Report of the Honorary Consulting Entomologist for 1884. 325 
March onwards, that attack begins on the hop with its first 
growth in early spring, by means of wingless females depositing 
living lice, which have come up from the hills. 
Also the opinion of a large number of hop- growers, and of 
various skilled entomologists, that attack of " fly " (that is, of 
winged hop aphis, which usually occurs towards the end of May) 
comes on the wing from sloe and damson, as well as from 
other hops, has been so much confirmed, that I see no reason 
to doubt its correctness ; and after careful study of specimens for- 
warded from many localities, during the period from the latter 
part of March to September, I cannot see any reason for con- 
sidering the " hop aphis " and the " damson hop aphis " other 
than slight varieties of one and the same species. In this I 
refer to the Aphis [Phorodon) humuli (Schrank.), and the Aphis 
(Phorodon) humuli, var. Malaheb (Fonsc), and not at all to 
the " Plum aphis," the Aphis pruni (Reaum.), or any other kind 
than those specified. 
I have prepared a paper with full details of the information 
sent in, and figures accompanying for publication in my yearly 
Report, and distribution in pamphlet form previously to the 
contributors, so as to be in time for spring operations. 
With regard to prevention of attack, it has been found by ex- 
periment on the acre of hop-land at Stoke Edith Park, near 
Hereford, of which the use has been given by the courtesy of 
Lady Emily Foley, that various applications to the surface 
of the hop-hills about the time of dressing in spring, entirely 
prevented the appearance of wingless females or lice on the bines 
of these hills (though the others in the ground were infested), 
until the attack came on the wing at the end of May. Of these 
applications, paraffin, mixed with ashes, or with earth, shoddy, 
or other dry material, answered the best ; the bines on the hills 
so treated were reported thriving throughout the season, up to 
good bearing. 
Various methods of combining paraffin or other mineral oils 
with soft-soap and water so permanently, that the mixture may 
be diluted without again separating into oil and water, are stated 
to have been found serviceable for destroying aphides in the 
experiments made under direction of some of the State ento- 
mologists of the United States of America ; but, from personal 
experiment, it seems to me so difficult to find the exact strength 
suitable for killing the insect, without risk to the plant, that I 
should be afraid at present to advise this application to the hop- 
leafage. As a watering, or as a more convenient method of 
applying paraffin, in the attacks for which it is now used (as of 
mangold-fly, for instance), the plan of mixing is likely to be 
useful. 
