
aI 
NOTES ON FRUIT TREE PESTS—By Mr. J. D. SIDDALL. 
Fruit trees in gardens and orchards on the South side of the City, have 
this year again suffered severely from insect pests. The first place in im- 
portance among these must, undoubtedly, be assigned to the small Ermine 
Moth, Ayponomeuta padellus. After completely stripping the hawthorn 
hedges, this has attacked the foliage and young fruit of the apple trees, and 
caused a very large percentage of loss, Ensconced in rapidly extending 
web-nests no birds will touch them. There is, therefore, nothing but hand 
picking and forcible syringing with strong soap suds, effective against their 
attacks. The American blight, Schizoneura lanigera, is also again ex- 
ceedingly common on the apple trees and very injurious. For this, soft soap 
made into a thick lather and applied with a stiff brush to infested stems is 
very effective, but it reappears rapidly and requires constant attention to 
keep down. I have not been able to note any birds touching it. The 
Mussel Scale, Mytilaspis pomorum, is also-a very common pest, but the 
Tits will take these, and do a good deal toward keeping them down. Scraping 
and scrubbing the stems with soft soap lather is also a good remedy. Pears 
promised well, but have been, and are, seriously affected by the Pear Gnat 
Midge, Diplosis pyrivora, a tiny gnat-like fly, which deposits its eggs in the 
young flower buds. These hatch into little legless maggots which bore 
their way into the embryo pear, and stimulate it into very rapid but generally 
distorted growth, and after a time the fruit falls off. Many trees which 
promised to yield a heavy crop, have been quite denuded of fruit from this 
cause. 


Preliminary remarks on certain species of Lepidoptera 
taken at the City Electric Lamps, 1898 and 1899, 
By Dr. HERBERT DOBIE. 
At the beginning of the year 1899, I read a Paper before the Society 
on the Lepidoptera taken at the Electric Lights of Chester, by my brothers 
and myself. Certain important records then given called for much comment, 
and seeing the importance of the matter the President has requested me 
to prepare a brief statement of our principal captures. 
Between July 1898, and September 1899, 232 species of Masrolepidoptera 
were taken. My records are given under the following sections :— 
4A.—As being new to the Society’s List. 
B.—For their scarcity. 
C.—For their uncommon variation. 
D.—For the occurrence of certain pine and heath-loving species, whose 
nearest recorded habitats are some miles distant from Chester. 
E.—As showing the usual proportion of the sexes captured, but with 
several interesting exceptions. 
SrEcTion A. 
1.—Sphinx ligustri.—A female of this species I took on July 15th, 1898. 
Mr. Walker in his list (Proc. Ch. Soc. Nat. Sc. pt. ii., p. 72), 
states :—‘‘ Larva said to have occurred at Oulton.” This record, 
however, I believe Mr. Walker very reluctantly gave, as he ve 
much doubted its authenticity. To the best of my knowledge 
this specimen is the only one of the species captured. It would, 
therefore, appear to be a moth very rare in this locality. 
2.—Deprana hamula.—The first recorded specimen of this moth I took on 
August 19th, 1898. During June of 1899 two others were captured 
by Dr. E. C, Dobie. 
3-—Acronycta Ailni.—Five specimens, including a magnificent black 
variety. The first was taken June 15th, 1899. See A. O, W’s List 
P- 74. 
