SAW-FLIES. 



SAW-FLIES. 



beer bv boiline the young shoots of the sassa- ing in the ground in their cocoons through the 



as in water, to which a certain quantity of mo- winter. For some years previous to the pub- 



UM* or snjrar is added, the whole being left to lication of my Discourse," says Dr. Harris, "I 



nnent The beer is regarded as a wholesome observed that these insects annually increased 



and pleasant drink daring summer. So is an in number, and, in the year 1832, they had be- 



n of the bark of the roots, which is come so numerous and destructive that many 



much drunk for the cure of cutaneous and vines were entirely stripped of their leaves by 



other disorders. them. Whether the remedies then proposed 



IBS The names of above 6C i by me, or any other means, have tended to di- 



species of saw-flies, natives of the United ' minish their numbers, or to keep them in check, 



:ind found in Massachusetts, are given I have not been able to ascertain, and have 



10 Dr. Harm's Catalog. Some of these are 

 in their caterpillar state. One 

 .f Ihr lar^st flies is called Cinibtx Ulmi, be- 

 came ii inhabits the elm. The female of this 

 pecirs, at first sight, might be mistaken for the 

 The name Cimbtx was originally 

 >v the Greeks to certain insects resem- 

 <-cs and wasps, but not producing honey.) 

 m saw-fly measures an inch in length, 

 the wings expanding about 2 inches. It ap- 

 pears in the Eastern States from the last of 

 May lo ihe middle of June, during which the 

 female lays her eggs upon the common Ameri- 

 can elm, the leaves of which serve as food for 

 >me caterpillars hatched out. These 

 :r growth in August, and then mea- 

 sure from 1 lo J inches in length. Like all 

 false caterpillars of the genus Cimbex, this in- 

 ject, when handled or disturbed, betrays its 

 r in displeasure by spirting out a watery 

 < rrtain little pores situated on the 

 body just above its spiracles. The 

 ti-rpillars of other saw-flies prove very 

 destructive to pines and other fir trees. They 

 crawl down the trees and weave cocoons which 

 arc concealed in the leaves, &c. In the follow- 

 ing spring the insects burst their chrysalids 

 and come forth as winged flies. 

 Wo means, says Dr. Harris, for the destruc- 

 ihe caterpillars of the fir saw-fly have 

 been tried here, except showering them with 

 *oap-suds, and with solutions of whale-oil 

 soap, which has been found effectual. They 

 may also be shaken off or beaten from the 

 trees, early in the morning, when they are tor- 

 pid and easily fall, and may be collected in 

 rets, and be burned or given to swine. For 

 othrr means to check their depredations the 

 reader may consult the articles on the pine and 

 r saw-flies of Europe, contained in Hollar's 

 TYra/ur. 



Harris has described a kind of saw-fly 



(Mamthia ri/wV which attacks the grape-vine. 



is of a jet-black colour, except the upper 



r the thorax, which is red, the legs being 



a pale-yellow or whitish. The body is about 



R inch long. The false caterpillars pro- 



m the eggs of these flies may be 



I in swarms of various ages on the lower 



("the leaves, some v-rv small and others 



ly grown. When fully crown they measure 



r an inch in length. The body is 



ight-green, the legs and tip of the tail being 



ack. After the first moulting they become 



almo.st entirely yellow, and then leave the vine 



to burrow in the ground. They come out again 



had no further opportunity for making observa- 

 tions on the insects themselves. At thai time, 

 air-slacked lime, which was found to be fatal 

 to these false caterpillars of the vine, was ad- 

 vised to be dusted upon them, and strewed also 

 upon the ground under the vines, to insure the 

 destruction of such of the insects as might 

 fall. A solution of one pound of common hard 

 soap in five or six gallons of soft water, is used 

 by English gardeners to destroy the young of 

 the gooseberry saw-fly ; and the same was re- 

 commended to be tried upon the insects under 

 consideration. 



" All the young of the saw-flies do not so 

 closely resemble caterpillars as the preceding; 

 some of them, as has already been stated, have 

 the form of slugs or naked snails. Of this de- 

 scription is the kind called the slug-worm in 

 this country, and the slimy grub of the pear 

 tree in Europe. So different are these from 

 the other false caterpillars, that they would not 

 be suspected to belong to the same family. 

 Their relationship becomes evident, however, 

 when they have finished their transformations; 

 and accordingly we find that the saw-flies of 

 our slug-worms and those of the vine are so 

 much alike in form and structure, that they 

 are both included in the same genus. More- 

 over, there are certain false caterpillars, inter- 

 mediate in their forms and appearance between 

 the slimy and slug like kinds and those that 

 more nearly resemble the true caterpillars; 

 thus admirably illustrating the truth of the re- 

 mark, that nature proceeds not with abrupt or 

 unequal steps ; or, in other words, that amidst 

 the immense variety of living forms, where- 

 with this earth has been peopled, there is a re- 

 gular gradation and connection, which, in par- 

 ticular cases, if we fail to discover, it is rather 

 to be attributed to our own ignorance and 

 short-sightedness, than to any want of harmony 

 and regularity in the plan of the Creator. In 

 considering the resemblances of species, we 

 cannot fail to admire the care that has been 

 taken, by almost insensible shades of differ 

 ence among them, or by peculiar circum- 

 stances controlling their distribution, their ha- 

 bits of life, and their choice of food, to prevent 

 them from commingling, whereby each species 



to preserve forever its individual 



is made 

 identity. 



" The saw-fly of the rose, which, as it does 

 not seem to have been described before, may 

 be called Selandria ros, from its favourite 

 plant, so nearly resembles the slug-worm saw- 

 fly as not to be distinguished therefrom except 



f , . , gn i iijf 0.0 uui lu ue uisiniKUisiicu iiieiciruiu CAUCUI 



state in about a fortnight, by a practised observer. The caterpillars of 



r a second brood. The these perform their appointed work of destruc- 



dan not transformed tion in the autumn; they then go into the 



:eedmg spring, remain- ground, make their earthen cell 9, remain there- 



