640 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Peroxides, however, are produced in the plant as intermediate pro- 

 ducts of the normal oxidations which take place in the living organism, 

 and these peroxides give, in the presence of peroxydase, the reactions 

 which are usually spoken of as those of " oxydase." It is a question 

 of considerable importance whether the fermentation of the tea-leaves 

 is due to the action of these oxydizing ferments or whether it is 

 effected by micro-organisms. The authors do not attempt to answer 

 this question in the present communication, but they point out that 

 the peroxydases are particularly concerned in acting upon the peroxides 

 produced in the respiratory processes of the living plant, and they 

 incline to think that the peroxydases will probably be found to play 

 only a secondary part in the post-mortem changes which take place 

 during the preparation of tea. — R. B. 



Ferns, Our Common. By C. T. D. {Fern Gaz. i. pp. 258-262, 

 284-288, and h. pp. 12-14; March, June, Sept. 1912).— Brief notes on 

 the British Lastreas, Aspleniums, and Athyriums, with their more 

 noticeable recognition marks clearly defined. — F. J. C. 



FePn Pest, A Serious. By Eev. K. Moore {Fern Gaz. ii. 

 pp. 14-16; Sept. 1912). — A beetle, Syagrius intrudens, native of 

 Australia, hitherto only known in greenhouses in Ireland, has recently 

 proved very destructive in an outdoor fernery in Oo. Dublin. — F. J. C 



Ferns, Spring- Treatment of Hardy. Anon. {Fern Gaz. i. 



pp. 271-274; March 1912). — ^Becommends repotting and rearranging 

 hardy ferns in spring and sowing spores then if not done in June or 

 July.— F. J. C. 



Fig Moth, The. By F. H. Chittenden, Sc.D. Report of the Fig* 



Moth in Smyrna. By E. G. Smith {U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. Entom., 

 Bull. 104; Nov. 19li ; 16 plates, 4 figs.).— The larvae of the Fig 

 Moth {Ephestia cautella Walk) are practically omnivorous as regards 

 stored foodstuffs, such as cacao-beans, nuts, cotton-seed, meal, rice, 

 and particularly figs. The latter are damaged mainly before they reach 

 America, the greatest injury being done en route from the orchards to 

 the American ports. Cacao-beans infested with the larvae have a bitter 

 and disagreeable flavour; this probably accounts for the unpleasant 

 flavour of some of the cheaper forms of so-called pure chocolate and 

 cocoa. Barrett in 1875 described the moth as E. passulella from its 

 frequent occurrence in dried currants. He noticed that it was locally 

 common in dried fruit warehouses in London, and that it had the 

 same hovering flight as the .Indian-meal moth {Plodia interpunctella). 

 In 1891 Mr. W. T. Pearce wrote a short note on this species, stating 

 that the larvae formed silk-lined passages through dried currants, and 

 that they would be found on opening almost any case of currants. 

 He also mentioned a small black ichneumon parasite. 



The authors suggest many methods of control and prevention, but 

 the co-operation of both the Governments concerned^ in prompt and 



