46 THE OKCHAED AND TETJIT GAEDEX. 



The goat-moth is yet more destructive in its eater- 

 pillar form, eating into the wood of fruit trees for two 

 or three years before its change. It is the Cossus ligniperda 

 of naturalists ; the caterpillar, which is also called the 

 auger-worm, is about four inches in length, dark red on 

 the back, and flesh-coloured underneath, with a black 

 head, smooth, shining skin, and a few short hairs about 

 the body. Before taking the chrysalis shape it changes 

 to yellow. The chrysalis is yellow with pointed spines, 

 and it is generally deposited just inside the opening in 

 the tree. In June or July the moth, which measures 

 nearly three inches across the wings, and is of a sober 

 hue, little distinguishable from the trunk, emerges from 

 its hole. The female is said to lay 1,000 eggs in 

 the bark of the tree, and the little caterpillars live at 

 first in the bark, and afterwards take to their work of 

 destruction of boring into the wood. "When the worm 

 is detected, by its excrement, great mischief is already 

 done, but it should be picked out if possible, or killed by 

 thrusting a wire up the hole. Its name of goat-moth is 

 derived from the strong smell of both the moth and 

 worm. 



A plump beetle, resembling the rose-beetle, Gnorimiis 

 nohilis, also eats into wood, and remains in the destruc- 

 tive stage three years ; and the caterpillar of the Wood 

 Leopard Moth, a black and white moth, also injures the 

 wood. 



Against these injurious insects many birds — especially 

 fly-catchers and the tits — wage incessant war, running 

 up and carefully overlooking every inch of bark and 

 picking out the larvse. 



The American or cotton blight has been mentioned 

 in the chapter on choosing fruit trees. It h the JErioso?na 

 mali of some entomologists, and is named by others E. 

 lanicjera, or Apliis lanigera. It is very destructive to 

 apple trees, and spreads and increases with amazing 

 quickness : it also sometimes attacks other fruit trees. 

 It is called the cotton blight from a white cottony secre- 

 tion in which it envelopes itself, and from which it may 

 be easily detected and destroyed. The insect itself is 



