1885.] THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 59 



adjoining the river ; last year these plots were very nearly worthless, 

 and other plots were attacked ; and so the plague has spread. 



"This year (1884) I have no doubt the exceptionally dry season 

 has largely encouraged the increase of the insect. I am told that in 

 Thelwall district, gas-lime, sulphur, hellebore, soot, etc., have been 

 tried as preventives, but without any good effect, and hand-picking 

 has been looked upon as the only remedy. I am sending some more 

 specimens of leaves and grubs." 



On the 24th of July, Mr. Cameron forwarded some more grubs of 

 willow beetle, and concluded his series of careful notes with the 

 information that the young willow crop was then doing fairly well, 

 and the beetles upon them doing little harm ; but on two or three 

 year old plants considerable harm was done. 



The Paris-green had been most satisfactory of all the dressings 

 which had been tried. " Indeed, 1 hclievc hy applying this dressiny 

 early enough the beetle might be kept fairly well under, the diffi- 

 culty at this season of the year being to get the wash distributed ; 

 the willows grow so thickly on the ground and so high that any 

 spray distributed cannot be used. I find the willows are easily 

 damaged if Paris-green is used stronger than the quantities given by 

 Mr. Ct. Leigh in his notes. / thinh our safety is in ea.rly sp)ring worh, 

 and trapping of some amount in early ivinter." 



Mr. W. "Worthington, writing from Wigan on the 28 th of May, 

 mentioned " that the "Willow Beetle was doing; much damao'e to the 

 willow crop in some parts of the country. Specimens were sent 

 from willow beds about ten miles from Wigan, which had suffered 

 heavily in the previous year. The beetles had again attacked the 

 willows in great numbers, and a large staff of hands had been 

 engaged in hand-picking. Many ways of getting rid of them had 

 been tried, and paraffin oil had been found the most destructive, 

 but unfortunately it also injured the plants. 



" It was noticed that there were two visitations of the pest — the 

 first in May, luhcn the old hectics leave their winter quarters ; the 

 second later in the season, just before the willows begin to ripen. 

 The insects then settle in vast numbers on the tender leaves and 

 shoots of the plants, and in an incredibly short time do an immense 

 amount of damage. 



" When the hectics leave the willow beds in autumn they conceal 

 themselves in old fences, hay and corn stacks, crevices of old build- 

 ings, etc., where they pass the winter, and emerge to commence their 

 depredations in the following spring, when the willows have got 

 into leaf." 



The above letter was kindly forwarded to me by Mr. S. L. Mosley, 



