1036 General Notes. 
attracted to a serious injury done to the fruit in an apple-orchard 
through which I passed daily. A large proportion of the apples 
in one corner of the orchard had been eaten into by something 
which made small pits from one-eighth to one-fourth inch in 
diameter, and of about the same depth. On one tree nearly 
every apple had been attacked, and in many cases there were 
ten or twelve holes in a single apple. The injury was so serious 
as to render the fruit in this part of the orchard unmarketable. 
The holes in the apples were first observed during the latter 
part of August. At that time many of them were partially 
grown over, while others were fresh, indicating that the pest 
had been at work for a considerable time, and was still active. 
As the injury to the apples resemble somewhat that caused by 
a climbing cut-worm, that sometimes infests apples in western 
New York, I at first searched for caterpillars, and gave little 
thought to the plum curculios that I frequently found hiding 
in the pits in theapples. But, after finding a considerable number 
of these insects in these pits, it occurred to me that they might 
the cause of the mischief, Several perfect apples were then 
selected and placed in breeding-cages, in each of which were con- 
ned several curculios. The question was soon settled. Within 
twenty-four hours the beetles had begun to eat into the apples. 
They made small holes at first, but these were soon enlarged so as 
to form pits of the size indicated above. : 
The results of this experiment are of special interest at this 
time as confirming the observations referred to in the next note.— 
J. H. Comstock 
POISONING THE PLUM CURCULIO.— In referring to some expert 
ments made by me to prevent curculio injuries, in the August 
NATURALIST, the question is raised as to how spraying with poison 
may have a preventive effect on this insect. I believe that 4 
satisfactory explanation may now be given. Early last June 
I confined an adult curculio in a jar with a large green plum, an 
was surprised at the avidity with which the fruit was eaten. ie 
large portion of the surface was gnawed out for food, and not ‘sult 
purposes of oviposition, and the feasibility of p the a 
beetles by coating the fruit with poison is clearly shown. 45 
But even more satisfactory breeding-cage experiments were ma ee 
in Illinois, by Professor Forbes, who informs me that he has ei 
that, besides gnawing out the fruit, the adult curculio eats vane 
of the substances of the leaves. He adds that the curculios sak 
certainly very freely exposed to destruction by poison, ve v” 
reference to the habits of oviposition or the first food of the larvæ; 
and that he has “also learned experimentally that spray ng. ” 
leaves with Paris green would poison the beetles completely: 
