402 /».srf/ Pesis. 



lino- 2 or 3 inches wide of these creatures uuderueath the paper, 

 so It appears the band is a great liarliour for them." In the same 

 year a nurseryman, writing from Woking, stated "that plums and 

 young standard apples are cox'ereil with tlie insects." Informa- 

 tion sent thai they were not injurious Ijrought tlie following replv : 

 " I have very caiefuily watched them on the trees, and I believe 

 your statement to be quite correct as to their being, if anything, 

 beneficial; tliev ^\■ere feeding on tlie green growth of tlie trees, and 

 were only found wliere tliere was any to feed upon." 



Tlie red ova. of these mites were also received from IJoss, on apple, 

 pear and plum in the same year, where ilr. Getting informed me 



lliey were appearing in great numliers. 

 The globular jjrick-dust shiny red 

 eggs are deposited in masses side liy 

 side, often giving tlie trees a rusty- 

 red a]ipearance. The date of hatching 

 seems yariable. In l'.i04 eggs were 

 sent from Hereford on the liOth of 

 ]Mareh. In the same year they had 

 all hatched in Kent early in the 

 montli (o). 



They still further increased in Kent 

 in I'.IOG (4), when they occurred in 

 countless numbers in ^■ery many 

 orchards. They wore noticed at 

 ]\IardL'n occurring in masses under 

 the bark of apple trees in November, 

 also in many localities around J\Iaidstone and in Thanet, and also 

 near Malvern. 



Ornierod(o) refers to 0. hi/iii/nriii as occurring in vast numbers 

 on the stems of A'yli'bo rus-mi'tjsted trees, and suggested that they 

 might be preying upon the " Amlirosia " fungus of the beetles, and 

 thus would be acting beneficially. 



Speaking generally, we may say that these acari are beneficial. 



FIG. ^70. — I..\R\A1. HKKTT.F, MtTFS 

 [Orilnllitl^,]. 



(Eiil;ir.i,'rd.) 



li.KFKKENrKS. 



(1) Theohahh F. V. Journal S. V.. Agricultural Collci^e, No. 6. p. 11 



(1897). 



(2) Tliciihaht, /•'. r. First Report on F.cououiic Zoology (Brit. Jlus. X.H.), 



p. 77 ll'.-)(i:l). 

 (8) Tlifdhiild. F. r. Report ou Eeononiie Zoology for the year eniling 

 April 1st, imo, p. 40 a90'.|. 



