" PEBBLE PROMINENT " MOTH. 14'? 



extent, I cannot tell bow much might be owing to this special kind, the 

 " zigzag" caterpillar. I should think, however, that part of the great 

 mischief reported to me on June 13th, might very likely indeed be 

 caused by the larvae of this Notodonta ziczac whilst still in the very 

 young state which they would almost certainly be in early in this 

 month. 



Some of this mischief was caused beyond doubt by caterpillars of 

 the G. reclusa moth, and the ** Cuckoo-spit " insects, as mentioned in 

 the preceding paper; but on turning to my reply to Miss Sturge's 

 letter, I find I mentioned, "From the manner in which the skin 

 of the leaf has been gnawed, I should think that very likely you 

 had the ' Willow Beetle ' present." In the case of this beetle 

 infestation the larvas feed on the under side of the leafage, working 

 right through to the upper films until it is so thin that it cracks, 

 or may crack, and dry away. Although I was in commuuicatiou 

 with Miss Sturge until autumn or early winter, no observation was 

 made of Willow Beetle being seen ; but findmg later on that N. ziczac 

 was present, I turned to the account of it by Mr. Hellins (previously 

 quoted), and there I find the following passage: — "After the larva 

 begins to feed, a greenish tinge comes over the body; at first the larva 

 gnawed only one side of a Willow leaf, leaving the opposite skin and 

 all the ribs untouched." 



With advance of growth, presumably, this habit is left off; so far 

 as I saw, the leaves of Weeping Willow, which I used as food, were 

 consumed from the edge. But in future instances of infestation it 

 would be well worth while to investigate this matter fully. 



The methods of prevention and remedy would be similar to those 

 for destroying the C. reclusa, noticed at pp. 143 — 145. 



8AWFL1ES.— Willow Sawfiy. Nematus salicis, h. 



Amongst the various kinds of Willow infestations of which samples 

 were sent, were those of several species of Sawflies, of which the 

 following is, I believe, not very common, and possibly the local out- 

 break to such a serious extent may have been influenced by the peculiar 

 weather conditions of the spring and early summer. 



On July 6th, I was favoured with the following note of observation 

 from Mr. J. Brooke, of Haughton Hall, Shifnal, Salop : — " The cater- 

 pillars, of which I enclose a specimen, I found in such numbers on a 

 row of Pollard Willows, at Sutton Maddock in this county (Salop), as 

 to completely strip them of leaves. I presume it is the larva of some 

 Sawfly, but I am not able to identify it, nor did I ever see it in such 

 quantities before." 



