APPLE SAWFLY. 



15 



be one more developed and fleshy, and commence another. Hence the 

 rapid destruction of the young fruit in proximity." — (W. C.) 



When full-fed the caterpillars go down into the ground, where they 

 form cocoons in which they go through their change to the pupal state, 

 and thence to the perfect insect. In the instances which came under 

 my own observation the caterpillars buried themselves about the middle 

 of July or rather earlier. Dates of change of condition of caterpillar 

 within the cocoon, and various depths at which the cocoon was formed, 

 will be found in the foregoing pages. 



Returning now to Mr. Coleman's notes of observation of this Apple 

 Sawfly attack during the past season. On June 3rd, he forwarded me 

 specimens of young fruit containing the recently hatched caterpillar of 

 the Sawfly, and additional notes of his observation regarding firstly, — 

 dates of appearance of the Sawflies, and subsequently of the cater- 

 pillars : — " The flies appeared on or about the 14th of May, and dis- 

 appeared on or about the 28th. The caterpillars are now fast hatching 

 out; first noticed on the 28th May. They are certainly appearing 

 earlier by ten days or more this year ;" . . . " the eggs must have 

 lain dormant last year until the middle of June. 



" The fly itself appears somewhat delicate, and will not bear rough 

 handling at all ; the slightest interference too, in the intermediate 

 state of its being, causing its death. This makes me think that affected 

 Apples which fall early and in great numbers from the tree, seldom 

 contain a caterpillar ; but, if they do, are in such a withered state that 

 they cannot sustain the life of the caterpillar to maturity ; it will leave, 

 and take the ground only to perish. I do not think they return to the 

 tree." 



Mr. E. Murray, writing from Walton House, Walton, Ipswich (on 

 Dec. 28th, 1891), similarly noted benefit from killing the pest in fly 

 condition, as follows: — " I think I did good service in killing the Saw- 

 fly in the act of laying the eggs in the bloom. As mine were mostly 

 espaliers, I was able to look over them with the help of a small piece 

 of stick and a light long nail, and killed the fly on the bloom." 



Writing further on July 22nd of this year (1892), Mr. R. Murray 

 added : — " I have been very busy this year again with the Sawflies, as 

 the first one appeared on May 17th, when I began killing them as fast 

 as I could on the Apple bloom, and before my blooms were over there 

 was not one to be found. There was not one to be seen during a late 

 blossoming (tree called ' Pendu. Piatt'), and consequently I thought by 

 killing them I had prevented any eggs being laid, but this was not so, 

 as later on I found a great number of Apples in which the grub was 

 found, especially in the pyramid and standard trees, where I could not 

 overlook their movements so easily as on espalier trees. I had a daily 

 survey and inspection made of the Apples on each tree, and all those 



