PULVINAKIA YFTIS. 53 



believe that Curtis (" Kuricola ") first recorded this in 

 the ' Gardener's Chronicle,' but I have unfortunately 

 mislaid the record, and cannot therefore give the exact 

 reference. In 1885 Mr. Douglas recorded it from 

 Hereford on vines. I have twice received it from Mr. 

 Bignell, of Stonehouse, Devon, and, judging from the 

 numerous examples on the small branch which was 

 submitted to me, the insects must have caused some 

 injury to the vines. In a few localities in Cheshire 

 the insect is common on the peach, but it is apparently 

 a very local species, and does not appear to have spread 

 much in this county. In a great measure this is 

 probably due to the conspicuous nature of the females, 

 which would at once attract the eye of the horticul- 

 turist, and thus lead to its speedy extermination. 

 But when neglected, as I have occasionally known it 

 to be, it spreads very rapidly, and soon covers every 

 mature branch of its food-plant. 



Out of doors it occurs freely upon hawthorn (Crataegus 

 ox-yacantha) and sparingly on birch (Betula alba), 

 willow (Salix sp.), alder (Alnus glutinosa), and Goto- 

 neaster spp. (chiefly G. microphylld) . 



In Delamere Forest, Cheshire, I have taken on birch 

 a few isolated examples of this species, some of which 

 were exceptionally large specimens, but nearly all were 

 parasitised. The only examples on willow are from 

 the same county. They occurred in one small colony 

 in an osier plantation, on the two-year-old wood, and 

 were so low down the plant as to be covered by the 

 rank grass and other vegetation. Mr. Douglas's ex- 

 amples from alder, taken by him at Lewisham, I believe, 

 also occurred upon branches trailing upon the ground. 

 I have had it sent to me from Birdham, Chichester 

 (Nixon), Doncaster (Dr. Corbett), and on an unidentified 

 plant from near Maidstone (A. 0. Walker). 



The females are for the most part parthenogenetic. 

 The only male puparia I have seen were sent to me by 

 Mr. Bignell. Unfortunately they were empty, and I 

 am therefore unable to give a description of the male. 



