38 



with the additiou of their practical observatious of life history, and 

 means of prevention and remedy, added to what we find recorded, we 

 make serviceable advance. 



It would be very advantageous if we had more such committees, for 

 the work is so very real. No make believe or fanciful remedies gain 

 the stated formal approval of a body of experienced fruitgrowers 

 whose returns depend on the treatment of their crops. 



This year we have been working up for one thing, the Easpberry Bee- 

 tle, Bytunis tomentosus, Fab., which Mr. C. D. Wise finds at the Tod- 

 dington fruit grounds, may be best got rid of by shaking down into 

 bags moistened or sprinkled with paraffln. 



The Raspberry Bud Oaterpillar of the Laniproma riihiella, Bjerk., has 

 also been greatly troubling raspberry growers by its injury to the 

 young buds and sometimes in the canes. We hope by gathering the 

 infested buds or neighboring bunches of leaves in which the larva has 

 pupated, and destroying these, to have forestalled much recurrence of 

 next year's attack. 



Plum Sawfly has also made a slight, and Apple Saw-fly a very de- 

 cidedly injurious appearance. I conjecture that the similarity (to 

 general inspection) of the attack of the latterto that of the Codling Moth 

 Caterpillar has caused it not to be generally noticed before, and I hope 

 to be able to add some notes on the changes in appearance of the larvae. 

 In all respects of habits and appearance preceding pupation this Saw- 

 fly larva agrees with such descriptions as I have access to of that of the 

 Tenthredo testuclinea Klug {= Hoplocampa testudinea Klug), but pre- 

 viously 1 find that instead of the head being tawny or pale chestnut, 

 and little trace of color above the caudal extremity, that the head is 

 pitchy black, and there is also a pitchy black plate above the tail pre- 

 ceded by a cross band and a few small markings also pitchy or black. 



We have traced this change by the observer (Mr. Wm. Coleman, of 

 Cranfield, Beds.) watching specimens for me in natural conditions 

 through their transformations. I think that if this change has not been 

 noted it will be of serviceable interest to record it, as on first glance the 

 variously marked larvae appear to be of different species. 



For prevention of recurrence of this attack I am suggesting lightly 

 shaking infested trees over cloths sprinkled with some mineral oil, so 

 that the caterpillars which are very fairly active should not escape. Plum 

 Sawfly has been only reported from one locality. 



The bud-galls on Black Currant caused by the Phytoptus ribis or 

 Black Currant Gall Mite have been present to a seriously destructive 

 extent. We know of no remedy for this attack excepting use of soft 

 soap and suli)hur wash, or, as a preventive of spread, breaking oft" the 

 bud-galls. We, however, have found this year that parasites are at 

 work in the persons of Chalcids, which we have not yet identified spe- 

 cifically, and from some small amonnt of further observation I venture 



