42 
NOTES OF OBSERVATIONS 
and bore an entrance-liole either into the shoot of this year’s growth 
or that of the previous year, and gnaw a boring, usually upwards, but 
sometimes downwards. If upwards, they commonly effect an exit by 
piercing a little hole at the top; but sometimes they turn and effect 
their exit an inch or two lower, and it is noted that they at times 
effect their entrance at the upper part of the year’s shoot, and work 
downwards into that of the previous season. The damage is great, as 
the injured shoots lose their leaves, or only partially develop them, 
and a bushy, stumpy growth ensues in the following year at the ends 
of the attacked branches. The infested trees may be known by this 
appearance, as well as by the brown colour, in the winter, of the shoots 
which have been bored up the centre in the previous summer or 
autumn. Mr. Coupar mentions that he thinks when the time of the 
Beetles for feeding in the shoots is over that they take to sickly trees, 
old Scots Pine, or any forest rubbish to lay the eggs of the future brood. 
He mentions that he has met with the Grub in dead wood at all times, 
and finds that the eggs are laid in trees of all ages, not only in old 
wood ; he has also taken the Grubs from young Pines of about ten 
years old, which were lying about dead. The illustration shows the 
large central gallery pierced beneath the bark by the mother Beetle 
for oviposition, with the galleries eaten from each side of it by the 
Grubs, gradually increasing in size as the growing larva gnawed its 
tunnel correspondingly of convenient size. Mr. Malcolm Bunn 
mentions that the district of Dalkeith is pretty clear of this Beetle, 
and considers pinching off the infested shoots and burning them is the 
best remedy in the case of small trees. Decaying wood or bark is the 
favourite breeding-place of the Pine Beetle (and troops of other 
noxious insects), and this should be systematically collected and 
burned in Pine woods to prevent the increase of insect pests. Mr. 
Service observes that the Hylurgus 'pini'pevda was not noticeable this 
year at Maxwelltown, Dumfries. 
Passing on to Injurious Insects not mentioned in the list, the most 
remarkable appearance of the season was that of the Beet Fly, 
Anthomyici beta. This is a small ashy grey, two-winged Fly, somewhat 
less than a quarter of an inch in length, and somewhat under half an 
inch in the spread of the wings. In the male the abdomen is linear, 
with a black triangular spot at the base of four of the segments ; in 
the female the abdomen is enlarged immediately behind the thorax, 
and then tapers rapidly to a blunt point; also there is a dark stripe 
along the centre, and a fainter one on each side. The eyes nearly 
touch on the top of the head in the male ; in the female they are at some 
distance apart, and have a band round them, as figured on the front 
of the face, these bands having a row of minute dark dots along the 
