Something, however, towards checliing resettlement of the infesta- 

 tion might be done by syringing the leafage when the Gall-mites are 

 wandering about. During last summer, Mr. W. Gibbon, of Seaford 

 Grange, near Pershore, in a few remarks which he sent me on this 

 Pear-leaf attack, mentioned that under microscopic investigation he 

 found that these Mites were very similar in appearance to those of the 

 Black Currant, " but more active." 



Dr. E. L. Taschenberg says of them that the " sexually developed 

 Mites move about fairly nimbly on the under side of the leaves. They 

 are found throughout the whole year, from May onwards, of various 

 ages, and have many broods, so that multiphcation continues uninter- 

 ruptedly until the winterly season. They disperse themselves, both as 

 larv* and developed Mites, in the leaf and flower-buds of the one-year 

 old twigs, embedded in the felt-like layer of hairs on the inside of the 

 outer bud-scales. "=■= Dr. Taschenberg draws attention to the infesta- 

 tion having been found to begin its yearly course on the lower leaves 

 of the twigs, whilst the upper are still free, and therefore points out 

 that if these infested leaves are cleared it will greatly help to check 

 attack, especially in nursery grounds. 



In my own observations I have thought that syringing with soft- 

 soap compounds on the leafage in summer was useful ; and (in my 

 own observations) I have thought I found all the colours of Mite-gall 

 which are mentioned separately by different writers ; sometimes bright 

 rose-colour, sometimes green, as well as brown in the advanced stage. 

 The following notes on the Phytoptus similis are abridged from the full 

 description, by Dr. Nalepa, on page 89 : — 



Plum-leaf Funnel-shaped Galls. — Phytoptus similis, Nalepa. 

 " Body cylindrical ; female five times as long as broad. Thoracic 

 shield three-cornered, with somewhat angularly curved out margin." 

 ..." The proboscis is short (0-015 mm.), strong, and directed down- 

 wards and forwards. The legs are strong and distinctly jointed ; the 

 last joint is inconsiderable, shorter than the preceding. The bristles 

 are very fine and moderately long. The claw is short ; the holding-claw 

 (' Haftklaue ') is very slender, feather-like and five-branched. The 

 abdomen is uniformly ringed (about 60 rings), and rather coarsely 

 punctate. The egg round, 0-036 mm." 



P. similis produces the galls on the leaves of Primus domestica, L., 

 shown at Plate VI., fig. 6. They are known under the names of 

 Cephaloneon hypocrateriforme and confiuens, Bremi, and are pouch- or 

 funnel-shaped. They are mostly found on the edge of the leaves, but 

 rarely on the leaf-stalk, or at all on the twigs or fruit? Tliey are 

 always few, with stiff hairs, and form one with another a surrounding 



* 'Praktische Insecten Kunde,' by Dr. E. L. Taschenberg, Part V.,pp. 159, 160. 



