65 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



LARGE LARCH SAW-FLY IN THE LAKE DISTRICT. 



In the December ' Journal of the Board of Agriculture,' 

 Mr. C. Gordon Hewitt, of the University of Manchester, con- 

 tributes a paper on the ravages of the large Larch Saw-Fly 

 [NemaMis erichsonii) in the Lake District. The life-history 

 of the insect is dealt with, and the way in which it damages and 

 eventually kills the larches is pointed out, and methods of 

 prevention are given. A map of the Lake District accompanies 

 the report, which indicates where the Saw-Fly is present, 

 where the trees are rather badly attacked, and where the trees 

 are very badly attacked, the last being in the vicinity of 

 BassenthAA/aite Lake, Buttermere and Thirlmere. 



A POISONOUS FUNGUS. 



In the November issue of the same Journal is an admirable 

 illustration of Amanita phalloides Fr., one of the most dangerous 

 of our poisonous fungi. This, by the kindness of the Controller 

 of His Majesty's Stationery Department, and of the Secretary 

 of the Board of Agriculture, we are kindly permitted to repro- 

 duce for the benefit of our readers (Plate L). Many cases of 

 poisoning by this fungus are on record, and in not a few instances, 

 the results have proved fatal. The species usually occurs in. 

 woods, and for this reason is not likely to be confounded with 

 the common mushroom. The colour of the pileus varies from 

 greenish to nearly white, according to the shade. ' The presence 

 of a ring and a volva, together with the persistently white gills 

 and pale yellow or greenish pileus are the more striking features 

 of this fungus, and are sufhcient to brand any specimen possess- 

 ing them with the strongest suspicion.' With this form, at any 

 rate, we do not recommend a certain Yorkshire mycologist's 

 method of ' first trying 'em on the missus ! ' 



THE FOOD OF BIRDS. 



The Board of Agriculture has recently issued an important 

 Supplement to its Journal, which we should recommend our 

 readers to obtain. It is entitled ' The Food of some British 

 Birds,' and is a record of the twenty years' observations on the 

 contents of the crops of various birds, by Mr. Robert Newstead, 

 of Liverpool. The work consists of nearly one hundred pages, 

 and can be obtained for 4d., post free, from the Board of Agri- 

 culture, 4 WhitehaU Place, S.W. In view of the allegations 



1909 March i 



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