270 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



cultivated it is by the labourers who obtain allotments for the purpose of 

 growing vegetables for their own consumption. 



The story of the discovery of the Colorado beetle at Tilbury is 

 briefly this : Situated at the north-east corner of the docks belonging to 

 the London and India Dock Company, are some allotment gardens, 

 occupied by employes of the company for the consideration of a 

 '"' peppercorn " rent. Whilst gardening in one of these plots, a man 

 came across what to him was a strange insect, unlike anything he had 

 seen before. In his perplexity he made inquiries, the result being that 

 the Board of Agriculture were communicated with. That body submitted 

 the insect to their experts at the Natural History Museum, at South 

 Kensington, who pronounced it to be the Colorado beetle. Representa- 

 tives of the Board of Agriculture were despatched to Tilbury immediately, 

 and they made a most careful examination, not only of the land affected, 

 but of the surrounding area, in which work they were accorded every 

 assistance by the officials of the dock company. The plots upon which 

 the beetle had been found were first dealt with, all the vegetation being 

 cut down, made into small heaps, and burnt with the help of hundreds of 

 gallons of oil. The ground was afterwards ploughed vigorously, and 

 minute care was taken in destroying the insects. The land adjoining 

 received similar treatment. So complete and thorough were the means 

 adopted that when the inspectors of the Board of Agriculture left the 

 scene they expressed in no equivocal terms the conviction that the 

 dangerous pest had been wholly annihilated. 



How the beetle came into this country is, of course, a matter for 

 conjecture. It may, however, be reasonably assumed that it was 

 imported in one or more of the American boats which call at Tilbury, 

 but, although the transatlantic steamers were searched, no trace of the 

 pest could be found. 



All persons occupying land in the vicinity of Tilbury have been 

 warned to look out for the beetle, and if there should be another 

 outbreak to give immediate notice to the Board of Agriculture through 

 the police. The penalty for disobedience involves a penalty not 

 exceeding ^10, and it should also be remembered that keeping or selling 

 any living specimens constitutes an offence under the Act, and is 

 punishable by a fine not exceeding a similar amount. The insect is 

 known to most people as being somewhat like a large "lady-bird," having 

 longitudinal black lines down the wing-cases, the underneath being of a 

 yellowish tint. — Daily Telegraph, Sept. 5. 



