292 JOURNAE OF SCIENCE. 
female is stationary. The insects live thus in colonies, and their 
united attacks on the juices of the tree, through their rostra and 
sucking tubes, produce the withering effect spoken of above. 
This pest, or “ blight,” is undoubiedly a serious drawback to 
pine cultivation. At the same time experience seems to show 
that it does not actually cause the death of the trees. As far as 
can be ascertained, the pines, after being reduced to the state of 
apparently complete withering, recover again; the insects seem 
to desert them, they throw out once more green leaf-tufts, and 
after a few more months are to all intents and purposes as 
vigorous as ever. Trees which have so recovered may be seen 
in the Wellington Botanical Gardens and elsewhere ; indeed, it 
is not certain that any tree has actually been £z//ed by the insect. 
Still, of course, it is no small thing that growth should be 
checked and, practically, entirely stopped for so many months ; 
even if ultimately recovering, there must be loss of constitutional 
strength. Moreover, it remains yet to be seen whether the insect 
would not after a while return to the tree; if so, there will 
simply be an alternation of periods of seeming health and serious 
disease, which must be greatly injurious. There has not been 
time in New Zealand to investigate this point, which is certainly 
one of great interest to growers of pine trees. 
A very simple remedy may Le suggested, which is the ap- 
plication of strong solutions of soap. Probably the most com- 
plete mode of employing this would be through some kind of 
emulsion with kerosene; but soap and water, if sufficiently strong, 
is a useful and, from experience in Europe and America, an 
efficacious remedy. Whether it can be applied in large planta- 
tions of tall trees is a matter for individual experience; but on 
young trees, or in gardens, there might be no difficulty. Sulphur, 
carbolic acid, and other substances commonly included in 
“blight-destroyers” are of small value; sulphur especially is a 
delusion and a snare as against homopterous pests, whatever it 
may be against other insects. Tobacco is good, but expensive ; 
kerosene is one of the best, but it is both expensive and perhaps 
dangerous in many cases. On the whole, soap is the best 
remedy of all. 
The paper is completed by some remarks upon the erroneous 
use of the generic. mame “Chermes,” or, “ Kermes,” a term 
which has been made to include insects of the families Aphididae, 
Psyllide, and Coccide, families really as distinct as the hawks 
and the magpies amongst birds; the name having been 
originally applied by the Persians and Arabs to an insect pro- 
ducing a scarlet dye, and this insect being undoubtedly a true 
Coccid, Kermes ought to be restricted to the Coccide, as indeed 
several entomologists have already strenuously urged. But the 
error is still prevalent, as is evinced by the work of Mr. Buckton 
(British Aphides), who follows it so lately as 1882. In the pre- 
sent paper the name “ Chermaphis” is suggested for such insects 
as the pine blight, and other kindred Aphidide. 
