452 



of these larvoe were very young, or at least exceedingly minute, while 

 others appeared to be fully half grown. No adults or pupae were to be 

 found. 



Here, on February 10, Phlceotribus Iminaris was observed burrowing 

 under the bark of a peach tree which had died the previous autumn. 

 Some of the adults were only recently emerged from the pupal stage, 

 as was indicated by their lighter color, and larvae of this or an allied 

 species were abundant under the bark of the same tree. 



From Madison 1 proceeded to Franklin County, to visit Mr. W. J. 

 Alexander, postmaster of Vineland, whose vineyard has for several 

 years been ravaged by the Grape Curculio, Crapomu§ ina'quaUs Say. 

 The locality is somewhat isolated, being situated on the top of one of 

 the Ozark Mountains about 25 miles north of the Little Eock and Fort 

 Smith Railway. The soil on these mountain tops is very fertile and 

 appears to be i^articularly adapted to fruit growing, especially grapes, 

 wild varieties of which grow thickly and luxuriantly all over the 

 mountain tops and sides where there is sufficient soil to support them. 



The fruit of these wild grapes is large, luscious, and produces a wine 

 of excellent quality. To grape culture, however, the depredations of 

 the Grape Curculio proves a serious drawback, the pest apparently being 

 more widespread audits ravages more pronounced here than elsewhere 

 in the country, though it does not, so far as I could learn, occur in de- 

 structive numbers south of the Arkansas River or even in the vicinity 

 of Fort Smith. For my knowledge of the distribution, however, I am 

 indebted to the people of this section of the State, and the injury to 

 wild grapes in the forest may be much greater than has been observed. 

 The damage to cultivated grapes began to be observable as long ago 

 at least as in 1880, and since that time has steadily increased until it 

 has become almost impossible to secure a crop of fruit without bagging 

 the clusters with small paper sacks. 



In Mr. Alexander's vineyard, the only one which I was able to ex- 

 amine, the attack commences about June 1, a wet June being supposed 

 to favor the development of the pest, which continues to work destruc- 

 tion until the fruit has ripened, the earliest attack being noticed along 

 the outer margin nearest the woods. As the insect is known to hiber- 

 nate in the adult stage, it seemed possible that burning over the ground 

 during winter or early spring might result in the destruction of a large 

 number thus passing the winter months among the leaves and rubbish 

 about the wild vines. The greater portion of two days, February 17 and 

 18, was spent in sifting the dead leaves and surface soil, under wild 

 vines in the woods, and also about cultivated vines, in the vineyard. 

 About the former were invariably found considerable numbers of Cer- 

 copeus chrysorhoeeus, but none of these were found in sif tings from the 

 vineyard, and nowhere did I find the Grape Curculio. Under date of 

 April 14, nearly two months after my visit, Mr. Alexander wrote me as 

 follows : 



