22 



deep sbiuing greeu, in some specimens more or less blue. Legs dark brown, or black- 

 ish brown ; front tarsi more Intescent or brownish yellow. Wings grayish hyaline, 

 the veins dark brown. 



Three specimens, from Professor Eiley. 



THE PRIVET WEB-WORM. 



[Margarodes quadristiginaUs Gn.) 



[Order Lepidoptera : Family Pyralid^.] 



THE PRIYET. 



The Privet {Ligusfrum vidgare L.) is a very comiDon hedge plant iu Eu- 

 rope, of geueral distribation and native in Central and Southern Europe. 

 It and the closely allied Japanese species {Ligustrum japomcinn) were 

 introduced into this country in the beginning of the present century, 

 and both have become thoroughly naturalized in some of the older 

 States. Practically the sole use of the Privet in America is as a hedge- 

 plautj for which purpose it is preferred in many localities to the ubiquit- 

 ous Osage Orange [Madura aurantiaca), chiefly on account of the 

 absence of spines and also because it thrives well in much more 

 uorthern climates. In Euroi^e, however, its close-grained, hard wood is 

 used for turning and shoe pegs, its twigs for tanning and as a substitute 

 for osier, and its berries for red, black, or blue colors in certain dying 

 processes, while formerly its astringent leaves were used in medicine. 

 A well cultivated and carefully trimmed privet hedge, with its bright 

 green foliage, is a most beautiful sight; if inclosing an orchard, and 

 not kept too low, it forms an excellent shelter for many insectivorous 

 birds, which love to build their nests in such i)rotecting places. Grown 

 singly or in small groups it attains quite a large size, and bears bunches 

 of dark purple berries. 



It suffers in America from a sudden blight, probably the result of the 

 attack of the fungus Phyllostlcfa Ugitstri Saccardo, and certain leaf-eat- 

 ing caterpillars occasionally feed upon its foliage. But the plant has 

 always been considered almost insect proof in this country, although in 

 Europe twenty or more insects feed upon its leaves, the great majority 

 of which are lepidopterous, including one of the finest of the European 

 llawk Moths, the Sphmx ligustrl. 



The following statements have been prepared from notes made princi- 

 pally by IMr. Howard and Mr. O. Lugger : 



APPEARANCE OP THE WEB W0R:\I. 



The new web-worm was first noticed upon the plants iu somo exten- 

 sive hedges grown in the gardens connected with the Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington, June 20, 188G, and later it was found in 

 other parts of the city. ]^oneof the gardeners had ever seen it before, 

 and naturally were somewhat anxious about the matter. The hedges 

 affected by these worms, presented a most miserabh> sight, almost al 



i 



