OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 91 



" On the 30th of March, the buds not having; yet expanded, I 

 selected six thrifty five-year-old apple-trees, of three different varie- 

 ties, and applied to two of them simple lard, greasing over every part 

 of the trees, trunk, branches and twigs. To two others kerosene oil 

 was applied in the same manner. To the other two linseed oil was 

 applied ; but in this case, to vary the experiment, the terminal twigs 

 were omitted. None of these trees were eventually damaged by the 

 applications. Upon those to which the lard and linseed oil were ap- 

 plied, no eflect was perceived. They leafed out as early and looked 

 as well as other trees standing beside them. The kerosene, as might 

 have been anticipated, acted more severely. It killed or seriously 

 damaged all the first buds, and the trees were several weeks later in 

 leafing out than the others; but at an examination of them on the 

 5th of July, no difference could be seen in the quantity or healthiness 

 of the foliage from that on the other trees. One effect of the kero- 

 sene is deserving of notice. The check thus given to one of these 

 trees had an effect similar to girdling or root-pruning, namely, that of 

 throwing it into premature bearing — this tree producing an apple 

 though still standing in the nursery row. 



Mr. Palmer has used hot lye, applied with a brush, soon after the 

 lice hatch, to the trunk and limbs as far as he could reach, with good 

 results. The injury to the foliage is only temporary. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE. 



Generic Name. — This insect, ever since the publication of Dr. 

 Asa Fitch's first N. Y. Report, has been known, in American entomo- 

 logy, by the technical name of Aspidiotus concliiforviis (Gmelin). 

 The genus Aspidiotus was erected, in 1S33, for those species living 

 under a scale, by Bouche, a German entomologist ; and our insect has 

 been referred to it ; but this author paid little regard to the work 

 of those who preceded him, and the genus Diaspis^ which covers the 

 characters of conchiforniis^ had already been erected by Costa in 

 1827. Costa's name, therefore, has priority, though his observations 

 were superficial and unreliable. In 1868 (Trkns. Am. Ent. Soc, Vol. I, 

 pp. 361-374) Dr. Henry Shiraer, of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, proposed still 

 a new genus, (Lepidosaphes), and even a new family, founded on cer- 

 tain characters of this insect. Dr. Shimer appears to have been un- 

 acquainted with the work that had been and was being done in the 

 same field by other authors. His generic name might have been 

 adopted, had not another genus already been erected for it, and em- 

 ployed by Targioni and Signoret. As for the other characters men- 

 tioned by Dr. Shimer, and supposed to be of family value — viz : (1) the 

 scale constructed by, and separated from, the insect; (2) no tarsal 

 claw; and (3) the possession of digituli — they are easily disposed of. 

 (1) The separation of the scale had already suggested to Bouche his 

 genus Aspidiotus ; (2) the tarsal claw I have plainly seen, and though 

 blunt and soft in the larva, it is quite conspicuous and more per- 

 fect in the male ;* (3) the digituli, or knobbed hairs, are common 



*SeeFig. 31, d. 



