INTRODUCTION 



part of the branch near the tip, and lays its 

 egg near its centre. The caterpillar bores 

 away the pith, eating it. This enfeebles 

 the stem, which breaks off on the slightest 

 provocation, as of wind. I have seen the 

 ground covered with such, but every one on 

 examination I found to be tunnelled by the 

 caterpillar, the insect form of which I forget 



HylurgMS piniperda, scientifically. This beetle goes 

 through its early life between the bark and wood of 

 felled or sickly pines or fallen boughs, and when the 

 beetles leave their place of development they fly to the 

 shoots and tunnel them. 



"Consequent on this injury a high wind brings them 

 down in great numbers, and some may be recently 

 tunnelled and still have the beetles within, or some 

 may be of much older date. 



"Without having a specimen I cannot speak with 

 certainty, but the only point that differs in your corre- 

 spondent's description of the attack from that of the 

 H. piniperda is his mention of the tunnelling being 

 done by a grub. Should this not be from his own 

 observation, but merely from the general appearance, 

 I should say the damage was certainly that of ' the 

 pine-beetle.' — Yours, etc., 



" Eleanor A. Ormbrod, F. E. S." 



"Torrington House, St. Albans, S*pt. iq." 



ziz 



