22 



deep shiuiug green, in some specimens more or less blue. Legs dark brown, or black- 

 ish brown ; front tarsi more lutescent or brownish yellow. Wings grayish hyaline, 

 the veins dark brown. 

 Three specimens, from Professor Riley. 



THE PRIVET WEB- WORM. 

 [Margarodes quadristigmalis G-n.) 



[Order Lepidoptera : Family Pyralid^.] 

 THE PRIVET. 



The Privet {Ligustrum vulgare L.) is a very common hedge plant in Eu- 

 rope, of general distribution and native in Central and Southern Europe. 

 It and the closely allied Japanese species {Ligustrum japonicum) were 

 introduced into this country in the beginning of the present century, 

 and both have become thoroughly naturalized in some of the older 

 States. Practically the sole use of the Privet in America is as a hedge- 

 plant, for which purpose it is preferred in many localises to the ubiquit- 

 ous Osage Orange {Madura aurantiaca), chiefly on account of the 

 absence of spines and also because it thrives well in much more 

 northern climates. In Europe, however, its close-grained, hard wood is 

 used for turning and shoe pegs, its twigs for tanning and as a substitute 

 for osier, and its berries for red, black, or blue colors in certain dying 

 processes, while formerly its astringent leaves were used in medicine. 

 A well cultivated and carefully trimmed privet hedge, with its bright 

 green foliage, is a most beautiful sight; if inclosing an orchard, and 

 not kept too low, it forms an excellent shelter for many insectivorous 

 birds, which love to build their nests in such protecting places. Grown 

 siugly or in small groups it attains quite a large size, ^nd bears bunches 

 of dark purple berries. 



It suffers in America from a sudden blight, probably the result of the 

 attack of the fungus Phyllosticta ligustri Saccardo, and certain leaf-eat- 

 ing caterpillars occasionally feed upon its foliage. But the plant has 

 always been considered almost insect proof in this country, although in 

 Europe twenty or more insects feed upon its leaves, the great majority 

 of which are lepidopterous, including one of the finest of the European 

 Hawk Moths, the Sphinx ligustri. 



The following statements have been prepared from notes made princi- 

 pally by Mr. Howard and Mr. O. Lugger : 



APPEARANCE OF THE WEB WORM. 



The new web-worm was first noticed upon the plants in some exten- 

 sive hedges grown in the gardens connected with the Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington, June 20, 1886, and later it was found in 

 other parts of the city. None of the gardeners had ever seen it before, 

 and naturally were somewhat anxious about the matter. The hedges 

 affected by these worms, presented a most miserable sight, almost al 



