85 
THE NATIVE CURRANT-WORM. 
(Pristiphora grossularie Walsh. ) 
The native species isin all its stages about two-thirds the size 
of its imported relative. The larva differs from the imported 
one in color, being uniformly pale-green with the exception of 
the head, which is black before the last molt, but becomes 
partly green afterward. It differs also in its habits. Instead 
of spinning its cocoon under ground or among fallen leaves, it 
attaches it to the twigs or leaves of the bushes upon which it 
fed. The eggs are laid on the wood instead of on the leaves, as is 
the case of the imported species. The adults emerge as winged 
insects early in September, and lay the eggs for the following 
spring-brood. The reason for depositing them on the twigs is 
apparent, for if they were placed on the leaves, they would 
soon fall with them to the ground and perhaps be destroyed. 
Enemies.—The natural enemies of the currant-worms are not 
always adequate to keep them in check. There are some can- 
nibal-bugs that kill them by sucking the juices from their 
bodies. Several small, true parasites have also been bred from 
them, as well as a Tachina-fly, but these friendly insects prove 
of very little aid to the fruit-grower. Thereis, however, a very 
small hymenopterous insect that deposits eggs in the eggs of 
the imported currant worm, and so effective is its work in 
some seasons that but few eggs of the injurious currant-worm 
escape destruction. These friends are so exceedingly small 
that they are barely visible and their presence is only detected 
by their good work. 
Remedies.—The great remedy for most saw-flies is white 
hellebore. This is fairly cheap and can be obtained almost 
anywhere. It is easily applied by a dusting-box made as fol. 
lows: a tin box, holding a quart or less, and having a finely 
perforated cover like a pepper-box, may be fastened to the end 
of a pole or stick, from five to six feet in length, by driving 
two or three screws through the bottom of the box into the 
wood. This box should be partially filled with powdered hel- 
lebore diluted with flour or sifted road-dust, in the proportion 
of one part of hellebore to two or three parts of flour. [f it is 
not possible to secure such a box, then place some of the insec- 
ticide in a muslin sack and tie this to the end of a stick. By 
