly indigenous in the 
lower part of the western dales in Yorkshire, and said also to be wild 
in the counties of Warwick, Stafford ?, Nottingham, Glamorgan, 
Durham, and the Lake District. It also occurs in several of the 
Scotch counties, but has little claim to be ec nsidered native in them.” 
One very noticeable distinction between this and the other two kinds 
named is that the racemes (the bunches of fruit in popular pariance) 
are upright in the case of R. alpinum, whilst in the case of R. nigrum 
they are drooping, and usually, although not always, they are drooping 
in the case of R. rubrum. 
The following notes give the life-history of the Phytoptus ribis as 
recorded by Mr. Robert Newstead, F.E.S., Curator of the Grosvenor 
Museum, Chester, from his personal observations during the year 
1893, and are of much interest for practical use as giving a fairly 
continuous account of the condition of this destructive Currant bud 
attack from the beginning of the year until the middle of September. 
Mr. Newstead remarks :— 
“During the cold month of January the Mites in the infested buds 
were all in the perfect condition, and although the temperature was 
often very low, the Mites revelled in the severest frost. . . . Frost 
seems to have no effect on them whatever, except to make them 
somewhat sluggish. 
‘On February 20th egg-laying commenced, and on this date I 
found them in hundreds in company with the adult Mites. Later 
(March 6th), there were thousands of young forms (nymphs), eggs, 
and adults. 
‘On April 19th many of the old and very badly infested buds of 
last year had opened out very considerably, but had not prcduced, nor 
did they afterwards produce, a single leaf. These and the rest of the 
infested buds contained a living mass of the Mites in all stages, com- 
pletely covering every embryo leaf in the buds. At this date numbers 
of the old infested buds had already become black and dried up, due 
in part to the fact that the buds had been transplanted in the spring, 
and to the excessively dry weather. All the old buds that were 
examined had no living Mites in them, but the dead white desiccated 
bodies of thousands of Mites covered the surface of the dead leaves of 
the buds. 
* ‘English Botany,’ edited by Prof. Boswell Syme, vol. iv. (3rd edition), 
p. 41. 
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