368 Forty-sixth Report on the State Museum 



2. The premature ripening of tlie fruit, which, when first attacked 

 may be nearly normal in size, but becomes smaller each year, with its 

 surface spotted more or less, and the flesh more deeply colored around 

 the stone ( U. S. Dept. of Agriculture — Report of the Statistician^ 

 No. 43). 



An Unrecognized Attack on Pease. 



Mr. B. W. Gregory, of Liberty, Sullivan Co., IsT. Y., reports in a let- 

 ter of August 9th, 1892, the following injury to his pease: 



Inclosed please find samples of peas: can you tell me what the matter 

 is with them ? They are not attacked by birds or by fowls, for I have 

 watched them closely, nor have I been able to find any insect working 

 on them. The vines are perfectly healthy and vigorous, and are of the 

 Sexton's Alpha variety. The first picking from them was about June 

 25th, at which time four-fifths of them were affected like the sample. 

 The later pickings were less injured. I picked from the same vines 

 to-day and those sent [five pods] were all that I found. Other beds 

 in the neighborhood are affected in the same way. You will observe 

 that the lower end is cracked open, which is invariably the case when 

 I find them, and the pulp is all taken out. Whatever insect does the 

 work, I think does it at night. 



In the pods sent, they had split open at the lower end, but the sides 

 were closely adherent. From all of the pease within, the pulpy portion 

 had been entirely removed, leaving only the outer wall, in more or less 

 irregular shape. 



In the absence of any knowledge of such an injury, which seemed, 

 in all probability to be that of an insect, and as there was no possible 

 clue to the depredator, the specimens, while still fresh, were taken to 

 the meeting of the Association of Economic Entomologists at Roches- 

 ter, and shown to those present. While all concurred in the belief that 

 it was an insect attack, no one could assign it to any known insect. 



Mr. Gregory was requested to keep careful watch another year and 

 to report any discovery that he might make. 



The Plum-tree Aphis and the Brown Rot. 



Mr. J. W. Smith of Schoharie, N. Y,, sends, June 5th, 1891, an aphis 

 which is badly infesting his plum trees. Nearly all of them are winged, 

 with a black head and thorax, a green abdomen, spotted with black, 

 and yellowish legs. Plums are also sent, marked with a large ovoid 

 brown spot, extending over nearly one-half the length of the fruit. 



