260 



between live and six iuclies in diameter, and Lad been healthy and a 

 prolitic bearer until the insects attacked it. The branches are attacked 

 as well as the trunk, and sometimes the tree dies from the top. Young 

 trees just from the nursery become infested. Dr. Smith records one 

 case in which a small tree was set out one fall, became infested the 

 following summer, and was dead the next spring. The burrows are 

 extremely long, and one of them which was measured exceeded eight 

 feet. The beetle is known to occur throughout middle and southern 

 Europe, and was originally described in 1790 by Olivier, who found his 

 specimens on various kinds of fruit trees in southern France. Of late 

 years, since 1890, it has attracted considerable attention in Germany, 

 and has been ably written about by Mr. 1\. Goethe, Director of the 

 Eoyal Horticultural Academy at Geisenheim.* He calls the insect 

 "one of the most dangerous enemies to fruit trees," and expresses aston- 

 ishment that it is not even mentioned in treatises on injurious insects. 



Jn Western Germany the adult beetles appear in June and July and 

 dejiosit their eggs in the cracks or beneath the scales of the bark of the 

 trees, apparently preferring the younger trees. The young larva eats 

 its way through the bark and constructs there the strongly undulating 

 galleries so characteristic of all tree-inhabiting larvfe of the genus 

 Agrilus. After two years the larva has attained full growth, and 

 assumes the pupa state in an elongate cavity constructed a little deeper 

 in the solid wood. 



As a means of protecting trees against this Agrilus, Mr. Goethe rec- 

 ommends the coating of the trunks with a thick layer of clay. He also 

 found that a mixture of clay and cow's manure applied to the trunk 

 and older branches of infested trees not only kills the larva in their 

 galleries, but assists the trees materially in their recuperative efforts. 



Dr. Smith finds that the insect was imported from Europe into a 

 nursery in Union County, N". J., not more than ten years aafo, and that 

 it is already quite widespread in that State, probably also occurring 

 in New York. 



SCORPIONS, CENTIPEBES, AND TARANTULAS. 



There has always been the greatest conflict of evidence among trav- 

 elers in tropical regions as to the effect of the bite of the three classes 

 of animals referred to in the above heading. The frequent introduc- 

 tion of all three into the larger cities of the United States in bunches 

 ol bananas and other tropical fruits brings the subject more or less 

 prominently before our public. 



"The article is published in the Report of the Academy for 1890-'91 (1892), and 

 reprinted in Entoiuolog. Nachrichten, 19, 1893, pp. 25-30. See also article by Puton, 

 "L'Agrilus siuuatns destrncteur des poiriers" (Revue d'Entomologie, 2, 1883, pp. 

 67-69), and Xambeu's " Moeurs et Metamorphoses d'Insectes'' (1. c, 12, 1893, pp. 

 91-93). 



