8 FIRST REPORT ON ECONOMIC BIOLOGY. 



Newstead 's attention to it " attacking- the roots of warm greenhouse 

 ferns in Co. Kildare, Ireland." 



Mr. Newstead describes it 1 as living "chiefly upon the terminal 

 or outside roots of pot plants, where it secretes or spins patches of 

 pure white fibrous wax, similar to that made by the common mealy 

 bugs, but less compact. In these retreats the insects live and lay 

 their eggs." 



He continues : " The origin of this pest remains to be discovered. 

 In all probability it is an indigenous species, and may have been 

 introduced in the potting material. But as the insect has not been 

 met with outside it may have been introduced on the roots of imported 

 plants. 



Mr. Newstead recommended the following treatment : (i) Not 

 to "turn the infested plants out of the pots while in the conservatory, 

 as a strong current of air may sometimes carry away a patch of the 

 woolly material, and with it the egg's or females. 



(2) Infested plants should, at the proper season, have all the soil 

 removed from the roots and thoroughly washed in two lots of clean 

 water. The pots from the infested plants should be immersed in 

 scalding water or heated to destroy any adhering eggs or insects." 



In the case recorded above, the plants were carefully removed 

 from their pots and washed in water, and repotted in fresh pots and 

 soil. The old soil was burnt, and the pots scalded out. No further 

 trouble has been noticed. 



THE TURNIP GALL WEEVIL. 



Ceuthorhynchus sulcicollis, Gyll. 



In 1906 the larvae of this beetle proved very troublesome in Wor- 

 cester, Warwick, Shropshire, and Stafford ; since then but very few 

 cases haye been reported to me. During 1910, however, it reappeared 

 and caused a large amount of damage to turnips. I am therefore 

 repeating its life-history and the preventive and remedial measures 

 previously given. 



LlFE-HlSTORY. 



The female deposits her eggs on the roots of cabbages and 

 turnips, or with her proboscis excavates small holes, into each of which 

 she usually places a single egg. In about ten days the larvae hatch 



1 Monog. Coccidae Brit. Isles, 1901, vol. i, p. 63. 



