74 HOP. 



it during winter in the way suggested sometimes, though by no means 

 easy to carry out with the smaller sorts. 



All the Coccinelidai, or Lady-birds, whether large or small, are 

 carnivorous both in grub and beetle state, and if by transference from 

 elsewhere, or protection if found on the spot, we could manage to 

 gain the help of this large kind on our Hops, it certainly would be 

 desirable. 



"Minute Black Lady-bied," Scynmus minimus, Kossi. — This ex- 

 ceedingly small beetle, it will be remembered, was observed early in 

 August, 1893, by Mr. Edw. Goodwin, of Canon Court, Wateringbury, 

 near Maidstone, doing much service in grub state by feeding on Red 

 Spider on Hops, and in the past season it has reappeared to some 

 slight extent. 



This little beetle is similar to the common Lady-birds in shape, 

 but is only about, or rather less than, a twelfth of an inch in length, 

 black, with the wing-cases slightly downy. The maggots appear, as 

 seen with the naked eye, to be of a general smoky-grey colour ; seen 

 through a magnifier, they are of a smoky-yellowish colour, with black 

 patches. These, as also the chrysalids, are similar in shape to the 

 maggots and chrysalids of the common Lady-birds. 



In 1893, I had the opportunity of rearing the insect through its 

 various stages, and so observing its life-history, which I am not aware 

 of having been recorded before, and from this, and the notes sent, they 

 were obviously voracious in maggot state. They did not limit them- 

 selves to Red Spider of the Hop, for I found they worked steadily on- 

 wards at the Red Spider on Plum-leaves greedily and uninterruptedly, 

 and in confinement, failing other nourishment, would feed on their 

 brethren, in one case even until only one survivor remained. The 

 different diet did not seem at all injurious, for in this instance the 

 larva went through its changes rapidly. On August 28th it was still 

 in larval state, and after changing in the usual manner of the Lady- 

 birds to a pupa (in this case shiny and black) hung up by the tip of 

 the tail, I found, on the 6th of September, the little black Lady-bird 

 walking briskly about. 



My own attempts to rear a succession of this minute Scymnus from 

 specimens I freed in my own garden quite failed ; but where they may 

 chance to be noticed, it would be well to remark that the small black 

 beetles, hardly as big as the letter "o" in these lines of print, are 

 beneficial, and are doing good service, and I repeat just a few of last 

 year's observations in the hope of drawing attention to them. 



Note.' — Some observations regarding Eelworm presence noticed at 

 Hop-roots at one locality in Kent have been placed under the heading 



