78 THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



guide to the study of insects,) is greenish black above, with a brassy 

 polish ; it is by no means so beautiful as many other genera of this 

 family ; indeed, its dark color and rough surface enable it to easily 

 escape the notice of the observer. It lives but one year in its larval 

 condition, while the two-striped Borer infests the tree in that state for 

 the space of two or three yeai's. 



Th«e discovery of these unsuspected ravages naturally arouses 

 vigilance in the protection of other trees ; and it points to much 

 neglect during the several seasons past, in omitting the mid-summer 

 application of soft soap and water to the trunks ; having been deluded 

 into the belief that this enemy was few in nnmber, when in truth it 

 was unusually abundant. We would therefore warn our fellow apple 

 growers not to omit the annual washing of the trunks of all their apple 

 trees, lest this insidious foe impair their vigor before his presence is 

 even suspected. (For further valuable information concerning these 

 beetles, we would refer the reader to the Eeport of the Fruit Growers' 

 Association, 1870, pages 70, 71.) 



The Woodpecker is one of our friends, but I am yet to be per- 

 suaded that he is faultless, although many of our best authorities 

 <leclaa:e he does no mischief whatever. I Iiave to accuse him of over- 

 doing his work on our Early Harvest apple trees. It seems as if the 

 sap of that variety at least must attract him, notwithstanding the 

 assertion that he is not a sap sucker, but only an insect hunter. He 

 lias done no harm whatever to any other kind of apple tree, but many 

 a, large branch of this variety has been so completely girdled by their 

 peck-holes, that it has turned black and died. But we do not wish 

 to accuse him too harshly, for it is better to lose a good many branches 

 through his friendly labors than whole trees by the devastation of 

 borers, of which he is a greedy devourer. He pecks holes in the trees 

 by means of his long wedge-shaped bill, and into these he thrusts his 

 long tongue in search of insects ; these he captures by means of 

 a glutinous secretion, with which the tongue is new coated each time 

 it is drawn in ; or in case of large insects, by means of the barbed reverse 

 filaments upon its horny tip. 



The family {Picidae) includes hundreds of species, of which 

 perhaps the more common among us are the Downy Woodpecker, 

 (Picus puhescens,) which is about six inches long, and twelve from tip 

 to tip of its wings; and the Hairy Woodpecker, (Picus villosus,) 



