AttLE SAWFLY. O 



occasion he " distinctly saw one of the females bend down the extremity 

 of the body in the act of depositing an egg Avithin the blossom." 



The observations of Delacour de Beauvais, as quoted by Kalten- 

 bach,* also mention that the perfect insect flies in May about the 

 Apple blossoms, and lays its eggs in the blossoms. 



The female Sawfly is figured at heading (p. 1) from Prof. Westwood's 

 drawing. The upper surface of the body is described by him as 

 " shining black, the front and sides of the head and shoulders, antennae, 

 legs, and under side of the body being pale orange coloured, and the 

 wings are slightly stained with brown." 



The published observations which I have seen, whether German 

 or English, concur in the grubs falling to the ground in the infested 

 fruit in June or July, or as soon as the little Apples are so much 

 injured within that they can no longer adhere to the tree; and that the 

 Sawfly caterpillar then makes its way out, to go through its changes in 

 the ground. There (quoting again from Prof. Westwood) they form 

 their cocoons, and remain inactive until the following year, when in 

 May the perfect Sawflies make their appearance from the buried 

 chrysalids. 



In the orchard observations of the past season, the caterpillars were 

 noticed as straying from one Apple to another, but not either as 

 crawling down the trees or dropping to the earth independently of 

 the Apples. 



Prevention and Eemedies. — As the caterpillars go down into the 

 earth for their changes to the chrysalis and thence to the perfect insect, 

 it would be a sure method of greatly lessening recurrence of attack to 

 find out, by careful examination, how deep down the cocoons lie, and 

 then skimming the surface deep enough to clear them all off. The 

 infested soil should be buried well down or thrown on rubbish fires, 

 so as to make sure of destroying the contained pests, for unless this 

 is done the work of removal will only be so much wasted labour. 

 Gathering up the fallen infested Apples and destroying them is also 

 very desirable. 



So far as I see from Apples sent me, the caterpillars may remain 

 for some time in the Apples after they are removed from the tree, but 

 where there is much attack noticeable, it would be worth while to 

 spread some large cloths under the trees successively, and shake the 

 boughs. The Apples which fell might thus be collected and carried 

 away, and destroyed before the caterpillars escaped. 



Mere dressing of the surface even with gas-lime does not appear, 

 from notes sent, to prevent attack. 



* 'Die Pflanzenfeincle,' p. 201. 



