"ground beetles." 93 



It appears to me thoroughly worth while to try whether we cannot 

 destroy the Black Currant Mite in the winter buds, with soft-soap and 

 mineral oil syringings, just as we find the Pear Leaf-blister Mite has 

 been satisfactorily destroyed. 



The infestation has been so often entered on, that it is not necessary 

 to describe it again further than that it is caused by a very minute, 

 cylindrical, four-legged Mite very much hke the Phjtoptxis figured at 

 p. 86, both in appearance and habits, save that it gives rise to a 

 swollen growth of the buds until they form mere distorted irregularly- 

 shaped balls of aborted embryo growth of variable size up to half an 

 inch across or more. 



Breakiug these off and destroying them does something towards 

 checking increase of attack ; but we much need a more effective 

 remedy, and where these observations may reach growers whilst the 

 bushes may still be in a condition for the syringing to be tried 

 experimentally, I think it would be well worth while to try how 

 the application might act. 



STRAWBERRY. 



" Ground Beetles." Pterostichus madidus, Fab. ; Harpalm ritfi- 

 cornis, Fab. ; Calathus cisteloides, Panz. 



PTEROsTicniis MADIDUS, magnified, and line showing nat. length. 



The following observations of destruction of Strawberry fruit by 

 beetles belonging to a carnivorous division, of which the occasional 

 .variations to a vegetable diet have as yet been only partially worked 

 out, are of much serviceable interest. They were sent to me on 

 Sept. 28th from Nottingham by Mr. M. J. E. Dunstan, M.A., Director 

 of Technical Instruction for the County Council of Nottinghamshire ; 

 and I may mention that the specimens were identified by a competent 



