166 THE BOOK OP THE ROSE chap. 



of the plant, which seem to be semi-transparent in 

 patches as if the colouring matter had been eaten 

 away but the leaf not actually pierced. In such a 

 case the upper and under sides of the leaves should 

 be carefully examined, and good eyes will soon 

 detect the culprits. These are small slug-like larvae, 

 tapering in width towards the tail, and exactly the 

 colour of the leaves so that they are very readily 

 overlooked. They are easily destroyed when found, 

 as they make no attempt to escape, but as they do 

 not appear till Midsummer, when eyes are natu- 

 rally more occupied with the blooms, they often 

 escape notice. As far as I have seen they always 

 work gradually up from the lowest leaves, and 

 I have never known them do any harm to the 

 buds. 



The other saw-fly is also late in its visitations, and 

 fortunately not very common, as it is, I think, with- 

 out exception the most destructive insect among 

 Boses that I know. The female deposits her egg 

 in the top of the strongest shoot she can find that 

 has not yet formed a bud, and thereby absolutely 

 prevents it from doing so, without any remedy that 

 I can see. The grub when hatched bores straight 

 down into the pith of the shoot for an inch or two ; 

 the leaves do not flag till the harm has taken place, 

 and only a tiny black spot in the top of the shoot, 

 which seems to have stopped growing, reveals the 

 mischief that has been done. Cut off about an 

 inch of the top of the stem and you will find it 

 hollow ; at the bottom of the excavation a fat 

 maggot of a transparent white colour may be seen : 

 and pray do not omit to execute summary justice, 

 for it will be readily understood that this is a most 



