FOX-COLOURED PINE SAWFLY. 
110 
habits, and may be found doing mischief together; and in the following 
note those that are mentioned as green, which were noticed in 1888, 
may have been of the “common” kind, but the greenish grey specimens 
sent to myself in 1890, some of which I reared to the perfect insect, 
were of the Lophyrus rufus. Mr. W. Clark wrote as follows :— 
“ Here we are very much troubled with a small green caterpillar 
eating the needles off the young Scotch Firs. In 1888 they were 
present but in insignificant numbers, but last year, and again this, they 
are in thousands—I might say millions. They devour all the needles 
of last year’s growth, and till this year did not touch the young shoots 
of this year’s growth at all, but I am sorry to say that this year they 
are eating the young shoots, which must do far more injury to the tree. 
They begin their ravages about the first of June, and are all away by 
the end of the month. They are found in large bunches at the end of 
every twig, having apparently eaten their way outwards. No special 
part of the tree is attacked first; they can be seen on the highest 
branches on one tree, and on the lowest on the next, and some trees 
escape altogether.” 
A little later, on the 21st of June, Mr. W. Clark further mentioned:— 
“ I notice that the trees that are well grown, and are, say, about 10 ft. 
high, are not attacked with the same virulence as small trees from 
two feet to six feet high. In fact only in rare cases are the larger 
trees attacked at all, and then only at the very top, the caterpillar 
appearing principally round two or three last year’s growths there. 
“ Age by no means saves an attack, however, as badly grown trees, 
ten years old and upwards, may be seen stripped entirely, and those 
planted at the same time (but on a piece of good ground, well-grown, 
and perhaps three times as large) entirely free from the pest and in 
vigorous health. 
“ For the one case, the last year’s growth may be about two 
inches long, and I notice that said growth is every year, since cater¬ 
pillar made its appearance in such numbers, growing less; in the 
other case of the healthy tree, the shoot may be nearly a foot long.”— 
(Wm. C.) 
The caterpillars sent me corresponded in size, colours, and mark¬ 
ings, with those of the Fox-coloured Sawfly, the Lophyrus rufus , Klug. 
These are of dusky greenish grey colour variable in depth of tint, 
with black heads, a fine light line along the back, and a dusky line 
bordered with a white line above and below, running along each 
side, in the lowest of which white lines the spiracles are placed 
The abdominal sucker feet, and the abdomen below, light green, and 
like others of the genus Lophyrus , these (including claw and sucker 
feet) are 22-footed. They may be as much as an inch long; my 
specimens were about five-eighths. “ When moderately magnified* 
