174 



latter the buds and flowers are better protected from the rays of the 

 sun and are hence not so much frequented by the beetles, but as cor- 

 roborative testimony of the effect of shade a row of '' Sharpless " ber- 

 ries on this place which was encroached upon and shaded on the west 

 side by a field of rye, was found to bear double the number of berries 

 of those in other parts of the field that were not shaded. 



It will be noticed in the report of local damage that '' Crescents" in 

 some fields were damaged 15 per cent while in others they were not 

 apparently harmed. An explanation of this may be found in the fact 

 that this variety varies, some lots producing much more pollen than 

 others, and are injured in proportion. 



Easpberries of the ''Black Cap " varieties appear to be for some reason 

 strangely exempt from the attack of the Strawberry Weevil, but whether 

 or not the Eed Easpberry enjoys the same immunity has not been as- 

 certained. On Mr. Sprankle's place at Falls Church a patch of "Black 

 Caps" which is located between the infested strawberry bed and black- 

 berry bushes previously referred to, was repeatedly examined for traces 

 of the attack of this insect, but most careful search failed to show any 

 signs of injury, and no beetles were found even with the aid of a beat- 

 ing net. 



Wild Food-plants. — Cultivated strawberry has now become the favo- 

 rite food-plant of this species of Anthouomus. From finding cultivated 

 blackberries infested one would naturally expect to find them on the 

 wild plants and such has proved to be the case. Wild blackberries 

 bloomed this season throughout the month of June, and on the 3d of 

 this month at Falls Church were in full bloom and fairly well peopled 

 with beetles, cultivated plants of the immediate vicinity being out of 

 bloom and deserted. 



The wild plant, Eiibus villosiis, is probably the natural food-plant of 

 this species. Dewberries, Utibus canadensis^ were examined and a num- 

 ber of injured buds were found, but on closer inspection proved to con- 

 tain only Dipterous larvae. It is still somewhat doubtful whether this 

 species is attacked or not, but in any event not to a great extent. 



Wild strawberries and the little yellow-flowered Cinquefoil, Poten- 

 tilla canadensis, were growing at Falls Church, and these and several 

 other berry -producing plants were carefully examined. Wild strawberry 

 plants were quite scarce here and no berries at all were to be found, 

 the buds having nearly all dropped off. Larvae were found in the few 

 that were still attached to the vines. The Potentilla was in full bloom 

 June 3, beetles were found on the flowers, and larvse less than half 

 grown were taken from injured buds. 



The beetles found upon or bred from Wild Strawberry are necessarily 

 smaller on account of the extremely limited food supply. They are 

 also much darker than the average and have all the appearance of a 

 distinct species. The individuals captured on Potentilla have the same 

 size aiid appearance. 



