434 Insects most injurious to Cidtivatoi's : — 



from the branches In festoons reaching to the ground, which, 

 beneath the tree, appeared carpeted with silk, in so remarkable a 

 manner as to attract the attention of the most incurious pas- 

 senger. Some kinds of apples, however, as well as the pear 

 trees, escaped. It appeared, indeed, surprising, that certain trees 

 should be untouched, whilst the rest were so completely de- 

 stroyed that it was doubtful whether they would have strength 

 to throw out fresh shoots. This fact, however, depending upon 

 the nice discrimination in the taste of the insects, might be bene- 

 ficially employed, by inducing the planting of those varieties 

 which appear to be most unpalatable to these destructive crea- 

 tures. M. Audouin, in one of his lectures* delivered this 

 season at the Jardin des Plantes, adverted to this circumstance, 

 and regretted that the old law commanding the inhabitants to 

 uncaterpillar {decheniller) the trees had been suffered to fall into 

 disuse. 



I at first considered that this mischief had been done by the 

 caterpillars of the barred tree lackey moth (Clisiocampa cas- 

 trensis), which, during the preceding month of June, had been 

 very numerous on the apple and some other trees at Ham- 

 mersmith ; but M. V. Audouin informed me that it was the 

 Yponomeuta padella, or small ermine moth of the English col- 

 lectors, that had attacked these trees; and, since my return, I 

 have ascertained from Mr. Bainbridge, and some others, that 

 this moth has been very injurious upon the apple trees round 

 London. Fortunately, however, we can congratulate ourselves on 

 its injurious propensities being far less extensive in this country 

 than in France; for never did I witness in this country such 

 wholesale devastation as that exhibited by the apple trees be- 

 tween Paris and Abbeville, mentioned above. 



Order, Lepidoptera.l ^g^^ ^^^_ ^^^^ ^^^^ 3gg >^ 



Section, ISocturna. J '^ ' r / 



Family, Yponomeutidae Stephens. So named from the typical genus. 



Genus, Yponomeuta Fabriciiis; evidently derived from the Greek word hupo- 

 nomos (feeding secretly, or a burrow); having allusion to the web- 

 spinning habits of the caterpillars. 



Syn. of the genus, Phalse^na Tinea p. Linn. ; Erminea Haivorth ; Nygmia 

 Hiibner. 



Species, Yponomeuta padella. ( So named from Primus Padus, or bird cherry, 

 one of the trees upon which it occasionally feeds.) 



Syn. Phalae^na Tfuea padella Linnceus; Erminea padi Haworth. (Fig. 117.: 

 /of the natural size; and e the same magnified, with the wings expanded.) 



* I attended several of these lectures (the entire course of which consisted 

 of about fifty, in which the professor especially treated upon the insects 

 injurious to vegetation) ; and I was gratified at observing the considerable 

 number and respectability of the audience, whose interest in the subject 

 was evinced by the copious notes made by many of them. Several ladies 

 were amongst the number. 



