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arboretum and fruticetuji.
PART 111.
of 1 ft. or more. Mr. Lewin thinks thecaterpillar generally confines itself to thepith in the centre of the stem; but Mr.
Bree finds the pith sometimes untouched,all the perforations being made in thesolid wood between the pith and thebark. Being an internal feeder, the cater-pillar, of course, is only to be found bycutting into and opening the stems ofthe willow in which it is enclosed. Whenthe periodical falls of underwood takeplace, Mr. Bree has observed that scarcelya single willow wand is cut down thatdoes not exhibit proofs of the ravages ofthis insect; sometimes three or four, oreven five, separate perforations occurringin the same stem. Though the Trochiliumerabroniforme is a common species, Mr.
Bree has never met with an example ofthe winged insect at large in his neigh-bourhood (Allesley, near Coventry ).
He has bred it from the caterpillar; andonce he took a single pair in an osierbed near Dudley, which, at the time,were considered as great rarities. “Thewood of SMix caprea is, in Warwickshire ,usually either sold to the rake-maker,for the purpose of being worked up intorake-teeth, &c. ; or converted into whatare called flakes, i. e. hurdles made ofsplit stuff nailed together, in contradis-tinction to the common wicker hurdle,which is formed of round wood, twistedand plaited together without the help ofnails. The lower, and consequently thethicker^ portion of each willow rod, tothe length of 5 in. or 6 in., or occasionally 1 ft. or more, is spoiled by theperforations of the larva, and rendered unavailable to the above purposes. ’(JT«g. Nat. Hist., new se-ries, vol. i. p. 19.) Of theTrochflium erabroniforme(or, more properly T. bem-beciforme) a beautiful figureis given by Mr. Curtis in theBritish Entomology, pi. 372.fig. sup.; and several addi-tional particulars relative toits habits are given by Mr.
Westwood, in an article inthe third part of the Trans-actions of the EntomologicalSociety.
The caterpillars of Nd-matus caprem feed on theleaves of the sallow ( S. ca-prea L.), and of severalspecies of willow and osier,to which they are said to
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destructive
be sometimes very
A cultivator
of