Reports to the Board of A griculture. 163 
Collecting and Distributing Lady-birds. 
Another correspondent wrote asking if quantities of Lady-birds 
could be obtained here for distribution in Aphis- affected gardens : — 
There is at present no way of obtaining quantities of British 
Lady-birds. 
Coccinellci septempundata occurs in numbers some years, and is 
especially noticed in the larval stage. The correspondent might have 
them collected by boys in any locality. 
It would be best to advise him to obtain some foreign species as 
done by Mr. Norbury. 
The Hippodamia or the Lets previously mentioned may be pointed 
out as being good species likely to do well in this country. 
Section III. 
Animals Injurious to Forestry. 
The Brassy Willow Beetle. 
( Pliyllodecta vitellines , Linn.). 
Some beetles that have been troubling a grower of osiers at 
Leicester proved to be the Willow Beetle, Phyllodeda ( Phratora ) 
vitellinee. 
This is a well-known willow and osier pest and is the frequent 
cause of considerable loss. All the specimens sent belong to this 
species ; but an allied one frequently does considerable harm as well, 
namely, P. vidyatissima, Linn. This latter species is metallic or 
greenish-blue, and the lines of punctures on the wing-cases irregular : 
/ . vitellinee is bronze and the punctures on the wing-cases are 
regular. 
Both these beetles are found in most parts of Great Britain, the 
Brassy TV illow Beetle being often very abundant. Both species feed 
upon poplars, as well as sallows and willows. They damage the 
plants both in their larval and adult stages by eating the underside 
of the leaf right through to the upper epidermis. The leaves then 
become torn, the upper epidermis breaking away after first turning 
brown. I have also noticed the beetles gnawing the young shoots. 
