SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, AUGUST I. 



lxxix 



Dry-rot in Floor-boards.— Mrs. Davies sent specimens from Deal of 

 this too well-known trouble caused by the fungus Merulius lacrymans. 



White Poplar with Tico Forms of Leaves. — Mr. Holmes, F.L.S., sent 

 shoots of white poplar showing glabrous dark green leaves on the lower 

 part of the shoot, and white woolly-looking ones above. 



Insects on Biota, dc. — Mr. Worsley remarked upon this, reported on 

 at the last meeting by Mr. Saunders, that many garden forms had been 

 attacked and killed by the insects, while the species like Juniperus 

 chinensis seemed to be little injured. He suggested that this might be 

 due to the decrease in vigour shown by the vegetatively propagated 

 varieties, as compared with the species usually raised from seed. 



Scientific Committee, August 1, 1905. 

 Dr. M. T. Masteks, F.R.S., in the Chair, and twelve members present. 



Mites on Furze. — Mr. Saunders, F.L.S., said " The mites on furze 

 sent by Mr. Holmes, which were found so abundantly at Malvern, are 

 one of the many species of Tctranychus, or red spider, and are probably 

 T. lintearius, as this species has been found to spin webs over gorse 

 bushes in the way described by Mr. Holmes." 



Disease on Mulberry Leaves. — Dr. Cooke, V.M.H., reported : — " The 

 spots on mulberry-leaves are strongly suggestive of Cercospora moricola, 

 Cooke (see Jouen. R.H.S. xxviii. p. 30, pi. xii. fig. 20), but no hyphse or 

 conidia could be found." 



Eggs of Moths on Flowers. — Miss Aldam, of Warmsworth, Doncaster, 

 sent flowers of pelargonium on which masses of eggs had been deposited. 

 Mr. Saunders reported : — " The eggs are those of a moth belonging to the 

 family Noctuidce, and are very probably those of the common Y-moth 

 (Plusia gamma), but the eggs of several members of this family are so 

 much alike that I cannot say for certain. It is unusual for moths to lay 

 their eggs on flowers, as the latter usually wither before the eggs are 

 hatched ; but many moths lay large numbers of eggs together on the 

 leaves or stems of plants." 



Insects on Apple-trees. — Mr. Saunders also reported on insects from 

 apple-trees sent by the Countess of Leitrim " The only creatures which 

 were in any way injurious were the caterpillars of the vapourer moth and 

 the froghopper ; the spiders and the long-legged 1 harvest-men ' are not 

 only harmless but beneficial in gardens, as they prey on other insects. 

 The caterpillars of the vapourer moth (Orgyia antiqna) feed on a large 

 variety of shrubs and trees. The caterpillars, being hairy, are not so 

 easily killed by spraying as many are, but their food may be made 

 distasteful or poisonous to them by spraying with paraffin emulsion or 

 ' Paris green.' The latter substance is poisonous, and it should not be 

 employed within a month of the fruit being used for food. The cater- 

 pillars should, if possible, be picked off by hand. The froghoppers belong 

 to the family Gercojridce. I should not imagine that they are in such 

 abundance as to be of any real injury to the trees. The ' harvest-men ' 

 are curious-looking creatures, having such small bodies and long legs. 



