" Curl " of Peach Leaves. 



55 



eating species of birds should be studied with a view to 

 their introduction into the State if this should be found 

 desirable. The protection of birds is advocated, as " it 

 is quite evident that, by pursuing a policy for their protection, 

 the number of birds in the region infested by the Gypsy 

 moth, and their efficacy as insect police, could be greatly 

 increased. Athough the English sparrow {Passer domesticus) 

 has been seen to feed on all forms of the Gypsy moth, it 

 appears that this bird in its relations to this insect has 

 been injurious rather than beneficial to man, because as 

 the sparrows multiplied they took by force the bird-houses 

 and cavities formerly occupied by bluebirds, wrens, house 

 swallows, and martins, and as the sparrows further 

 increased, their quarrelsome nature induced them to attack 

 and drive away other birds near their haunts. It was 

 noticed that whenever the sparrow was most plentiful in 

 the infested region, there also the Gypsy moth became most 

 numerous. The caterpillars used the bird boxes as a place 

 of retreat, and the female moths deposited their eggs in the 

 boxes. Sparrows and caterpillars formed a sort of happy 

 family in the bird-houses which swarmed with both birds 

 and insects. . . . The increase of other injurious insects has 

 been noticed wherever ihe sparrow has become so plentiful 

 as to banish noted birds.*' 



The Gypsy moth is known in Great Britain, and some 

 entomologists have described it as once plentiful in certain 

 fenny districts, but it has gradually become rare. Mr 

 Barrett, one of the leading British lepidopterists, says : — 

 " It is extremely doubtful whether this species is now an 

 actual living inhabitant of these islands." 



"Curl" of Peach Leaves. 



Exoascus {Taphrina) deformans. 



Peach trees have been most seriously injured this season 

 by the fungus known as Exoascus [Taphrina) deformans „ 

 which causes the leaves to curl up into folds, these being in 

 some stages of a reddish colour. In some places this disease 



