27 
This insect clearly prefers the European or imported varieties 
>f plum, but occurs also in the native kinds. Primus simoni 
las, however, thus far been worst affected by it, and many 
rees of this variety have been quite destroyed. 
Living borers received November 3 were about half an inch in 
ength, of a greenish dusky color, with only a few scattered 
tairs springing from small "dark specks. The head was reddish 
>rown, with a darker triangular patch in the middle, and the top 
>f the first segment behind the head, the cervical shield so 
ailed, varied from yellowish to pitchy, more or less shaded 
vith brown, but with a median yellow’ patch. This borer has, 
>f course, the three pairs of legs and the fleshy prolegs (ten 
n number) of the caterpillar. From the peach borer, whose 
structure is similar, it may be distinguished by its dusky color 
the other being white), its smaller size when full grown, and, 
vith a glass, by the hooks on the prolegs. In the peach borer 
he ends of the soft stump-like prolegs are provided with small 
)rown hooks, arranged in two opposite curves discontinuous at 
heir ends, each of a single row ; w’hile in the new’ plum borer 
he corresponding hooks form a complete ring, nearly covering 
he end of the leg. 
Kept in a breeding cage and supplied with the chips and tw igs 
)f the plum-trees, our larvae spun small w’ebs in which they 
3 assed the winter. By May 3 a part of them had pupated, and 
May 28 and 29 tw’o winged moths* emerged, all the others 
'ailing. 
These moths w T ere small gray insects, the extended wings 
neasuring about eight tenths of an inch. The fore wings w r ere 
’eddish behind (within); the hind wings w 7 ere plain. 
Other moths of this species w T ere taken several times at the 
dectric light in 1886, 1887, and 1888, the dates of their occur¬ 
rence ranging from May 5 to August 24. The greater part, 
aowever, w’ere collected in May and June, and this is doubtless 
the period of the greatest prevalence of the winged form. The 
time and place of oviposition are unknowm. 
In brief, the species is apparently single-brooded; passes the 
winter as a larva in the tree; pupates in May; emerges in May 
and June; and may continue to lay eggs through July and 
August. 
Numerous experiments with insecticides for the destruction of 
the larvrn and eggs are reported by Mr. Buckman, but all with¬ 
out encouraging results. Unless the period of oviposition is so 
long as to make the preventive measures impracticable, it is 
probable that the washes of soap, soda, carbolic acid, and the 
like, w r hich protect the apple-tree against the common borers, 
may be used to advantage on the plum in summer as a defence 
against this new enemy. 
* Determined as above by Frof. C. H. Fernald. 
