198 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
and pupal stages are all passed on the tree, and generally on 
older and taller trees, while the caterpillar attack, from the 
position of the eggs, begins from the crown, z.e., the insect does 
not at any stage bring itself within easy reach of treatment. 
Insectivorous birds are useful allies of the forester, first against 
the eggs, and later against the caterpillars. 
As regards other insects of the year, two very interesting 
sendings reached me, one from Mr Crozier, of Megastigmus 
spermotrophus, a Chalcid fly reported on elsewhere in the 
Transactions, and the other, of ash-shoots injured by the cater- 
pillars of Zortrix curtisella. Mr Hugh Reid, who sent me the 
ash specimens for determination, wrote that the plants injured 
were young ash that had been planted out in the spring of 1903, 
and after doing well showed signs of attack in the next summer. 
The moth, whose caterpillars caused the injury—bud and leaf 
and shoot being injured—is a small moth, measuring in 
expanse of wings not more than 17 millimetres. It has a 
wide distribution, extending in Britain to Inverness-shire, and 
is also found in Ireland. 
Of insects previously reported on, I received the pine-beetle, 
the wood-wasp, both Sivex gigas and S. juvencus, and winter- 
moth caterpillars. 
In last year’s Transactions 1 made mention of the attack on 
willows in Ireland by Cectdomyza heterobta. In response to a 
query, Mr M‘Rae wrote me to say that the crop of ‘“ Norfolks” 
was again affected, but not nearly so severely as in the previous 
season, and while it was considerably under the average, yet 
what was got was mostly available for various working purposes. 
