CXXXvi PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



writes as follows : — " A very large and fine specimen of Copper-Beech in 

 my garden has for some years been attacked by what I thought must be 

 ' American blight.' The tree is about eighty feet high, and to all appear- 

 ances particularly healthy. At present (May 16) it is hard to find, but later 

 in the season every leaf is covered with it. I have never noticed it on the 

 trunk or branches ; only the leaves appear infected. I cannot say if it is 

 worse on the lower branches or not, but I think this is most probably the 

 case, as the lower leaves are simply covered, and get fouled with honey- 

 dew, the deposit, I presume, of the insects. I shall be glad to send branches 

 gathered both at the top and bottom of the tree in another month, when 

 the pest will appear at its worst stage, if you wish." 



Mr. Saunders reported as follows on the specimens of Beech received : — 

 " The insect infesting the leaves of the Copper-Beech is not the same as 

 that which attacks the stems of Beech trees, neither is it American blight, 

 though nearly related to it, being also one of the aphides, known as Phyll- 

 aphis fagi. The Coccus which forms the white felt-like covering to the 

 Beech stems belongs to a different family (the Coccidcs), and is more nearly 

 related to the ' Mealy Bugs.' The lower branches of the Copper-Beech 

 are probably more infested by the Phyllaphis than the upper ones ; and as 

 they feed on the undersides of the leaves, the honey-dew which they deposit 

 naturally falls on to the leaves below. In the case of a large tree, it is 

 difficult to suggest a practical remedy ; if it were smaller the pest might 

 be destroyed by spraying the undersides of the leaves with paraffin emul- 

 sion or some other similar insecticide." 



Athyrium Filix-fozmina, diseased. — Fern fronds were exhibited by 

 Mr. C. T. Druery which had been attacked by some species of fly, the 

 larva? of which were present in the stalks shown, early in the growing- 

 season. The fronds affected were quite suddenly noticed to have their 

 unfolding tips flaccid and pendant, the rest of the frond up to a definite 

 point in the stalks being healthy ; but at this stage no puncture or 

 wound was visible even under a lens, and the stalk being opened up 

 revealed no cause. Occasionally the growing portion stiffened again, but 

 grew in a stunted fashion. Later on it became brown and perished. By 

 this time the stalk for some distance downward from the point of attack 

 was discoloured, and when split revealed a small white maggot, which 

 bored its way farther and farther, growing meanwhile until in July, as the 

 exhibits showed, it was about half an inch long, of a very pale violet 

 tint, usually solitary, but sometimes there were two. A considerable 

 number of fronds, mostly Athyrium, were attacked; and as the fly was 

 unknown no protective means seemed available, and the only remedy or 

 preventive measure would appear to be the immediate removal of flaccid 

 tips plus an inch or two of subjacent stalk, the egg or incipient larva 

 being thus prevented from developing. Later on its locality is easily 

 determined, as it devours the interior entirely as it proceeds downwards, 

 and can be crushed in situ by passing the finger and thumb down the 

 stalk until the firm part is reached, which may be close to the caudex. 



Mr. Saunders reports as follows upon the Ferns : — " The grubs in the 

 Fern stalks shown by Mr. Druery are the grubs of one of the sawflies, but 

 I have not yet been able to find any mention of a species which attacks 

 Ferns in this way. Several feed on the fronds, but do not burrow into 



