MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &c. 183 



at a. [See the Description of the Plate,'] All the first leaves 

 were destroyed by the caterpillars : I was, therefore, rejoiced 

 that I had found out the cause of their being so much injured 

 every year, being perforated in many places, and dropping off 

 very early. 



The Chermes, 



Chermes is a genus of insects belonging to the order He- 

 miptera, and of which there are twenty-six species. They 

 take their specific names from the different plants which they fre- 

 quent ; as the Chermes Graminis, or Grass Bug ; the Chermes 

 Ficus, or Fig«Tree Bug, &c. The latter is one of the largest of 

 the genus, and is brown above and greenish beneath. It has 

 four long wings, which are placed in form of an acute roof. 

 The larva, which is of an oblong form, has six feet, and its 

 motion is slow. When it is attempted to catch the chermes, 

 it makes its escape rather by leaping than flying, by means of 

 its hinder legs, which play like springs. Some of these in= 

 sects have a mancsuvre worthy of notice. Several species are 

 provided at the extremity of their body with a small sharp- 

 pointed implement, but v/hich lies coocealcd ; and this they 

 draw out in order to deposit their eggs, by making a puncture 

 in the plant that suits them. By this method, the fir-tree 

 chermes produces that enormous scaly protuberance which is 

 to be found at the summit of the branches of that tree, and 

 which is formed by the extravasation of the juices occasioned 

 by the punctures. The younglarvse shelter themselves in cells 

 contained in the tumour. The directions for destroying the 

 coccus are applicable to this insect. ' 



The "^Ihrips, 



The Thrips, of which there ar^ eleven species, also be- 

 longs to the order Hemiptera. This insect is, in general, so 

 small as to be scarcely discerned by the naked eye. It is, how- 

 ever, very pernicious to fruit-trees, sometimes attacking the 

 fruit as well as the leaves. To destroy this insect, follow the 

 directions given for destroying the coccus. 



The Phalcena^ or Moth. 



There are numerous species of this well-known insect, 

 and their caterpillars differ greatly as to size, shape, and co- 

 lour. All of them, after casting the slough several times, 

 spin their cod, in which they are transformed to chrysalids. 

 They are frequently found in this st'.ite, rolled up in the leaves 

 of fruit-trees j particularly those of pears, plums^ and cher- 



