Seasonal Notes. June 



61 



the supply of food which would await our guests. So far as 

 our enquiries have gone we believe that there is a general 

 impression that the early spring migrants are this year some- 

 what defective in number. 



Peach and Almond trees, with their leaves curled, distorted 

 and thickened, some yellowish-green, others rosy or purplish, 

 are infested with a fungus, scientifically known as Exoascus 

 deformans. It is one of the ascomycetes ; in the same genus 

 is included the fungus responsible for the " witches' besoms" 

 of our birch-trees. At maturity the fungus bursts through 

 the cuticle of the leaf, coming to the surface to disperse its 

 spores or seeds. The part of the leaf with the ripe spores 

 upon it, is minutely velvety ; the whitish bloom may be easily 

 seen with the unaided eye, but of course individual spores 

 could not be seen without the aid of a powerful microscope. 



Tt is said that this disease is very rarely seen in seasons 

 following an uniformly mild spring. 



At the moment of writing we have not observed many oaks 

 defoliated by caterpillars. The following note is taken from 

 the Museum Record Book, June i, 1899: "Oak-trees badly 

 attacked by the larvae of the green leaf-roller (Tortrix viridana), 

 which cause much damage to the foliage. The continuous 

 falling of the excreta of these small caterpillars sounds like 

 paper being pricked by a fine pin, and is very noticeable in a 

 quiet wood." In 1902 these larvae were again equally trouble- 

 some in this district. 



The ingenious work of the leaf - rolling Beetles {Genera 

 apoderus, Attelabus and Rkynchites) may be observed at this time 

 of the year. The female, in some species, rolls a leaf into 

 a tube, in others she makes a compact little thimble of the 

 upper half of the leaf, in the centre of which she puts an egg. 

 Hazel, oak and chestnut leaves so folded are not uncommonly 

 seen in this district. Specimens may be usually seen in the 

 vivarium towards the end of the month. 



June is a good month for the observation of what are 



