MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 241 



variety of cucmics wliich iufostccl our fields and p;ai\lcns in tliat 

 year was ajipalling ; this was especially noticeable during tlie 

 mouths of May, June, and July. In 1882 there Avas much less to 

 observe, only isolated specimens of the greater number of the worst 

 kinds of insects being seen. 



During the months of May and June, 1881, the wireworm 

 {Agrestes obscurus) did considerable damage to the growing crops 

 of wheat and barley, and some fields of oats were so badly injured 

 in this neighbourhood that they had to be ploughed up ; but in 

 1882 there was little apparent injury done by these larva). 



In the early days of June, 1881, the pea- weevil {Sitoties Uneatus) 

 did irreparable damage to the crops of peas, by causing the vine to 

 die otf from the roots. The turnip-fly [Phyllotreta imdidata) was 

 very busy this month, and particularly in the course of the first four 

 days, which were exceedingly hot, entirely destroying large areas of 

 turnips, and also in many instances every plant of charlock {Sinapis 

 arvensis) which grew amongst the corn, so that fields which at one 

 time threatened to be covered with this obnoxious plant were en- 

 tirely freed. So ravenous was the "fly" during these scorchingly 

 hot days of June that it attacked large coarse leaves of horse-radish 

 {Armoraeia rusticana) in the gardens of this neighbourhood. From 

 numerous observations it appears that these insects have a great 

 preference for all species of plants belonging to the Cruciferous 

 family. The moist and colder season of 1882 kept the ravages of 

 the " fly " in check. 



In 1 88 1 , early in June, many barley-fields were observed with their 

 growing plants covered with white froth, the so-called "cuckoo-spit" 

 {Aphroplwra spumaria), caused by the insect Cicada. The Kev. T. A. 

 Preston, to whom some specimens were transmitted, says : " The 

 insect produces this froth from its own body, though no doubt it 

 obtains some of the fluid fi'om the plants upon which it is found. 

 It seems very harmless, and though often abundant is seldom com- 

 plained of." Miss Ormerod, however, says: "I am not sure that 

 the cuckoo-spit does not give cause for complaint, as I hear a good 

 deal about it in the way of doubts and difiiculties." It was noticed 

 after heavy rain on the 26th of June that the whole of the spittle 

 was washed off, and that the barley plants appeared to have 

 sustained little if any injury. It was not observed in 1882. 



In 1881 Aphis rum ids was observed thickly infesting plants of 

 Centaurea nigra, Carduus arvensis, and Urtica dioica, and the bhicjk 

 ant seemed to be very busy amongst them. Anthomyia cepariim 

 (onion-fly) produced great havoc on the lighter soils, whole beds 

 of onions dying off through its depredations. The crop on soils 

 of a closer texture appeared to suffer less. Alraxas grossulariata 

 (the caterpillar of the gooseberry-moth) did considerable damage 

 to the foliage of the gooseberry during the month of June ; and 

 the gooseberry saw-fly {Nematus Rihesii) greatly damaged the 

 fruit in certain localities in this neighbourhood, the ground under 

 the trees being frequently seen thickly strewn with berries, which 

 being examined were found perforated by this destructive insect. 



