ORCHARD PESTS 77 



fertilizing in most cases. This creature is evidently in a 

 transitory stage of evolution. 



The larva is six-legged, minute and very active. About 

 eighty are produced by one female, who thereupon dies 

 and the young grubs live inside her dried-up outer casing. 

 When full-fed they come out from the scale and disperse, 

 fixing themselves by their probosces to the trunk of the 

 tree, when the business all starts de novo. Males undergo 

 a sort of pupal state, and emerge as winged creatures. 

 (See Plate 18.) 



As regards natural enemies, the Tits, the Wry- 

 neck and the Treecreeper all eat Mussel Scale and 

 should be encouraged in every garden. Certain small 

 Hymenoptera (chalcididce) also prey on them, but with- 

 out doing much good. Washing the trees with a solution 

 of paraffin, soft soap and caustic soda is recommended. 



Turning to the leaves, we have of course the Aphis 

 again. For these, however, see Appendix. 



I shall now take the Winter Moth {Cheimatohia 

 brumata) in some detail, as it is very much on the black 

 list of orchard pests, and we will try to look into some of 

 the causes which have made it what it is. 



Fruit will not ripen without leaves, which are the 

 lungs of a tree, and the first and worst example of leaf- 

 devourers is the Winter Moth. (See Plate 18.) 



This Httle moth measures about an inch across the 

 wings, which are extremely variable in their markings, 

 no two specimens being alike. The general colour 

 scheme is grey-brown in the case of the fore-wings 

 with several transverse darker bands. The hind wings 

 are much paler, with a darker border and sundry con- 

 centric wavy lines. 



The female moth is almost wingless, those she possesses 

 being mere stumps, quite useless for flight. On the other 

 hand she is very nimble of foot and spends her time run^- 

 ning about on fences, whither the fluttering suitors are 

 attracted. 



