peacli, aud, according to his letter, the entire leaves and fruit put up in 

 the bottle were literally devoured -wlieu lie removed them. He also 

 stated that the i)each crop was rotting badly before maturity, and asked 

 if the insect could have connection in any way with this condition 

 of the crop. " 



In a letter written August 19, however, he says that "although num- 

 bers of my trees show evidence of disease, it certainly cannot be traced 

 Ao the ravages of this insect." Ho further states that "the ravages ol' 

 the insects were first noticed last spring in going through the orchard 

 to prune." His attention was attracted by the great number of small 

 branches dead and dying since the spring's growth had started, and 

 upon tracing thos6 branches down, he invariably found in the branch at 

 the base of the leaf a puncture covered over with dried gum. Some- 

 times the jiuncture was so recent that only the first leaf above was dead 

 or dying, but death always followed the branch from the puncture up to 

 its extremity, and almost as invariably traveled down till it came to a 

 lateral branch, where the poison seemed to be arrested. It was observed 

 that these punctures were always either in the tender wood of the pre- 

 ceding fall's or present spring's growth. ' 



He examined many of the diseased branches with all ipossible care, 

 and though he was unable to find either insect or eggs, he was satisfied 

 that the injury could be traced to insects, and so a number of speci- 

 mens of twigs, or terminal shoots, were forwarded to the Department. 

 These were carefully examined, and no eggs or insects could be discov- 

 ered in the twigs. Mr. Day was advised, however, to put a number ot 

 injured specimens in a glass jar, and watch them carefully to see if any 

 insects carne out of them. This he did, but placed some twigs with 

 young fruit ou them. After watching them for a number of weeks he 

 paid no further attention to them, supposing the insects had all escaped 

 before he placed the branches in the jar; but later in the season, having 

 occasion to use the jar, he found a number of small beetles, and discov- 

 ered to his surprise that the leaves and fruit were nearly eaten up. 

 One of these, the others escaping, he sent to the Department for iden- 

 tification. 



On the 29th of August he wi'ote again to the Department, stating 

 that he placed four specimens of diseased peaches in an empty qui- 

 nine-bottle, with a view of determining whether his opinion was cor- 

 rect " in ascribing this general and wide-spread disease of peaches to 

 ^.^ the depredation of insects, and also whether this insect is 



'^~" "■ the same as the one that commits its ravages upon the 

 tender branches of the trees in the spring." 



On the 27th of the month the first beetle appeared from 

 this lot of specimens, and he subsequently sent the bottle, 

 with peaches and insects inclosed, to the Department for 

 examination by the entomologist. On examination, these 

 beetles T^ere decided to be Arccocerns (Sch.) cofecc of Fab., 

 aud the shriveled peaches sent were literally riddled by 

 ^^ I their larvce, a specimen of which was sent in June, and is 

 "^ figured,(rig. 13.) Six perfect beetles made their appearance 

 l^ from the three specimens of the dried fruit' last forwarded ; 

 but the insect first mentioned as attacking the twigs in 

 spring, is most probably xinother insect, and may prove to be the Anctt'sla 

 2)rmnella, of Clemens, mentioned (with figures) on page 305, of the 

 monthly report for eTuly, as having injured peach-twigs in Maryland. 



Another season, however, will decide the question, if Mr. Day, or any 

 of our correspondents in Louisiana, or elsewhere, will send specimens 



