1895. SOME NEW BOOKS. 345 



and the best methods for their destruction fully set forth. One 

 of the most destructive insects of the past year was the "Antler," 

 or "Grass" Moth [Chaneas graminis, Stephens; Cerapteryx, Curtis), 

 which appeared in great numbers in the South -West of Scotland, 

 seven counties being affected. So bad, indeed, was the plague that 

 Professor Wallace remarked early in July, " they are said to be worse 

 than the voles in some places." Nature supplied a remedy, however ; 

 for the caterpillars were attacked by a threadworm of the genus 

 Mermis, and by the disease known as " flacherie." 



Perhaps the most interesting part of the whole Report is the 

 appendix of 62 pages, devoted entirely to " Observations on Warble 

 Fly or Ox Bot-Fly " (OEstvus bovis, Linn.; Hypodcvma, De Geer). 

 Miss Ormerod has collected a great amount of additional information 

 together regarding this pest, 1 which, besides causing serious pain and 

 distress or even death to the animal, renders its skin, in bad cases, 

 quite unfit for sale purposes. A picture of a piece of the skin of a 

 yearling, 24 by 14 inches is given, which shows 402 warble holes, and 

 this will give the reader some idea of the commercial value of such 

 a hide for leather. Full particulars are given of the condition, 

 value, and depreciation of the hides of oxen attacked by warble, and 

 if this commercial point could be forced upon the farmer, methods 

 might be adopted which would relieve the cattle, and, at the same 

 time, increase the value of his property. The remedies suggested 

 and approved of by practical men are large shallow ponds, where 

 the animals can stand during the heat of the day, trees, and 

 careful housing at night, smearing the back with Stockholm or green 

 tar, brine, sulphur, train-oil, McDougall's Smear, or some other 

 strong-smelling or fatty matter. If the beast is warbled the grub 

 must be extracted by pressure after a small incision with a penknife. 



We might quote many pages from this interesting Report, but 

 advise our readers to get it and read it for themselves ; they will then, 

 perhaps, realise the debt of the agriculturist to Miss Ormerod, and 

 the scope of the good work that she is doing. 



The United States is, however, the true home of economic 

 entomology, and we have frequently called the attention of our 

 readers to the excellent reports issued by the various institutions of 

 that country. The latest of these reports received by us is the 

 eighteenth of the State Entomologist on the Noxious and Beneficial 

 Insects of the State of Illinois, which contains a monograph of 

 " Insect Injuries to Indian Corn," part 1, by Mr. S. A. Forbes, the 

 State Entomologist. This deals with classification of injuries, 

 injuries to the seed in the earth, injuries by ants, beetles, and the 

 special insects that affect the seed, injuries to the roots, with the 

 special insects that inflict them. The majority of these pests are 

 figured, and many of them described for the first time. Fifteen good 

 plates accompany the monograph, which is well and fully indexed, 

 and which cannot fail to be of the greatest service to growers in 

 America and elsewhere. 



A Bold Undertaking. 



The Great Problem of Substance and its Attributes, involving the Relation- 

 ship and laws of Matter and of Mind as the Phenomena of the World, derived 

 from the Absolute. 8vo. Pp. 197. London : Kegan Paul, 1895. 



In this little book an attempt is made to solve the problem of the 

 universe in terms of Ether regarded as absolute substance. We are 



1 See Reports for 1884, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 90. 



