Annual Report for 1889 of the Consulting Entomologist. 173 
trees, and kill the part above with great rapidity. On examination, 
I found that one beetle tunnel -was bored horizontally about two- 
thirds round the stem, and from this three or more tunnels went 
directly upwards and downwards, one of these clearing out an inch 
or two of the central pith. 
Thus, in consequence of the stem being partially ringed, and 
the loss of sap also, the attack very rapidly proves fatal. The beetle 
lives in all its stages in borings in the wcod. Those stems that I 
opened were about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and the 
group of short galleries were then (about the middle of September) 
absolutely crammed full and crowded with the beetles, which habit 
Fig. 2. — Xylebm-us dispar, male and female, mag. Lines sliouing nat. 
length, and plum stems tunnelled by " shot borer " attack. 
appears to be one of the peculiarities of this insect. It attacks apple 
and plum trees, as well as many kinds of forest tress, but hitherto 
has been extremely rare in England. 
As this newly-observed infestation is a very serious matter to 
fruit growers, I put myself into communication both with America 
and the Continent, as to what measures could be taken to stop it. 
I find from the observations of Herr W. Eichhoff, Imperial Ranker 
of the Forests of Alsace, that this infestation can be very much kept 
in bounds by precisely the same kind of precautions which have 
long been used here to check increase of pine plantation beetles. 
The " Shot-borers " have been found (where they have the 
