Insects Injurious to the Apple. 



157 



once or twice noticed a few on the smaller boughs. Many years ago 

 Mr. Fred Smith, who first pointed out the eggs to me, noticed that 

 they were often laid in a line, end to end ; I have only seen this 

 occasionally since and then when laid amongst the fine hairs. The 

 ova (Figs. 131 and 132) when first laid are almost white, then they 

 become creamy-yellow and later assume a faintly rusty-red hue 

 before hatching. Furley (6) describes them as becoming a pale 

 yellow-red also. They are elongated oval in form, somewhat pointed 

 at the ends, one of which is produced into a thin process which is 

 apparently curled under the egg and cannot easily be seen unless 

 the ovum is very carefully removed. What this process is for we 

 do not at present know. 



Furley, in his careful observations, found that in Worcestershire 

 in 1906 very few eggs were laid until the 

 middle of October. In Kent we have 

 found many as early as the 24th of Sep- 

 tember. Laying certainly may go on until 

 November in late years. 



Mr. Getting records (8) that at Eoss 

 he found plenty of eggs on the 14th of 

 September, and at Pershore they were 

 observed some days earlier. 



With fresh eggs we may also find 

 numbers of empty egg-shells ; sometimes 

 I have counted twenty empty shells to 

 one sound one. These are mainly old 

 shells of the previous broods, but some few 

 may have been destroyed by predaceous 

 mites, for in some twigs sent me by 

 Messrs. Caleb Lee and Sons, of Swanley, a small red acarus was 

 watched destroying them. The presence of these old egg-shells is 

 very important. They explain the frequent errors that have been 

 made in regard to washes having destroyed the ova. 



Another point of great interest concerning the eggs is the irregu- 

 larity with which they hatch out. The date not only varies in 

 different localities and in different years, but during the same season 

 in the same plantation. They incubate at different periods according 

 to the variety of apple upon which they are situated. This may be 

 due to the heat generated by the flow of sap regulating their hatching 

 to the time of the bursting of the buds. In 1906 they hatched out 

 at Wye on the 10th of April on one variety of apple, on a different 

 varietv next to it not until the 20th. 



[F. E. 



FIG. 131. 



OLD EGG OF APPLE SUCKER, 



SHOWING RUPTURE AND PROCESS. 



(Greatly enlarged.) 



